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The White House is being urged to sidestep patents on a high-priced opioid overdose antidote as one way to stem the rising cost of combating the opioid crisis. In a letter sent last Thursday, an advocacy group argues the White House should use a little-known federal law that would permit the government to take title to patents on Evzio. This is a decades-old version of naloxone, which is widely used to reverse the effect of opioid and heroin overdoses. (Silverman, 4/2)

At the very moment that the Trump administration has thrown its weight behind a particular medication meant to deter opioid addiction, a new paper in a public-health journal is warning that too little is known about one of the medication’s possible downsides: a heightened chance of overdose among those who stop taking it prematurely. (MacGillis, 4/3)

The Drug Enforcement Administration arrested 28 drug prescribers and pharmacists, and revoked the licenses of 147 people who handle controlled substances, as part of a nationwide crackdown on the illegal use and distribution of opioids and other prescription medications, the Justice Department announced Monday. The 45-day enforcement “surge” stemmed from a review, ordered by Attorney General Jeff Sessions, of 80 million drug transactions. The review revealed dispensers who sold disproportionately large amounts of drugs, particularly opioid painkillers, and sparked 188 investigations. (Bernstein, 4/2)

The U.S. Justice Department on Monday sought court permission to participate in settlement negotiations aimed at resolving lawsuits by state and local governments against opioid manufacturers and distributors. The Justice Department said in a brief it wanted to participate in talks overseen by a federal judge in Cleveland as a "friend of the court" that would provide information to help craft non-monetary remedies to combat the opioid crisis. (Raymond, 4/2)

When Brigham and Women's Hospital surgeon and best-selling author Atul Gawande turns his attention to a health care issue, people take notice. But last week, during a Brigham-only event, staff packed an auditorium to, in Gawande's words, welcome another doctor "home." (Bebinger, 4/3)

New surges in use of methamphetamine and cocaine mixed with a powerful synthetic opioid are contributing to rising drug overdose death tolls in already hard-hit Ohio. As county coroners have begun releasing their 2017 tallies, a trend has emerged of more deaths involving meth or cocaine mixed with fentanyl, the painkiller blamed for increasing U.S. fatalities in recent years as authorities focused on reducing heroin overdoses. (Sewell, 4/2)

Minneapolis police want every officer to be trained by the end of the year in how to administer a medication called Narcan, which can reverse an opioid overdose. The program is rolling out as the city faces a big increase in reported overdoses in the first few months of 2018. (Collins, 4/2)

Mercy Health – Cincinnati, which has stepped up its efforts to care for patients with opioid addiction, announced Monday that its Mercy Health Foundation has invested in Crosswave Health, the technology company behind the treatment finder. Users of FindLocalTreatment can type in their gender, insurance provider, ZIP code and more to locate accredited addiction treatment services in the region. (DeMio, 4/2)

Governor Chris Sununu has vetoed a bill relating to prison sentences for those struggling with substance abuse. In New Hampshire, if a prisoner is out on parole but has that parole revoked, he or she must be recommitted for at least 90 days. (Greene, 4/2)

In Licking County, Prosecutor Bill Hayes said he has about 100 drug-related cases awaiting final lab results. In the meantime, suspected drug dealers and users are out on the streets, some committing more crimes. (Kovac, 4/3)