Insys Therapeutics, a pharmaceutical company that sells fentanyl, an opioid painkiller 100 times stronger than morphine and 50 times stronger than heroin, is fighting pot legalization in Arizona with the most powerful weapon in business and politics: money. [1]
As part of a new overdose prevention initiative, Kentucky will begin selling the drug Naloxone over the counter without a prescription in 96 Kroger outlets across the state.
Naloxone is a drug that can reverse an overdose of opioid drugs and often is only administered in the emergency room. However, due to the fact that Kentucky is one of five states with the highest rates of opioid overdoses, a decision has been made to make Naloxone available quickly and easily to anyone who needs it.
On July 8, the House approved an agreement between itself and the Senate on bipartisan legislation intended to tackle the burgeoning opioid crisis in America.
Following the 407-5 vote, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA) is expected to move quickly through the Senate and head to President Barack Obama’s desk to be signed into law.
The US Food and Drug Administration has warned that many people are now taking to the anti-diarrhea medication, Imodium, to help curb cravings for opiates. Although some people accidentally overdose on the drug to help diarrhea symptoms subside, many more people are using them as a substitute for opiates, possibly due to the fact that doctors and pharmacies are trying to cut down on the amount of pain killers and addictive drugs they prescribe to patients.
Earlier this year the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) responded to the growing opioid addiction epidemic in the U.S. by issuing new recommendations for health care providers who prescribe the painkillers for chronic pain.
The guidelines were published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
The list of states that have decriminalized marijuana for medical use is growing, but there are still many rules and stipulations which make it incredibly expensive and difficult for patients to actually get their hands on cannabis. Marijuana’s classification as a Schedule I drug has been a major hurdle for drug researchers seeking to understand the full benefits of the herb, but that might change in a few short months.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has been taking steps to cut opioid misuse and overdoses by issuing guidelines to doctors who prescribe the powerful painkillers. While the recommendations are not legally binding, the agency urges physicians in the guidelines to only prescribe opioids if there are absolutely no other options, and to only prescribe a few days’ worth of pills at a time.
Last week was a busy one for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as the nation’s health watchdog began taking serious action to combat the rising opioid crisis.
Source: CDC
It has been a busy month, in general, for top health officials.
A synthetic opioid created in the 1970’s has made an appearance in parts of Texas recently, and health officials are concerned about the dangers associated with it.
At least 2 North Texans have been hospitalized after using the drug, U-47700, according to officials with the North Texas Poison Center. Dr. Joann Schulte, a toxicologist with the North Texas Poison Control Center said of the dangerous substance:
“No matter how you want to party – I don’t think anyone wants to die.”
On Thursday, the Senate approved a bill aimed at tackling the nation’s growing painkiller- and heroin-abuse epidemic, but it may prove to be a useless effort.
Source: NAADAC
