This story, originally published by The Greeneville Sun, appeared Feb. 17, 2019. Copyright 2019 The Greeneville Sun. A Chancery Court judge ruled after a lengthy hearing this week in Kingsport that Purdue Pharma and other opioid manufacturers have to provide accessible discovery material in the civil lawsuit naming the drug makers and other defendants whom… [Read More]
Having surgery? Beware of risk from post-op opioids
This story, originally published by USA Today, appeared Feb. 12, 2019. Copyright 2019 USA Today. Two VA patients were discharged from the hospital on the same day. One, a 70-year-old retiree, had an arthritic knee replaced. The other, a 24-year-old auto mechanic, underwent a hernia repair. The woman and man (names are being withheld to protect patient privacy) came to the operating… [Read More]
The opioid epidemic’s disproportionate effect on middle-aged women
This story, originally published by the Baylor College of Medicine, appeared Feb. 6, 2019. Copyright 2019 Baylor College of Medicine. Whether it’s death from opioid overdoses or heart attacks, there are health issues that impact women more than men. Per the CDC, about 18 women die every day in the U.S. from a prescription painkiller… [Read More]
High Rates of Opioid Prescriptions May Be Linked to Poor Labor Force Participation
This story, originally published by The University of Tennessee, appeared Jan. 28, 2019. Copyright 2019 University of Tennessee. Prescription opioids may be negatively affecting labor force participation and unemployment nationwide, according to findings in a new study co-authored by economists at UT, and published in The Journal of Human Resources. The study, which looked at county-level data from… [Read More]
One of America’s richest families is accused of profiting from the nation’s opioid crisis
This story, originally published by CNN, appeared Jan. 29, 2019. Copyright 2019 CNN. (CNN) — A court ruling Monday in Massachusetts will expose details about one of America’s richest families and their connection to the nation’s opioid crisis. The Sacklers and members of their company Purdue Pharma have been named in a lawsuit that accuses them of… [Read More]
We now have more proof that drug companies helped cause the opioid epidemic
This story, originally published by Vox, appeared Jan. 25, 2019. Copyright 2019 Vox. We now have more proof that drug companies helped cause America’s opioid epidemic, which was associated with a record 47,600 opioid overdose deaths in 2017: A new study linked drug companies’ marketing for opioid painkillers to more overdose deaths. Drug companies have for years spent… [Read More]