Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Overdose Deaths Drop 10%, Data Show
Overdose deaths appear to be declining sharply in the United States, a sign that efforts to combat the scourge of lethal fentanyl may be paying off even as experts caution that the toll remains unacceptably high and could rise again. Preliminary data compiled by states and released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show a 10 percent drop in deaths during the 12-month period ending in April 2024, with about 101,000 people succumbing to overdoses. (Ovalle, 10/7)
Telehealth companies that focus on opioid addiction treatment say not all controlled substances should be regulated equally by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The legal authority allowing clinicians to prescribe DEA-regulated medications virtually, without an office visit, expires Dec. 31 and a draft version released last year triggered protests from providers and telehealth companies. (Perna, 10/4)
Also —
Charges have been unsealed in a massive pharmaceutical drug bust that was part of a criminal operation that distributed opioids and other drugs with a black-market value of $1.3 billion. Most of the 13 people charged, including three Houstonians, have pleaded guilty. It was a sophisticated system with prescription drug distributors funneling drugs like oxycodone into Houston pill mills. (Chow, 10/4)
Medical sociologist Liz Chiarello discusses the effects of prescription drug monitoring programs on both patients and physicians. (Kotch, 10/7)
After supply chain disruptions that made critical medicines scarce, a federal effort is underway to ensure domestic stocks of pharmaceutical ingredients. (Goodman, 10/7)
Unlike opioid addiction, there are no FDA-approved medications for the more than 3 million Americans addicted to stimulants like meth and cocaine. Instead, the most effective treatment is low-tech — and more controversial: Give people retail gift cards usually worth less than $30 in exchange for negative drug tests. Research shows that it works, and after more than three decades of resistance, policymakers are finally giving that strategy a chance. (Levi, 10/5)
