Opioids
To encourage drug companies to seek approval for over-the-counter versions of naloxone, an emergency treatment for opioid overdose, the Food and Drug Administration today released model consumer-friendly labels for prospective OTC versions of the drug.
Patients in the most rural counties had an 87 percent greater chance of receiving an opioid prescription from their primary care provider between January 2014 and March 2017 than patients in large metropolitan areas.
Continued rising drug prices, as well as shortages for many critical medications, are disrupting patient care and forcing hospitals to delay infrastructure and staffing investments and identify alternative therapies.
January 2019 -- Adapting existing technology, the Texas Hospital Association is helping health care providers in Texas fight the state's opioid epidemic with software that providers relevant patient information in real-time. Learn more.
U.S. overdose death rates linked to synthetic opioids increased more than 45 percent in 2017, likely driven by illicitly manufactured fentanyl, according to a recent report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The Health Resources and Services Administration recently launched a program to provide eligible health care clinicians with student loan repayment assistance in exchange for their service on the front lines of the opioid crisis in underserved communities.
Also in this weekly roundup of health care news: how mandated access to at-home palliative care has made all the difference for some patients; and a town’s first-person account of battling the opioid epidemic.
Clinicians should strongly consider prescribing or co-prescribing naloxone to certain patients at risk for opioid overdose, and educating them about its use, according to guidance released today by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The Food and Drug Administration yesterday approved a mobile medical application to help increase retention in outpatient treatment programs for opioid use disorder.
U.S. life expectancy at birth continued to decline in 2017, from 78.7 years to 78.6, largely due to increase deaths from unintentional injuries, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.