Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Innovative App Would Detect Opioid Overdoses, Developers Say. Would People Turn It On, Though?
Too often people die of an opioid overdose because no one's around to notice they're in trouble. Now scientists are creating a smartphone app that beams sound waves to measure breathing — and summon help if it stops. The app is still experimental. But in a novel test, the "Second Chance" app detected early signs of overdose in the critical minutes after people injected heroin or other illegal drugs, researchers reported Wednesday. (Neergaard, 1/9)
More than 60 House Democrats are urging leadership to make the opioid crisis a top priority in the new Congress. The Democrats said Congress should dedicate more funding and staff to addressing the crisis, which killed 47,600 people in 2017. ... Congress passed a massive bill last session increasing access to treatment and recovery, but Democrats and some Republicans wanted more funding for the crisis. (Hellmann, 1/9)
A Connecticut judge has dismissed lawsuits against Purdue Pharma and two dozen other drug companies brought by 37 cities and towns in the state, which blame them for the opioid crisis and seek to recoup millions of dollars spent on emergency response and other services. Judge Thomas Moukawsher in Hartford Superior Court ruled Tuesday that the lawsuits were not allowed because they were not government enforcement actions, such as those filed under consumer protection and public health laws. Instead, the judge said the lawsuits were filed as "ordinary civil cases" seeking money damages for the "indirect harm" from the opioid crisis. (1/9)
There's no stethoscope for pain. Now, U.S. health officials are pushing for development of a pain meter, the first objective way to measure it. The National Institutes of Health stresses the goal isn't a lie detector for pain, but to spur better treatment. A device that peeks into patients' eyes is among the approaches in early-stage studies. The theory is that patterns of pupil reactions could signal pain, and what drug might help. (1/10)
A study from the University of Minnesota has found that doctors are increasing simultaneous prescriptions of benzodiazepines and opioids, a combination that may amplify the risk of overdose death. Benzodiazepines are usually prescribed for anxiety or insomnia, while opioids are used as a powerful painkiller. Both drugs suppress a patient's respiratory system, to deadly effect if misused. (Collins, 1/9)
A Houston lawmaker has filed the 86th Legislature’s first three bills aimed at tackling the state’s opioid crisis, including one that would require pharmacists to put a red cap on all prescription opioids warning patients of their risks. Another bill would require a label on the medications in all capital letters to warn that the drugs can cause addiction and death; a third would require pharmacists to verbally go over the risks with patients and get a signed acknowledgement before they are dispensed. (Huber, 1/9)
