Reframing the Opioid Epidemic as a National Emergency
In the past two decades, more than 700,000 people have died from opioid overdose, with states including West Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania suffering the worst losses. More than 10 million people misuse prescription opioids each year, according
States Reject $18 Billion Opioid Settlement From Wholesalers
Attorneys general from more than 20 states rejected a proposed $18 billion settlement offer from three major drug wholesalers, saying it fell short of their expectations for as much as $32 billion, according to a Feb. 14 report by The Wall Stree
Can Telemedicine Help in Opioid Addiction?
To provide better care for people with opioid addictions, some physicians, addiction treatment advocates and policymakers are pushing for easier access to medication assisted treatment (MAT) through telemedicine. Consulting a health care profess
Rural Opioid Response Program Aims to Reduce Deaths
Deaths from certain kinds of opioids are higher in rural communities than in urban ones, and now there are more federally-backed programs, tools, and funding sources to help rural communities respond to the crisis. The rates of overdose deaths f
Opioid Overdoses Put Spotlight on Naloxone at Work
With hundreds of fatal opioid overdoses occurring each week across the nation, government health leaders are urging companies and individuals to keep naloxone on hand and learn how to use it in the event a colleague should have an overdose while
Minimizing Fentanyl Exposure Risk for Health Care Workers
Written by: J. Brent Allen, Esq. Doctors, nurses, phlebotomists and other health care workers on the frontline of saving lives and treating illnesses and injuries face a new threat in the workplace: illicit fentanyl and derivative drugs of unk
Philadelphia Jury Awards $2.2M to Woman Over Excessive Opioid Prescriptions
As more opioid cases are going to trial across the country, a $2.2 million jury verdict in favor of a Philadelphia plaintiff establishes noteworthy precedent in excessive prescription claims. Plaintiff Yvonne Rivera alleged that her pain managem
OPIOID FRAUD AND ABUSE DETECTION UNITS – COMING TO A CITY NEAR YOU ALABAMA
The Department of Justice explicitly designated 12 federal prosecutors across the country as part of the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Units. These Units are assigned to areas where the most opioid drug-related deaths have occurred: Califor
New Laws For Prescribing Controlled Substances in Florida
Written by: Jodi Barrett, Esq. & Kate Watson, Esq. OVERVIEW1) To combat the national opioid epidemic, in March 2018, the Florida Legislature passed laws creating new limits on prescriptions for pain medication. These restrictions do not ap
Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Units – Coming to a City Near You
By Daniel R. Crumby, Esq., MBA, MHA, CHC1) The Department of Justice explicitly designated 12 federal prosecutors across the country as part of the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Units. These Units are assigned to areas where the most opioid