Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
What To Know About Purdue Pharma Legal Fight: Bankruptcy Negotiations, Kickback Schemes And Lawsuits, Oh My!
OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP and its controlling Sackler family have been negotiating with cities, counties and states on a proposed settlement worth an estimated $10 billion to resolve more than 2,600 lawsuits alleging they helped fuel the U.S. opioid crisis. Those negotiations could be complicated by a Reuters report on Tuesday that Purdue is the unidentified company that was involved in an alleged kickback scheme aimed at improperly boosting prescriptions of opioid medications, though it was not charged with wrongdoing and has said it is cooperating with Justice Department investigations. (1/29)
Confusion and inconsistencies about the government's opioid prescribing guidelines are in the spotlight again in a sweeping new FDA letter to the Senate responding to questions about the agency’s handling of the opioid crisis. Democratic Sens. Maggie Hassan and Ed Markey said that the CDC, Defense Department and VA have warned against prescribing opioids at doses that exceed 90 mg morphine equivalent per day and asked if FDA is considering any action, including drug labeling changes, to reflect that warning. (Karlin-Smith, 1/30)
Teenagers who land in emergency rooms after overdosing on opioids can benefit from adults who connect them to resources and addiction services right away. But that often doesn’t happen, according to a study published earlier this month in JAMA Pediatrics. (Bowen, 1/29)
