Latest Drugs Headlines
All the headlines from our Drugs Topic Page, ordered by recency.
Kentucky Accuses Drug Distributor of Helping Fuel Opioid Epidemic
Jan 23 2018 // Kentucky’s attorney general on Monday accused drug distributor McKesson Corp of helping fuel the opioid epidemic by failing to halt shipments of suspiciously large or frequent orders by pharmacies of prescription...
In Turnabout, Wisconsin Governor Moves to Stabilize Insurance Market
Jan 23 2018 // In a tack to the left in an election year, Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker announced Sunday that he wants a state law that would bar insurers from denying a person health coverage due to a pre-existing condition. He...
Report: West Virginia Controlled Substance Dispensing Down 11.7% in 2017
Jan 23 2018 // A West Virginia board report says state pharmacies dispensed 31 million fewer controlled substances last year, a trend the board’s acting chief says is due to heightened awareness about prescription medication...
Delaware Sues Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors Over Epidemic
Jan 22 2018 // Delaware on Friday became the latest state to file a lawsuit accusing corporations of helping fuel the national opioid epidemic, suing a wide range of companies involved in making, distributing and selling prescription...
Texas Workers’ Comp Division Accepting More Comments on Compounded Drug Rule
Jan 22 2018 // The Texas Department of Insurance – Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) is accepting comments through Feb. 20 on a compounded drug rule that was first proposed in June 2017. On June 16, 2017, DWC...
Ohio Restricts Back Surgery, Opioid Use for Injured Workers
Jan 22 2018 // Ohio residents with work-related back injuries in most cases must try remedies like rest, physical therapy and chiropractic care before turning to spinal fusion surgery and prescription painkillers under a groundbreaking...
West Virginia’s Drug Overdose Rate Highest in Nation, Again
Jan 22 2018 // West Virginia still leads the nation in the rate of drug overdose deaths. The latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in West Virginia is 52 per...
Bill to Legalize Medical Marijuana Introduced in Kentucky
Jan 17 2018 // Supporters of legalizing medical marijuana in Kentucky touted its potential as a viable alternative to ease the state’s addiction woes from opioid painkillers. Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes joined other...
Texas Workers’ Comp Division Seeks Comments on Compounded Drug Rule
Jan 16 2018 // The Texas Department of Insurance – Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) is accepting comments through Feb. 20 on a compounded drug rule that was first proposed in June 2017. On June 16, 2017, DWC...
West Virginia Proposes Comprehensive Drug Plan to Address State Opioid Crisis
Jan 16 2018 // State health officials are proposing a multifaceted plan for confronting the drug crisis killing hundreds of West Virginians each year, one that would require action by everyone from lawmakers to doctors to judges to...
Ohio Imposes Restrictions on Injured Workers’ Back Surgery, Opioid Use
Jan 11 2018 // Ohio residents with work-related back injuries in most cases must try remedies like rest, physical therapy and chiropractic care before turning to spinal fusion surgery and prescription painkillers under a groundbreaking...
3 Native American Tribes in Dakotas Sue Opioid Industry Groups
Jan 10 2018 // Three Native American tribes in the Dakotas are suing opioid manufacturers and distributors, alleging they concealed and minimized the addiction risk of prescription drugs. The Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Flandreau Santee Sioux...
Judge Overseeing Local Opioid Lawsuits Hopes for ‘Meaningful’ Settlement
Jan 10 2018 // The judge overseeing U.S. cities’ and counties’ lawsuits against makers of opioid painkillers said he hopes a sweeping resolution can be worked out by the end of the year that will have a “meaningful...
West Virginia’s Drug Overdose Rate Highest in Nation, Again
Jan 4 2018 // West Virginia still leads the nation in the rate of drug overdose deaths. The Register-Herald reports the latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in...
Why Patent ‘Shenanigans’ Share Blame for High Cost of Drugs
Dec 29 2017 // Bob Kelsey can’t afford a cancer drug that could save his life. The retired firefighter, 53, needs Revlimid to stay healthy. Celgene Corp. has raised the price 88 percent over the past seven years. The drug...
Opioid Overdoses Behind Drop in Life Expectancy for Americans
Dec 29 2017 // Life expectancy among Americans has fallen for the second year in a row as the opioid crisis continues to drive up overall death rates in the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said. A total of...
California Couple Used Drone to Deliver Drugs, Police Say
Dec 28 2017 // Authorities say a Southern California couple used a drone to deliver illegal drugs to their customers. Benjamin Baldassarre and Ashley Carroll, of Riverside, were charged with possessing controlled substances for sale and...
Judge Nixes $150M Damages Against Testosterone Drugmaker AbbVie
Dec 27 2017 // A U.S. judge on Friday overturned a $150 million verdict against AbbVie Inc. that was the first to result from lawsuits claiming that the company fraudulently misrepresented the risks of its testosterone replacement drug...
Court in California Rules Novartis Can Be Sued Over Generic Drug Injuries
Dec 22 2017 // California’s top court has opened the door for consumers to sue Novartis AG and other makers of brand-name pharmaceutical products over injuries blamed on generic versions of the drugs manufactured by other...
South Carolina Gov. to Form Opioid Response Team, Limit Prescriptions
Dec 20 2017 // South Carolina’s governor announced Monday that he’s using executive orders to limit opioid prescriptions under two state programs and start a response team to look for ways to fight abuse of the powerful...
