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More than 60% of Medicare enrollees with opioid use disorder are getting substandard care, according to a new study in Health Affairs. Opioid use is a growing health problem for older adults in the U.S. Drug overdose deaths for people age 65 and older increased 11.4% between 2022 and 2023, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data — the largest increase of any age group that year. (Goldman, 9/4)

Private equity acquisition of opioid treatment programs did not appear to increase the methadone supply, according to a difference-in-differences study. While opioid treatment programs acquired by private equity firms had a "consistent differential increase" in methadone shipments (159.9 g per program, or 13.3%) during the 2 years post-acquisition relative to matched controls (P=0.007), the pooled increase was not significantly different from the pre-acquisition trend (P=0.214), reported Yashaswini Singh, PhD, of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, and co-authors. (Firth, 9/3)

Japanese scientists have developed ADRIANA, a non-opioid painkiller that could provide powerful relief without the dangers of addiction. With successful trials already completed, large U.S. studies are now underway, raising hopes for a safer future in pain treatment. (9/2)

The debate over how to deal with homelessness, drug addiction and mental health issues has intensified in recent months — with a renewed focus on a controversial strategy of forcing people into treatment. The practice, known as civil commitment, has gained national prominence after President Trump issued an executive order in July embracing the approach. Massachusetts has used involuntary commitment for decades. While some people say it helped them, state data calls into question its effectiveness more broadly. (Becker, 9/3)

A drug dealer dubbed the “Ketamine queen” who provided the drugs that ultimately killed actor Matthew Perry pleaded guilty on Wednesday to several criminal charges in federal court. Jasveen Sangha, 42, was charged with conspiracy to distribute ketamine to Perry, whose struggles with drug addiction and numerous rehab visits were well documented and who died from acute effects of the drug in October 2023. (Winton, 9/3)

The Trump administration says Venezuela is sending vast amounts of cocaine to the United States. Venezuela’s role in the drug trade is overstated, experts say. (Glatsky, 9/3)