Lawmakers explore using opioid settlement money to study the drug ibogaine
A high-ranking lawmaker is asking Mississippi to use $5 million of opioid settlement money to explore the medical potential of ibogaine, a drug with mixed evidence of its ability to safely treat addiction. At a meeting Thursday of the House and Senate committees that deal with public health, Republican Rep. Sam Creekmore of New Albany […]
Mississippi opioid settlement council finalizes grant applications
Mississippi’s Opioid Settlement Fund Advisory Council has finalized and expects to soon release grant applications for the tens of millions of dollars it oversees, moving the state closer to using its settlement money to address addiction. The council held a make-up meeting in Jackson late Friday afternoon after a virtual session was derailed by hackers […]
Opinion | Proposed Methadone Treatment Legislation May Put Patients at Risk
Isherwood is an addiction specialist and medical director of an opioid treatment program. Overdoses in the U.S. due to opioids are hitting devastating new levels as high-potency synthetic opioids like fentanyl and metonitazene rack the nation. Medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder is a life-saving intervention with unmatched success in patient outcomes. This typically […]
Addiction Tx, Better Border Control Dominate House Hearing on Drug Policy Office
When it comes to solving the opioid addiction problem in the U.S., is decreasing the demand for the drugs or stopping the supply more important? Differing opinions were on display at a House Oversight and Accountability Committee hearing Thursday on funding the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP). “We need to understand […]
‘If the Narcan Isn’t Working, Give More’ and Other Myths About Naloxone Use
If you administer naloxone (Narcan) to a patient experiencing an apparent opioid overdose and it doesn’t seem to be working, should you give more? Not necessarily, according to Kelly Ramsey, MD, MPH, chief of medical services at the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports in Albany. Adding a second dose of naloxone […]
Trial: Functional Scoring a Better Guide to Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Tx
A newer function-based approach to treating neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome safely readied babies to go home sooner, the ACT NOW randomized trial showed. With the Eat, Sleep, Console care approach, time from birth to medical readiness for hospital discharge by American Academy of Pediatrics-endorsed standards was nearly a week sooner than when treating guided by […]
FDA Mulling Trial Design Issues for Long-Term Opioids in Chronic Pain
To evaluate the long-term efficacy and tolerability of a representative extended-release (ER)/long-acting (LA) opioid in a 12-month placebo-controlled trial, FDA staff are considering an enriched enrollment randomized withdrawal (EERW) study design, they noted in a briefing document ahead of an advisory committee meeting. On Wednesday, the Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee will consider […]
All Opioid Pain Meds to Get New Safety Warnings, FDA Says
The FDA is making several updates to prescribing information for opioid pain medications to provide guidance on safe use, according to a Drug Safety Communication, including a new warning that they can increase sensitivity to pain. Changes to the prescribing information and labeling for immediate-release (IR) and extended-release or long-acting (EX/LA) opioids will be made […]
Mail-Back Envelopes Will Be Dispensed With Outpatient Opioid Scripts
The FDA will require manufacturers of opioid drugs that are dispensed in outpatient settings to provide prepaid mail-back envelopes to outpatient pharmacies and other dispensers, the agency announced Monday. The move is part of the FDA’s comprehensive approach to addressing the overdose crisis, according to FDA Commissioner Robert Califf, MD. “We believe these efforts will […]
OTC Narcan Approval Opens New Doors in Fight Against Opioid Crisis
This week’s FDA approval of the first-ever over-the-counter (OTC) naloxone product (Narcan) for the treatment of opioid overdoses was broadly praised, but medical and industry experts expressed caution about expanding access and its potential to address the overdose crisis. “We have nearly 200 Americans dying every day as a result of opioid-involved overdose,” said Smita […]