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☆ Walgreens to offer its own cheaper version of opioid overdose reversal drug naloxone
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-15 | by ( Annika Kim Constantino | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Walgreens on Wednesday said it will offer its own cheaper version of the over-the-counter opioid overdose reversal spray naloxone. The company said it will sell a two-dose pack of "Walgreens Brand Naloxone" for $34.99. That's around $10 cheaper than the over-the-counter branded drug Narcan, which became the first prescription-free version of naloxone to win Food and Drug Administration approval last year. The company said the launch of its prescription-free naloxone nasal spray comes after the FDA's recent approval of the product. Mammen hopes that Walgreens can help reduce the stigma associated with drug overdoses and naloxone use.

Persons: naloxone, Priya Mammen Organizations: Walgreens, Centers for Disease Control, Food, Drug, CNBC Locations: U.S

☆ Biden administration announces focus on ‘flooding the zone’ with life-saving overdose reversal medicine
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Jen Christensen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The Biden administration launched an initiative Wednesday that it describes as a nationwide call to increase training on and access to life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications, dubbed the Challenge to Save Lives from Overdose. Naloxone, sometimes sold under the brand name Narcan, is a medication that can rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose. Although the number of overdose deaths in the US has held steady recently, the nation has many more than other high-income countries, research shows. Almost half of adults in the US say they personally know at least one person who died from a drug overdose, according to a survey released this year. Drug overdose deaths reached a significant high in 2022 with more than 109,000, according to provisional data from the CDC, and fentanyl had been a significant factor contributing to the rise.

Persons: CNN —, Neera Tanden, Biden, Tanden, naloxone, ” Tanden, ” Ryan, Brian Murray, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, Biden, US Food and Drug Administration, White, “, Ryan Companies, American Library Association, Southwest Airlines, Los Angeles Unified School District, CNN Health, US Centers for Disease Control, CDC

☆ Moral Hazard Has No Place in Drug Addiction Treatment - The New York Times
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-01 | by ( Maia Szalavitz | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In 2016, Rachel Winograd began to see methadone patients who relapsed or left the treatment program where she worked start overdosing and dying at unprecedented rates. The culprit was illicitly manufactured fentanyl, which is generally 50 times as strong as heroin — with some variants an astonishing 5,000 times as potent. Fentanyl had begun to overtake heroin in Missouri. It would “enable” continued addiction and deter treatment, she was told. Or, others said, reducing fatalities would increase risk-taking among people who were already using drugs — and encourage children to try heroin.

Persons: Rachel Winograd, overdosing, “, ”, Winograd Organizations: University of Missouri, Louis’s Missouri, of Mental Health Locations: Missouri, St, Louis’s

☆ How vending machines help states battle the opioid crisis: ‘You don’t know when you’re going to need these products’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +13 min

A CNN analysis of state health departments finds that at least 33 states and the District of Columbia have naloxone vending machines. Other states, like Delaware, don’t currently have vending machines but plan to launch programs this year. Machines need to be restocked every dayOklahoma’s naloxone vending machine program launched in June. Naloxone vending machine programs often can face opposition from the communities where they are placed. He says he has heard some criticisms or “difficult” questions about the naloxone vending machines and other programs.

Persons: CNN —, Jason Hall, don’t, “, ”, “ You’re, Leo Guerrero, Marshall Hawkins, Hall, you’ve, I’ve, ” Hall, Lori Tremmel Freeman, Heath Hayes, they’re, ” Hayes, Jason Hall refills, Hayes, Carla Sofronski, it’s, ” Sofronski, ’, that’s, Dr, Sanjay Gupta, Jason Organizations: CNN, Hall, District of Columbia, Oklahoma Department of Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Marshall Hawkins Hall, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, “, National Association of County, City Health, of Mental Health, Substance, Reduction, CNN Health Locations: Oklahoma, United States, California, New York, Oregon, Delaware, Michigan, Wayne, Oklahoma City, Cincinnati, Clark County , Nevada, Tulsa ., Pennsylvania

☆ About 42% of US adults know someone who died by overdose, new survey finds
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Jacqueline Howard | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

“Lately, there’s been so many overdose deaths that were inadvertent. She applauded the new RAND survey for shedding light on what adults go through when they lose someone to overdose. “Those are some of the regions where we see the highest number of overdose deaths. This is also rarely discussed in scientific and policy circles,” Pollini said of the RAND survey. “Because the data come from a survey of adults, the study does not provide insight into how overdose deaths impact children.

Persons: Gail D’Onofrio, D’Onofrio, “, there’s, ” D’Onofrio, ”, Alison Athey, Athey, Kerry Nolte, ” Nolte, Nolte, “ I’ve, I’ve, Kurt Kleinschmidt, it’s, Kleinschmidt, ” Kleinschmidt, ” Robin Pollini, –, ” Pollini, Dr, Sanjay Gupta Organizations: CNN, RAND Corporation, Yale School of Medicine, Yale New Haven Hospital, RAND, University of New, East South, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, West Virginia University, US Centers for Disease Control, Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics, CNN Health Locations: United States, Connecticut, University of New Hampshire, New England, East South Central, Alabama, Kentucky , Mississippi, Tennessee

PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Several elected leaders in Oregon declared a state of emergency on Tuesday for downtown Portland over the public health and public safety crisis fueled by fentanyl. The declaration is a recommendation from a governor-established task force that met for several months last year to determine ways to rejuvenate downtown Portland. The effort also extends the Portland Police Bureau’s partnership with Oregon State Police to jointly patrol downtown streets for fentanyl sales. At the state level, Oregon lawmakers have introduced a new bill that would undo a key part of the state’s drug decriminalization law. Public opinion has soured on it as public drug use has become more visible because of growing homelessness.

Persons: Tina Kotek, Ted Wheeler, Jessica Vega Pederson, ” Kotek, Mike Myers, Nathan Reynolds, Kotek, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping Organizations: Oregon Gov, Staff, Portland, Portland’s Community Safety Division, state’s, Resilience, Emergency Management, Portland Police, Oregon State Police Locations: PORTLAND, Oregon, Portland, Multnomah, Portland’s, Narcan, China, America, Mexico, U.S

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Ten of the top albums of the year, as chosen by Associated Press Music Writer Maria Sherman. Instead of embracing the antiquated practice of ranking very different albums against one another, we're celebrating the best next to the best. Leading the charge is Peso Pluma, whose third studio album, “Génesis,” became the highest-charting regional Mexican album of all time. “Hackney Diamonds,” The Rolling StonesPrior to “Hackney Diamonds,” the Rolling Stones hadn’t released an album of original material in 18 years. AP's Jocelyn Noveck put it best: This album is their best new work in decades — tight, focused, full of heart and swagger.

Persons: Maria Sherman, “ Barbie, “, Carín León, ”, Pluma, Olivia Rodrigo, Rodrigo, —, Joan Didion, ” Rodrigo, “ Lucky, Megan Moroney Let’s, Morgan Wallen’s “, Luke Combs, Tracy Chapman’s, Megan Moroney, Taylor Swift, Charlie Watts, Andrew Watt, Post Malone, Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga, AP's Jocelyn Noveck, Raven, Kelela, Shaadi Devereaux, ” Karol G, reggaetón, Daddy Yankee, J Balvin, Rauw Alejandro, Karol G's, there's, Ojos, Shakira, It’s, Carlos Niño, Rihanna, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar’s, Arlo, Arlo Parks Organizations: ANGELES, Associated Press, banda, Tennessee, “ Hackney, Ojos Ferrari, Sun, Chicago, NFL, Carolinas, — Locations: Mexican, Mexico, Kelela, Será, Puerto Rican, Panamanian, , New York, Colombian, “ Carolina, California, Sunbeams, ”

The letters were sent this month to vote centers or government buildings in six states: Georgia, Nevada, California, Oregon, Washington and Kansas. Lane County, Oregon, which received a suspicious letter, will provide naloxone kits and train elections staff on administering it. The incident prompted King County Elections to procure naloxone, though the antidote was not needed then nor when its Renton office received a second fentanyl-laced letter this month. “We felt like it was just a good idea to have on hand for all kinds of scenarios these days,” King County Elections spokeswoman Halei Watkins said. The office received a threatening letter this month containing baking soda and took the occasion to re-emphasize naloxone is available.

Persons: ”, Eldon Miller, “, Donald Trump, Ann Dover, It’s, ” Dover, Brad Raffensperger, Raffensperger, King, Halei Watkins, Maya Doe, Simkins, ” Chris Anderson, hasn’t, ” Anderson, Linda Farmer, ” Farmer, ___ Komenda, Ken Ritter, Jeff Amy, David Fischer, John Hanna, — Organizations: SEATTLE, King, Elections, FBI, U.S . Postal, Service, Remedy, Associated Press, AP Locations: U.S, Seattle, Georgia, Nevada , California , Oregon, Washington and Kansas, Atlanta's Cherokee, Lane County , Oregon, Lincoln County , Nevada, Atlanta’s Fulton, Pierce, Washington, County, King, Renton, King County, Seminole County , Florida, Tacoma , Washington, Pierce County, Las Vegas, Atlanta, Miami, Topeka , Kansas

☆ Opinion | Why Voters Are So Down on the Biden Economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Peter Coy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

When she thinks about the direction of the country right now, what she’s most worried about is the economy. On diabetic medication, for example, there’s actually good news. But the part I want to focus on is what Sara and other Americans who aren’t economists mean when they use terms like economy, inflation and unemployment. It’s often not what economists mean. Ask a macroeconomist how the economy is doing and you might get a number, such as 4.9, which is the percentage increase in G.D.P.

Persons: Sara, Donald Trump, they’re, there’s, Lilly, It’s, Biden Organizations: Republican, Washington , D.C, Trump, Novo Nordisk, Sanofi Locations: South Carolina, Washington ,, G.D.P

☆ A tide of election worker resignations raises alarms ahead of 2024
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-05 | by ( Fredreka Schouten | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

CNN —A wave of departures by election officials in key states risks adding new stress to the nation’s election system ahead of next year’s presidential contest, voting rights groups and several state election chiefs warn. The growing alarm over the resignations and retirements comes as officials say election workers continue to face a barrage of threats and harassment and partisan interference in their duties, first ignited by false claims of a stolen White House election in 2020. In King County, Washington – which includes Seattle – Julie Wise, the county election director, recalled receiving a letter over the summer with a rant about elections. Election watchdogs say more action is needed – including boosting federal funding and extending a federal law that criminalizes the release of restricted personal information about federal workers to cover election officials. Brinson Bell began tracking the departures when she became the state’s election chief that year.

Persons: Joe Biden, ”, Adrian Fontes, Pennsylvania –, Republican Al Schmidt, “, Nick Penniman, Schmidt, Donald Trump’s, ” Schmidt, Seattle – Julie Wise, Wise, ’, ” Penniman, Meagan Wolfe, Trump, Wolfe, there’s, Roy Cooper, Critics, Karen Brinson Bell, Brinson Bell, Kathy Holland, Holland, –, Brinson, ” Adam Byrnes, he’s, ” Byrnes, Fontes, ” Fontes, that’s Organizations: CNN, Democrat, Republican, US Justice Department, National Conference of State Legislatures, Committee, ” Workers, GOP, supermajorities, Gov, North Carolina State Board, Emory University, “ Locations: Arizona, Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, King County , Washington, Seattle, In Wisconsin, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Alamance County, Swain County, Georgia

☆ Wallet, Keys, Cellphone . . . Narcan?
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-30 | by ( The Editorial Board | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Wonder Land: Whether it's the migrant crisis, gender identity, shoplifting, student loans or decriminalizing federal laws on cannabis possession, Republican presidential candidates should not stop talking about the culture. Images: Bloomberg News/AFP/Getty Images Composite: Mark KellyThe latest mile marker on New York City’s road to urban perdition is a PSA from the health commissioner. Every citizen, it says, should get trained on using Narcan, or naloxone, the medicine that reverses opioid overdoses. After failing to control public disorder, including drug use, the city wants to conscript every resident into its health corps.

Persons: Mark Kelly Organizations: Republican, Bloomberg, Getty, PSA Locations: New York

☆ Fentanyl Found Near Nap Mats at Day Care Where Boy Died, Police Say
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-18 | by ( Corey Kilgannon | More About Corey Kilgannon | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fentanyl was found near mats that children used for napping at a Bronx day care where one toddler died and three other children were hospitalized last week, the police said on Monday night. “It was laid underneath a mat where the children had been sleeping earlier,” Joseph Kenny, the Police Department’s chief of detectives, said at a news conference Monday evening. Chief Kenny said that investigators were working with federal authorities to discover whether the day care, Divino Niño on Morris Avenue, was opened as a front for a drug operation. Emergency medical workers were called on Friday afternoon to the day care center, where they administered the overdose-reversal medication Narcan and then rushed the children to hospitals. Medical tests showed fentanyl in the three children sickened but not killed.

Persons: ” Joseph Kenny, Kenny, Divino Niño Organizations: Police Locations: Morris

NEW YORK (AP) — The owner of a New York City day care center and a tenant living in the building were arrested Saturday after a 1-year-old boy died and three other young children were sickened by what officials described as apparent exposure to opioids. The arrests came one day after authorities discovered four young children – ranging in age from 8 months to 2 years old – showing signs of suspected opioid overdose after spending time at the Bronx day care center, Divino Niño. Police say they found a kilo press — a device used to package large quantities of drugs — after executing a search warrant on the day care center, a home-based operation that opened in the Kingsbridge section of the Bronx earlier this year. Nicholas’ parents, Zoila Dominici and Otoniel Feliz, said their young child had started attending the center only a week ago. Authorities have not indicated how they believe the children came in contact with the drug.

Persons: Niño, Nicholas Dominici, Grei Mendez, Carlisto Acevedo Brito, Nicholas ’, Zoila, Otoniel Feliz, ” Dominici, Eric Adams, ” Adams Organizations: Police, Pediatrics, Authorities Locations: New York City, Kingsbridge, ”, York City

☆ 2 Charged With Murder in Day Care Death of 1-Year-Old
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-17 | by ( Maria Cramer | More About Maria Cramer | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

All three children showed symptoms of opioid exposure, the police said. Image Zoila Dominici with her 1-year-old son, Nicholas Feliz Dominici. Another 2-year-old-boy, who had left the small ground-floor day care center shortly after noon, was taken to a hospital after his mother noticed an unusual lethargy had replaced a toddler’s normal energy. “This crisis is real, and it is a real wake‑up call for individuals who have opioids or fentanyl in their homes,” Mayor Adams said. “The mere contact is deadly for an adult and it’s extremely deadly for a child.”

Persons: Nicholas Feliz, Nicholas, Joseph E, Kenny, —, Eric Adams, Ashwin Vasan, Mayor Adams, ” Organizations: Montefiore Medical, Police Locations: .

☆ What We Know About Children and Opioids
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-16 | by ( Benjamin Mueller | More About Benjamin Mueller | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

How can children be exposed? It is not clear how the children at the Bronx day care might have come into contact with any drugs. But nearly all cases of children being exposed to opioids involved their ingesting the drug, a study published in The Journal of Pediatrics in 2019 found. The study looked at more than 80,000 records of children under 18 who had been exposed to drugs containing an opioid over a five-year period. The study found that roughly 99 percent of the exposures involved children orally ingesting it.

Persons: Narcan, Dr, Sharon Levy, Levy Organizations: Boston Children’s, Pediatrics Locations: Boston

☆ Treating Overdoses Over the Counter
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-11 | by ( German Lopez | More About German Lopez | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The F.D.A.’s approval of Narcan, a nasal spray, in 2015 made naloxone easier to administer. So police officers and other emergency responders started to carry it to reverse overdoses they would have been powerless to stop before. But public health advocates have called for many more Americans to carry naloxone to try to stop overdoses. Greater availability of the medication is one of the most effective interventions against the drug crisis, experts have said. “Everyone should be thinking about putting this into their first aid kit,” Dr. Kevin Ban, Walgreens’s chief medical officer, told CNN.

Persons: ’, Dr, Kevin Ban, “ It’s Organizations: The Times, CNN

Narcan, the first opioid overdose reversal medication approved for over-the-counter purchase, is being shipped to drugstore and grocery chains nationwide, its manufacturer said Wednesday. Big-box outlets like Walgreens, CVS, Walmart and Rite Aid said they expected Narcan to be available online and on many store shelves early next week. There were more than 100,000 opioid overdose fatalities in each of the last two years in the United States. Narcan is already a staple for emergency personnel and street outreach teams. Now scientists and health officials are hoping Narcan will eventually become commonplace in public libraries, subways, dorms, corner delis and street vending machines.

Persons: Narcan Organizations: CVS, Walmart, Rite Aid Locations: United States

“They were the type to drink beer, not get rowdy or do shots,” he said. When he ran over, he saw that one man’s face had turned yellow and his eyes had rolled back in his head. From behind the bar, Mr. Foehrkolb grabbed Narcan — a nasal-spray version of naloxone, a drug that reverses opioid overdose — then tilted the man’s head back and pushed the plunger to release the dose. Mr. Foehrkolb, still jarred from the experience, returned to his shift. “Not so much at a quiet place where people are just playing games in a corner, casually drinking.”

Persons: Kevin Foehrkolb, ”, Foehrkolb, Narcan, “ Organizations: Kent House Irish Locations: Towson, Md

☆ Emergent BioSolutions to lay off about 400 employees
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

A nurse demonstrates the application of the NARCAN nasal spray medication at a outpatient treatment center in Indiana, Pennsylvania, U.S. August 9, 2017. REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File PhotoAug 8 (Reuters) - Emergent BioSolutions (EBS.N) on Tuesday decided to cut 400 jobs and scale back operations at some its facilities, pivoting its focus on core products such as overdose reversal nasal spray Narcan and anthrax vaccines. Smaller biotech companies have been struggling to finance drug development programs and that has hampered their ability to deliver on contract research services for over a year. The company had nearly 2,500 employees as of Dec.31, according to its regulatory filing. Emergent expects to incur an estimated cost of between about $19 million and $21 million in the third quarter of 2023.

Persons: Adrees Latif, Sriparna Roy, Shounak Dasgupta, Arun Koyyur Organizations: REUTERS, Thomson Locations: Indiana , Pennsylvania, U.S, Bayview, Baltimore, Canton , Massachusetts, Bengaluru

☆ U.S. FDA approves second over-the-counter opioid overdose reversal drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Naloxone, packaged with instructions, is one of the items given out by the Baltimore Harm Reduction Coalition outreach workers. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the prescription-free sale of the second opioid overdose reversal drug, its manufacturer Harm Reduction Therapeutics said on Friday. The approval of the drug, called RiVive, will provide patients with another over-the-counter option in the United States, where drug-related overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in 2021. Harm Reduction said it anticipates that RiVive will be available early next year, primarily to harm-reduction organizations and state governments. Harm Reduction Therapeutics has partnered with contract drug manufacturer Catalent Inc to manufacture RiVive.

Persons: drugmaker, Michael Hufford, BioSolutions Organizations: Reduction Coalition, U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Therapeutics, Harm, Catalent Inc Locations: Baltimore, U.S, United States

☆ US FDA approves second over-the-counter opioid overdose reversal drug
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

July 28 (Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the prescription-free sale of the second opioid overdose reversal drug, its manufacturer Harm Reduction Therapeutics said on Friday. The approval of the drug, called RiVive, will provide patients with another over-the-counter option in the United States, where drug-related overdose deaths surpassed 100,000 in 2021. Harm Reduction said it anticipates that RiVive will be available early next year, primarily to harm-reduction organizations and state governments. Harm Reduction Therapeutics has partnered with contract drug manufacturer Catalent Inc (CTLT.N) to manufacture RiVive. Reporting by Sriparna Roy and Bhanvi Satija in Bengaluru; Editing by Pooja DesaiOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: drugmaker, Michael Hufford, Sriparna Roy, Bhanvi, Pooja Desai Organizations: U.S . Food, Drug Administration, Therapeutics, Harm, Catalent Inc, Thomson Locations: U.S, United States, Bengaluru

[1/3] Paramedics display a dose of the opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan, or Naloxone Hydrochloride, in an ambulance in Peabody, Massachusetts, U.S., August 8, 2017. The figure is up 0.7% from 108,825 overdoses recorded in the 12-month period ending January 2022, according to U.S. data. The U.S. drug overdose death toll crossed the 100,000-mark for the first time in 2021, as the COVID pandemic disrupted medical care and increased mental health problems. U.S. drug overdose deaths rose 13.7% between January 2021 and January 2022 and by 31.4% in the prior 12 months at the height of the pandemic. But the surge in overdose deaths began before the pandemic took hold due to abuse of prescription opioid painkillers and illegal drugs like heroin.

Persons: Brian Snyder, Joe Biden's, Biden, Tom Britton, Stacey McKenna, McKenna, Nandhini Srinivasan, Khushi, Bill Berkrot Organizations: REUTERS, U.S . Centers for Disease Control, Prevention, American Addiction Centers, U.S, R Street Institute, D.C, CDC, Thomson Locations: Peabody , Massachusetts, U.S, China, Mexico, Washington, Bengaluru

☆ Opinion | The Drug That Saves Lives Even if It’s Never Used
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-07 | by ( Elizabeth Spiers | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

Although the drug has no major adverse effects, until later this year, New York State requires people to get some training before they can administer it. Dr. Avery, the vice chair for addiction psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, had conducted many such trainings, and in his office that day he got right to it. Still, the drug has yet to become a standard part of the public’s tool kit. Dr. Avery, whose research is in negative attitudes toward addiction, says it’s because legal and regulatory issues were only part of the problem. It shapes the language we use to talk about addiction and the responses we think are appropriate.

In the face of an escalating opioid epidemic, the F.D.A. recently approved over-the-counter sales for Narcan — a lifesaving nasal spray that can reverse an opioid overdose. Jan Hoffman, who covers health law for The Times, explains why the new availability of Narcan could change the trajectory of the epidemic.

☆ A former fentanyl user describes the first time she took the illicit drug laced with xylazine as 'the scariest experience of my life'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Kelly Burch | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Opioids contributed to 80,411 overdose deaths in 2021, up from 68,630 deaths in 2020, data from the National Institute on Drug Abuse shows. Xylazine is a sedative that can lead to respiratory and cardiac issuesOpioids, like fentanyl, contributed to more than 80,000 overdose deaths in 2021. Mixing xylazine with fentanyl is particularly problematicMixing xylazine and fentanyl can amplify xylazine's sedative effect and the associated health risks. ReutersThe opioid overdose reversal drug Narcan, also known as naloxone, will not reverse the impact of xylazine, since the drug is not an opioid, according to the DEA. That's because opioids account for nearly 75% of all drug overdose deaths in the US.

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