IU researchers land $5M grant to combat opioid crisis
Researchers from Indiana University have been awarded a five-year, $5.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to help reduce opioid deaths in Indiana.
Opioids
Articles
Indiana nursing board, Justice Department settle discrimination case against nurses being treated for opioid use disorder
The Indiana State Board of Nursing has settled with the Justice Department over claims that the board violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by prohibiting nurses who take opioid use disorder medication from participating in a rehab program for nurses.
Plaintiff’s attorney blames Indiana AG for trouble reaching opioid settlement
After Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita used the announcement of the landmark $507 million opioid settlement to take a swipe at trial lawyers, one plaintiff’s attorney is hitting back, accusing the state’s top lawyer of nearly scuttling the deal that will be bringing much-needed funds to local Hoosier communities.
AG: All Indiana communities now participating in opioid settlement
Every city, town and county in Indiana is now participating in the $507 million opioid settlement with major pharmaceutical distributors and manufacturers, the Indiana Attorney General’s Office announced Wednesday.
US overdose deaths hit record 107,000 last year, CDC says
More than 107,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, setting another tragic record in the nation’s escalating overdose epidemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated Wednesday.
Several Indiana cities opting back in to opioid settlement
Indianapolis and several other Indiana cities are joining an estimated $507 million statewide opioid settlement after previously opting out of the state’s lawsuits against opioid manufacturers and distributors.
Justice Department: State nursing board discriminated against nurses being treated for opioid use disorder
The Indiana State Board of Nursing is under fire from the U.S. Justice Department, which found that the board violated the Americans with Disabilities Act by prohibiting nurses who take medication to treat opioid use disorder from participating in a rehab program for nurses with substance abuse disorders.
Purdue Pharma deal has families deflated, angry but hopeful
For those who lost loved ones in the opioid crisis, making sure the family behind OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma paid a price was never just about money. What many wanted was a chance to confront the Sackler family face to face, to make them feel their pain. While some may get that chance — at least by video — under a tentative settlement reached Thursday that also would force the Sacklers to pay out billions, the families still are coming away feeling empty, conflicted and angry yet again.
Justices seem to favor docs convicted in pain pill schemes
In a case stemming from the opioid addiction crisis, the Supreme Court on Tuesday appeared ready to side with two imprisoned doctors who wrote thousands of prescriptions for pain medication in short periods.
J&J, distributors finalize $26B landmark opioid settlement
Drugmaker Johnson & Johnson and three major distributors finalized nationwide settlements over their role in the opioid addiction crisis Friday, an announcement that clears the way for $26 billion to flow to nearly every state and local government in the U.S.
Cities wracked by opioids close to getting $26B settlement
Thousands of towns across the United States are on the precipice of receiving billions of dollars in the second-biggest legal settlement in U.S. history. The $26 billion from three drug distributors and a pharmaceutical manufacturer would address damage wrought by opioids.
Public nuisance laws in opioid cases give hope to both sides
A jury’s finding this week that three major pharmacy chains are responsible for contributing to the scourge of opioid addiction in two Ohio counties may be just the beginning of a protracted legal battle that ultimately could leave the communities no better off.
US overdose deaths topped 100,000 in one year, officials say
An estimated 100,000 Americans died of drug overdoses in one year, a never-before-seen milestone that health officials say is tied to the COVID-19 pandemic and a more dangerous drug supply.
Pharmacies face 1st trial over role in opioid crisis
In a bellwether federal trial starting Monday in Cleveland, Ohio’s Lake and Trumbull counties will try to convince a jury that retail pharmacy companies played an outsized role in creating a public nuisance in the way they dispensed pain medication into their communities.
Companies: $26B settlement of opioid lawsuits to move ahead
Four companies in the drug industry said Saturday that enough states had agreed to a settlement of lawsuits over the opioid crisis for them to move ahead with the $26 billion deal.
Judge conditionally approves Purdue Pharma opioid settlement
A federal bankruptcy judge gave conditional approval Wednesday to a sweeping settlement that will remove the Sackler family from ownership of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma and devote potentially $10 billion to fighting the opioid crisis that has killed a half-million Americans over the past two decades.
Worse before better: Addiction experts express concern, anticipation as overdose deaths skyrocket
Isolation, economic anxiety and fear of the coronavirus were dangerous fruits of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for individuals struggling with a substance use disorder, experts say. Bundled together, those factors made for a devastating year of increased drug overdose deaths that reached an all-time nationwide high.
Indiana getting $1 million to help deal with opioid use
The federal government is awarding Indiana more than $1 million to train workers in 25 counties to help deal with widespread opioid use, addiction and overdoses.
Experts: Spend opioid settlement funds on fighting opioids
As a $26 billion settlement over the toll of opioids looms, some public health experts are citing the 1998 agreement with tobacco companies as a cautionary tale of runaway government spending and missed opportunities for saving more lives.
Indiana expected to get $507 million from opioid settlement
Indiana will receive $507 million as part of a multistate agreement to settle a lawsuit against opioid distributors designed to bring relief to people struggling with addiction to the drug, officials said Wednesday.