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OxyContin marketer agrees to pay $350M rather than face lawsuits
A company that helped develop marketing campaigns for OxyContin and other opioids has agreed to a $350 million settlement with U.S. states over the toll of the powerful prescription painkillers.
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Kroger will pay up to $1.2 billion to settle most nationwide opioid claims
The settlements would allow for “full resolution” of all opioid claims on behalf of U.S. states, local governments and Native American tribes, Kroger said.
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Everything you need to know about Narcan
Narcan is an easy-to-use nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose. Here’s what you need to know about this life-saving drug.
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Opioid overdose antidote Narcan will be widely available over the counter next week
The opioid overdose antidote Narcan will be available over the counter in the coming days, a move that’s hoped to increase access to the lifesaving medication amid the country’s worsening opioid epidemic.
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Animal sedative adds new suffering to Opioid drug crisis, but is it driving up deaths?
A powerful animal sedative in the illicit drug supply is complicating the U.S. response to the opioid crisis. It’s called xylazine (pronounced ZY’-lah-zeen).
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Abstinence not required: How a Baltimore drug program prioritizes saving lives
A mobile clinic in Baltimore is expanding access to buprenorphine, a medication that treats opioid use disorder by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms.
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US Sanctions Chinese, Mexican Companies Over Pill Making Machinery
The U.S. has sanctioned more than a dozen people and businesses in China and Mexico that allegedly helped provide machines used to make counterfeit prescription drugs.
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A Drug Company Was Accused of Fueling the Opioid Crisis. Its Hiring of a DEA Deputy Keeps Pills Flowing.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has allowed one of the nation’s largest drug distributors to keep shipping addictive painkillers for nearly four years despite a judge’s recommendation to strip its license for turning a blind eye to thousands of suspicious opioid orders.
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Philadelphia Students Hospitalized After Drinking Juice Laced With Opioid, Officials Say
Students at a Philadelphia school were hospitalized Wednesday after they drank grape juice laced with an opioid substance, officials said.
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FDA Approves Over-The-Counter Narcan. Here's What It Means
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved selling overdose antidote naloxone over-the-counter, marking the first time a opioid treatment drug will be available without a prescription.
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Nearly 8% of Addiction Patients Cheat Drug Tests, Study Says
Doctors may be missing patients who are trying to cheat on tests that check if they are taking medication for opioid addiction.
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Opioids Were the Most Common Cause of Fatal Poisoning of Young Children, a Study Finds
The study’s sobering findings underscore the extent of the opioid epidemic’s impact on children, according to its lead author.
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Experts Urge Better Opioid Rescue Drug Access to Save Lives
Access has improved across the U.S. to a rescue drug that reverses opioid overdoses, but advocates say naloxone — commonly known by its brand name Narcan — still isn’t getting to everyone who needs it. A small group of volunteers run an organization that appears to be the largest distributor of naloxone in Albany, Georgia. But many communities lack similar...
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NJ Art Teacher Overdoses on Fentanyl in Front of Middle School Students
An art teacher at a New Jersey middle school has been arrested after he overdosed on fentanyl in front of students mid-class, police said.
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New State Law Allows Universities to Order Naloxone Free of Cost
As California college students prepare to return to campus for the spring semester, the California Department of Public Health is connecting universities with the life-saving opioid overdose medication, Naloxone.
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Proposed Bill Would Require Opioid Blockers in Gas Stations, Bars, Libraries
In light of the ever-worsening opioid crisis, a state assemblyman from San Francisco has introduced a new bill that would require opioid blockers to be present in gas stations, bars, libraries, and single-room occupancy hotels.
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Nearly 107,000 US Drug Overdose Deaths in 2021, CDC's Final Tally Shows
Nearly 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year. That’s according to final figures released Thursday.
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CVS, Walgreens Finalize $10 Billion in Settlements Over Opioids
CVS and Walgreens have agreed to a combined $10.7 billion to settle allegations they failed to adequately oversee opioid prescriptions, thus contributing to America’s addiction crisis.
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Walmart Offers to Pay $3.1 Billion to Settle Opioid Lawsuits
Walmart has agreed to pay $3.1 billion to settle lawsuits nationwide over the impact of the prescriptions its pharmacies filled for powerful prescription opioid painkillers. The deal would still need to be approved by 43 states to take effect. It follows a similar announcement from pharmacy chains CVS Health and Walgreen Co. They each said they would pay about $5...
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California Doctor Convicted After Patient Overdosed and Died
A federal jury convicted a 75-year-old California physician of prescribed an opioids and other powerful drugs to a patient who didn’t need them and who eventually died of an overdose.