opioid crisis

The Sackler family and Purdue Pharma have agreed to pay $7.4 billion to resolve nationwide opioid litigation, marking a major milestone in efforts to hold the makers of the addictive pain medication OxyContin accountable for their role in the opioid crisis. This increased settlement, announced...

In the wake of the escalating opioid crisis, the state of Oregon is reconsidering its groundbreaking drug decriminalization legislation. This move comes as the state grapples with a surge in drug-related fatalities and a lack of effective implementation of the existing law. What Happened: The state...

When the first two officially sanctioned overdose prevention centers (OPCs) in the U.S. opened in New York City in late November 2021, they raised eyebrows and some ire. Within less than three weeks after opening, they'd already averted at least 59 overdoses and were...

At Wednesday night’s third Republican presidential primary debate for 2024, the five candidates spent two hours trading jabs in Miami over the usual topics, including how they’d handle the country’s devastating opioid crisis. One of the moderators,...

A devastating epidemic has made its way onto college campuses across the country, where students are carrying opioid overdose reversal drugs in their backpacks along with their textbooks and other belongings. Overdoses, particularly due to fentanyl, are increasing on college campuses....

On Thursday, the Supreme Court temporarily blocked a $6-billion bankruptcy settlement by Purdue Pharma, the maker of the opioid OxyContin, that would shield the Sackler family from civil lawsuits related to the opioid crisis. The court also announced that it will hear a challenge to the settlement...

Over 109,000 Americans lost their lives to drug overdoses in the 12 months ending in January 2023, representing a slight increase of 0.7% compared to the previous year.  Fentanyl, a highly potent opioid, has played a significant role in the opioid crisis and the surge in drug overdoses in the...

A fictionalized retelling of events, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) upcoming series "Painkiller" is a scripted limited series that explores some of the origins and aftermath of the opioid crisis in the United States which, as of November 2021, has resulted in 106,000...

Narcan, the prescription nasal spray that reverses opioid overdoses can now be sold over the counter (OTC), said the FDA on Wednesday, reported the NY Times, thereby authorizing a move that has been long-sought by public health officials, treatment experts, ...

The U.S. government reportedly sued Rite Aid Corp (NYSE: RAD), saying the company missed "red flags" as it illegally filled prescriptions for controlled substances, including opioids. The Justice Department joined a whistleblower lawsuit filed in 2019 by two pharmacists and a...

U.S. President Joe Biden will reveal a new strategy today for dealing with drug addiction and overdoses to expand access to medications for opioid overdoses, increase funding for law enforcement, and expand sanctions against traffickers. According to U.S. Centers For Disease Control And...

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) proposed new guidelines for prescribing opioid painkillers that encourage doctors to use their best judgment, removing its previous recommended ceilings on doses for chronic pain patients. This is the first comprehensive revision...

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and the three U.S. drug distributors agreed to pay about $590 million to resolve claims from over 400 Native American tribes to settle lawsuits over the opioid epidemic. That proposed settlement, though, did not resolve lawsuits and potential claims...

The U.S. Department of Justice hit Walmart Inc (NYSE: WMT) with a lawsuit on Tuesday alleging that the retailer’s shortcomings led to a rise in the nation’s opioid crisis, according to the Wall Street Journal. What Happened: In the lawsuit, the Justice Department said that Walmart...

Walmart Inc (NYSE: WMT) has taken preemptive legal action against the federal government to avoid a civil lawsuit against the company related to the operation of its 5,000 in-store pharmacies, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. What Happened: The Bentonville, Arkansas-headquartered...