Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Opioid Commission's Blueprint To Fighting Crisis Focuses On Drug Courts, Tighter Prescribing Requirements
President Trump鈥檚 commission on combating the opioid epidemic plans to encourage the federal government to establish drug courts in every federal judicial district, adjust reimbursement rates for addiction treatment, and streamline federal funding used by state and local governments to implement drug treatment and prevention programs, according to a draft of the panel鈥檚 final report. Those steps are among the 53 recommendations laid out in the draft, a copy of which was obtained by STAT. The final report is set to be released on Wednesday. (Facher, 10/30)
A coalition of 30 state treasurers, pension funds, and faith-based groups are filing shareholder proposals asking 10 drug makers and distributors to investigate how these companies are responding to the increased business risks caused by the opioid crisis. In announcing their plans, the coalition noted that drug makers are coming under increasing 鈥渓egal and legislative scrutiny鈥 for allegedly failing to disclose the addictive potential of opioid painkillers, and that distributors are being pressured to do a better job of reporting suspicious orders to state and federal authorities. (Silverman, 10/30)
Drug companies that profit from opioids need to do more to limit the risks of the addictive products and protect shareholders against losses, according to a group of investors managing more than $1.3 trillion. Investors for Opioid Accountability plans to file shareholder proposals on board oversight of business risks at 10 manufacturers and distributors, the coalition of unions, public pension funds and state treasurers said Monday in an emailed statement. (Melin, 10/30)
One in 10 Massachusetts residents who were revived from an overdose by a fast-acting antidote went on to die within a year, according to research providing stark evidence that merely reversing overdoses will not end the opioid crisis. The study, presented Monday at a medical conference, tracked what happened to thousands of people who received the overdose rescue drug naloxone, commonly known by the brand name Narcan. (Freyer, 10/30)
As the opioid overdose epidemic continues to surge, public health officials and first responders have turned to naloxone, the drug that reverses overdose, to help combat the rising tide. New research from Brigham and Women's hospital in Boston shows its effectiveness. A review of emergency medical services data from Massachusetts found that when given naloxone, 93.5% of people survived their overdose. The research looked at more than 12,000 dosages administered between July 1, 2013 and December 31, 2015. A year after their overdose, 84.3% of those who had been given the reversal drug were still alive. (Kounang, 10/30)
Former President Bill Clinton said in a speech Monday at the Johns Hopkins University that everyone can play a part in solving the killer opioid epidemic gripping the nation. Every person or group needs to pick something like stocking the overdose reversal drug naloxone, tackling stigma or calling for the expansion of treatment, Clinton said before directing the audience to a report released Monday with a list of recommendations compiled by the Clinton Foundation and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. (Cohn, 10/30)
