Authors: Jodi Barrett, Ryan Donihue, Brent Allen, Duke Regan, Adam Peoples, Jacob Raehn, Beth Kanik, Jeff Saxby , James R. Embrey
“Landmark Decision” in Ohio Finds CVS, Walgreens & Walmart Liable in Opioid Epidemic
Written by: J. Brent Allen, Esq. A federal jury in Cleveland recently found that the actions by pharmacy operators helped fuel the opioid epidemic in Ohio, which a county attorney called a “landmark decision” in the first trial the companies have faced over the drug crisis in America. After deliberating for six days, the jury
COVID-19 Pandemic Threatens Opioid Sobriety
For many people who are battling opioid addiction or achieved sobriety, there is a new threat of relapse: the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Mandatory quarantines, shelter-in-place orders and new daily stressors such as the loss of childcare and the demands of running remote school are creating new challenges for people who are or have been addicted.
Debate Swirls Around How to Use Opioid Settlement Funds
Tens of billions of dollars in forthcoming opioid litigation settlement funds have public health policy leaders and elected officials debating over how to use the funds in the most effective and impactful way to address the root causes of opioid addiction and improve access to treatment programs. One thing is clear: there is a consensus
Seniors Impacted by Dual Health Crises: COVID & Opioid Misuse
Elderly people are facing a confluence of health crises right now: COVID-19 and opioid misuse. Seniors are already the most heavily impacted population for COVID-19 hospitalizations and death rates, and a concurrent acceleration of opioid misuse places additional stress on vulnerable seniors. In 2018, Medicare recipients were given an average of 5 opioid pre
Another Casualty of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Resolution of Opioid Litigation
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause countless disruptions to everyday life, including resolution of one of the largest civil cases in U.S. history — the landmark opioid litigation. Tens of billions of dollars are at stake as more than 3,000 cities, towns, municipalities and Native American tribes seek a settlement in trials against some of
Opioid Overdose Deaths Surge During COVID-19 Pandemic, Alarming Health Officials
The number of Americans dying from opioid overdoses surged dramatically in 2020 while the coronavirus pandemic was raging, causing alarm among public health officials and setting the stage for an increase in opioid litigation. More than 81,000 drug overdose deaths occurred in the 12 months ended May 2020, according to provisional data from the U.S.
COVID-19 May Worsen the Opioid Crisis
The rapid and unprecedented spread of the novel coronavirus has revealed massive gaps in our nation’s public health and support infrastructure, and some of the most vulnerable patients are those who are already fighting another epidemic: opioid addiction. In spite of extensive interventions, enormous amounts of funding, and the rapid expansion and easy ava
Do Opioid Patients Face Higher Risk During COVID-19 Treatment?
Learn more about our Opioid Task Force here. People struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD) and methamphetamine use may encounter more serious risks if they develop COVID-19 because of the way those drugs already affect their respiratory and pulmonary health. Those with substance abuse disorders are also more likely to be homeless or live in
Colliding Epidemics: COVID-19 and Opioid Addiction
Learn more about our Opioid Task Force here. With millions of Americans already struggling with opioid addiction, the coronavirus outbreak has many health care officials worried that socially marginalized people who already have underlying health conditions may be especially vulnerable to developing COVID-19. Before the coronavirus outbreak reached the Unite
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 to government studies, and millions of Americans are addicted to pain reliever medications. Opioid addiction, over
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 Street Journal, which viewed the letter. The settlement was intended to resolve litigation against
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 professional over the phone or through video chat removes the critical barrier of an in-person examination, which can save