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Gov. Peter Shumlin of Vermont on Wednesday announced proposed limits on the number of painkillers that could be prescribed, the latest measure his administration has taken to combat the opioid crisis that has ravaged the state in the last five years. (Bromwich, 10/19)

New York state is requiring more health insurers to cover the cost of medications used to help those struggling with opioid addiction.The steps announced Wednesday by the Department of Financial Services apply to those covered under large-group insurance policies. State officials say they "mirror" the rules already covering small-group and individual policies. (10/20)

Attorney General Matt Denn says more work is needed to tackle heroin addiction and prescription painkiller abuse in Delaware. Denn on Wednesday said the state’s prescription drug monitoring program needs to be tightened to help officials identify prescribing patterns that should be referred to police or medical licensing authorities. (Chase, 10/19)

In April, when Hickory was ranked fifth in the nation in the rate of opioid abuse, the designation sent shock waves through this foothills city of about 40,000. At a recent conference there, citizens and professionals looked for solutions to Hickory’s headline-generating prescription drug abuse problems, offering lists of existing resources. But it was the lack of coordination among professionals treating people with both mental illness and substance abuse problems, known as “dual diagnosis” clients, that emerged as a possible key factor behind the problem during the daylong event. (Goldsmith, 10/20)