August 15, 2019

Expert Panel Recommends Doctors Screen All Adult Patients for Illicit Drug Use

A national task force is recommending that doctors screen all adult patients for illicit drug use, including nonmedical use of prescription drugs, The New York Times reports.

August 8, 2019

Many Teens Who Misuse Prescription Drugs Get Them From Multiple Sources

New research finds 44% of high school seniors who misuse prescription drugs get them from multiple sources, HealthDay reports.

July 25, 2019

Court Filing: Drug Makers and Distributors Didn’t Analyze Suspicious Opioid Orders

A new motion filed in federal court alleges many drug makers and distributors did not implement basic systems to stop suspicious opioid orders, The Wall Street Journal reports.

July 18, 2019

Death Rates From Opioids Highest in Areas With Most Painkiller Prescriptions

Opioid-related death rates between 2006 and 2012 were highest in rural communities in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia with a disproportionate share of opioid painkiller prescriptions, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.

Medications on the Shelves of a Medicine Cabinet

July 11, 2019

Having Family Member with Opioid Prescription Increases Risk of Overdose

Having a family member with an opioid prescription increases a person’s risk of ending up in the emergency room with a drug overdose almost threefold, a new study suggests.

June 20, 2019

Featured News: National Survey Highlights Parents’ Role in Protecting Teens From Substance Use

Parents of adolescents can play a valuable role in protecting their teens from substance use, a new national survey by Center on Addiction finds.

May 30, 2019

Father of Football Player Who Died of Opioid Overdose Testifies in Drug Company Trial

On the second day of trial of a lawsuit against drug company Johnson & Johnson, the father of a college football player who died of an opioid overdose gave emotional testimony about the personal impact of the opioid crisis, Reuters reports.

May 30, 2019

Many State and Local Officials Say Drug Industry Should Pay for Opioid Epidemic

As lawsuits against opioid manufacturers increase, a growing number of state and local officials say the companies should pay for the costs of the country’s opioid crisis, NPR reports.

May 23, 2019

Facebook Launches Initiative to Encourage Discussion on Opioid Dependency

Facebook is collaborating with Partnership for Drug-Free Kids + Center on Addiction to launch an initiative to encourage people to discuss their experiences with opioid dependency.

May 23, 2019

OxyContin Maker Sued by Six Additional States

Six additional states—Kansas, Iowa, Maryland, Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Wisconsin—have filed lawsuits against the maker of OxyContin in state courts, according to The Wall Street Journal.

May 16, 2019

Some People Still May Get Opioids From Relatives Despite “Doctor Shopping” Crackdown

Some people who can no longer “doctor shop” to get multiple prescriptions for opioid painkillers because of stricter regulations are still able to get the drugs from relatives with prescriptions, a new study suggests.

May 9, 2019

Featured Commentary: The Opioid Epidemic’s Untold Story

The opioid epidemic has put enormous strain on our nation’s state courts, many of which have been overwhelmed by growing dockets and shrinking resources, leaders from the National Judicial Opioid Task Force explain.

April 18, 2019

Prosecutors Charge 60 People with Illegally Prescribing, Distributing Opioids

The Justice Department on Wednesday announced 53 medical professionals and seven other individuals have been charged in connection with allegedly illegally prescribing and distributing opioids and other dangerous narcotics.

April 4, 2019

Sackler Family Role in Opioid Crisis Highlighted in Lawsuits

Lawsuits filed by the attorneys general in Massachusetts and New York have brought to light the extensive involvement of the Sackler family, which owns OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma, in the opioid crisis, The New York Times reports.

March 28, 2019

OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma Agrees to Pay $270 Million to Resolve Lawsuit

Purdue Pharma, which makes OxyContin, has agreed to pay $270 million to resolve a lawsuit filed by Oklahoma’s attorney general, The Wall Street Journal reports. The majority of the settlement will fund a national opioid addiction center.

March 6, 2019

Young Adults Account for Half of ER Visits for Nonmedical Prescription Drug Use

Young adults under age 35 account for half of emergency room visits due to nonmedical prescription drug use, according to a new study.

February 28, 2019

Google Maps Begins Displaying Medication Disposal Sites

People looking for a place to drop off unused opioids or other medications can now use Google Maps to find a site, CNN reports.

February 28, 2019

Teens’ Risk of Long-Term Opioid Use Influenced by Family Opioid Use

Teens prescribed opioids after surgery are almost twice as likely to use the drugs long-term if they have a family member who has filled opioid prescriptions for four months or more over the past year, a new study finds.

February 21, 2019

FDA Weighs Recommendation to Prescribe Naloxone Along With Opioids

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is weighing whether to recommend prescribing the opioid overdose antidote naloxone along with opioid prescriptions, CNN reports.

February 7, 2019

Reformulated OxyContin Linked to Increase in Hepatitis C Infections

A new study links the reformulation of OxyContin to an increase in the spread of hepatitis C.

November 15, 2018

Many Pharmacies Don’t Offer Naloxone Without Prescription

A new study finds many pharmacies in California don’t offer the opioid overdose antidote naloxone without a prescription, even though state law has allowed pharmacists to furnish naloxone without a physician’s prescription since 2016.

November 8, 2018

Newly Approved Opioid 10 Times Stronger Than Fentanyl

The Food and Drug Administration has approved a new opioid painkiller that is 10 times stronger than fentanyl, USA Today reports.

November 8, 2018

Prescription Drugs Including Opioids Responsible for Most Overdose Deaths

A new report from the Drug Enforcement Administration finds controlled prescription drugs, including opioids, are responsible for the largest number of overdose deaths of any illicit drug class since 2001.

October 25, 2018

Number of Opioid Deaths Begin to Level Off

The number of Americans dying from opioid overdoses is beginning to plateau, Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar said this week.

October 25, 2018

Opioid Far More Potent Than Fentanyl Nears FDA Approval

A new opioid, Dsuvia, that is far more potent than fentanyl and 500 times stronger than morphine is nearing approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, according to MarketWatch.

Where Families Find Answers on Substance Use | Partnership for Drug-Free Kids

Latest Drug & Alcohol News: Prescription Drug Abuse

Expert Panel Recommends Doctors Screen All Adult Patients for Illicit Drug Use

Many Teens Who Misuse Prescription Drugs Get Them From Multiple Sources

Court Filing: Drug Makers and Distributors Didn’t Analyze Suspicious Opioid Orders

Death Rates From Opioids Highest in Areas With Most Painkiller Prescriptions

Having Family Member with Opioid Prescription Increases Risk of Overdose

Featured News: National Survey Highlights Parents’ Role in Protecting Teens From Substance Use

Father of Football Player Who Died of Opioid Overdose Testifies in Drug Company Trial

Many State and Local Officials Say Drug Industry Should Pay for Opioid Epidemic

Facebook Launches Initiative to Encourage Discussion on Opioid Dependency

OxyContin Maker Sued by Six Additional States

Some People Still May Get Opioids From Relatives Despite “Doctor Shopping” Crackdown

Featured Commentary: The Opioid Epidemic’s Untold Story

Prosecutors Charge 60 People with Illegally Prescribing, Distributing Opioids

Sackler Family Role in Opioid Crisis Highlighted in Lawsuits

OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma Agrees to Pay $270 Million to Resolve Lawsuit

Young Adults Account for Half of ER Visits for Nonmedical Prescription Drug Use

Google Maps Begins Displaying Medication Disposal Sites

Teens’ Risk of Long-Term Opioid Use Influenced by Family Opioid Use

FDA Weighs Recommendation to Prescribe Naloxone Along With Opioids

Reformulated OxyContin Linked to Increase in Hepatitis C Infections

Many Pharmacies Don’t Offer Naloxone Without Prescription

Newly Approved Opioid 10 Times Stronger Than Fentanyl

Prescription Drugs Including Opioids Responsible for Most Overdose Deaths

Number of Opioid Deaths Begin to Level Off

Opioid Far More Potent Than Fentanyl Nears FDA Approval

Exciting Changes are Coming

Latest Drug & Alcohol News: Prescription Drug Abuse