Â鶹ŮÓÅ

More than four months after the Food and Drug Administration approved the overdose reversal medication Opvee, the manufacturer, Indivior, has started shipping the life-saving drug to first responders and pharmacies. Opvee, a nasal spray version of the drug nalmefene, works by blocking opioid receptors in the brain to quickly reverse the effects of an overdose. The rescue medication is approved for people 12 and older and requires a prescription. (Alltucker, 10/12)

Five Los Angeles County public libraries will host free naloxone clinics starting Wednesday at select locations made possible with a partnership with the County Department of Public Health and California Department of Health Care Services. The free clinics run through Nov. 9. The free doses of naloxone are available and do not require proof of identification, insurance or payment. Those receiving the doses need to complete watching a brief video training of how to administer the medication, and the video will be available on site. The doses are limited to one per customer while supplies last. (10/11)

A federal court has ordered a local pharmacy and pharmacist to pay a $275,000 civil penalty relating to illegal dispensing of opioids and other controlled substances. ... The fine comes following a civil complaint filed in Jan. 2022, stating that prescriptions were being filled in violation of the Controlled Substances Act. The pharmacy also repeatedly ignored "red flags" delegitimizing claims that prescriptions were being used for their intended purpose. (Trejo, 10/11)

Fentanyl is a potent drug that can kill with even the smallest of doses, but what is fentanyl? How is it made, and what's being done to track the people smuggling it into our area? CBS New York takes us inside a Drug Enforcement Administration laboratory for the answers. (McNicholas, 10/11)