Author's posts
Is It A Meth Case Or Mental Illness? Police Who Need To Know Often Can’t Tell
Calming techniques officers learn during training for intervening in a mental health crisis don’t seem to work as well when a suspect is high on meth. Police say meth calls can be much more dangerous.
Seizures Of Methamphetamine Are Surging In The U.S.
The amount of meth seized in the U.S. more than doubled from 2017 to 2018. That translates to lots more meth, along with cocaine and other stimulants, on the streets — and likely more deaths.
Has Your Doctor Talked To You About Climate Change?
Some physicians say connecting environmental effects of climate change — heat waves, more pollen and longer allergy seasons — to the health consequences helps them better care for patients.
Addiction Medicine Mostly Prescribed To Whites, Even As Opioid Deaths Rose Among Blacks
A study looked at who gets Suboxone prescriptions and found that whites are almost 35 times more likely to get the addiction treatment than African Americans.
Purdue Pharma Agrees To $270 Million Opioid Settlement With Oklahoma
The maker of OxyContin will pay to settle a historic opioid lawsuit brought by the attorney general of Oklahoma. Will other drugmakers named in the lawsuit follow?
Fentanyl-Linked Deaths: The U.S. Opioid Epidemic’s Third Wave Begins
Overdose deaths involving fentanyl are rising — up 113 percent on average each year from 2013 to 2016. Dealers are adding cheap fentanyl to the illicit drug supply, and some users get it accidentally.
Nurse Denied Life Insurance Because She Carries Naloxone
The U.S. surgeon general has called on “bystanders” to be equipped with the opioid reversal drug to save lives. But when a nurse answered that call, her application for life insurance was denied. Why?
Twin’s Difficult Birth Put A Project Designed To Reduce C-Sections To The Test
A woman had twins in a hospital south of Boston last summer, right around dinner time. For doctors aiming to reduce cesareans, the second baby’s tricky arrival tested the limits of teamwork.
VA Adding Opioid Antidote To Defibrillator Cabinets For Quicker Overdose Response
The overdose antidote naloxone could soon be available in more public places. The Veterans Administration is adding it to its automated defibrillator cabinets. Other institutions are following suit.
A Setback For Massachusetts In States’ Drive To Contain Medicaid Drug Spending
Massachusetts planned to exclude expensive drugs that weren’t proven to work better than existing alternatives from its Medicaid plan. Medicaid drug spending had doubled in five years.
