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The Republican-led Congress has turned the work of the president's opioid commission into a "charade" and a "sham," a member of the panel told CNN. "Everyone is willing to tolerate the intolerable -- and not do anything about it," said former Democratic Rep. Patrick Kennedy, who was one of six members appointed to the bipartisan commission in March. "I'm as cynical as I've ever been about this stuff." (Drash, 1/23)

Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said Monday he is considering litigation against several pharmaceutical companies, saying they “irresponsibly saturated the market with opiates, knowingly putting consumers at risk for addiction.” In a statement, Walsh said he will seek information from “law firms, researchers and other interested parties” on potential opioid litigation. (Schick, 1/22)

U.S. District Judge Dan Polster is presiding over more than 200 lawsuits - filed by governmental entities in Alabama, California, Illinois, Kentucky, Ohio, Washington and West Virginia - blaming drug manufacturers and distributors for the opioid crisis. ...The lawsuits say that drug makers overstated the benefits and downplayed the risks of using opioids, and that distributors failed to monitor suspicious orders of prescription opiates. (Sandrick, 1/22)

Many hospitals are now moving to alternative methods of treating pain. Some doctors say less potent medications can handle pain equally well — and that patients are coming to share that view. In the past six months, Rush University Medical Center has given post-surgical patients Tylenol, Motrin and gabapentin, a medication used for nerve pain. A mild opioid is used just for intermittent pain spikes. (Keilman, 1/23)