The image of shaking babies in hospital nurseries, withdrawing from opioids used by their mother, is referenced in many of the lawsuits against drug companies, aimed at punishing them for contributing to the opioid crisis. But there are growing concerns that those same newborns name-dropped in litigation will be left out of the settlements being […]
Justice Department Resorts To Unprecedented Restraining Orders Against Celina, Tennessee, Pharmacies
Listen A federal judge has temporarily shuttered a pair of problem pharmacies on the Cumberland Plateau. The legal action is “a first of its kind action” by the Justice Department in a crackdown on prescription opioids.
Tennessee Deploys ‘Recovery Navigators’ To Bridge ERs With Rehab
Listen People who overdose on opioids in Tennessee could now be met in the emergency room by someone who has been there. The so-called “recovery navigators” were part of the state’s sweeping response to the opioid epidemic, authorized by the legislature last year.
Human Rights Watch Accuses Tennessee Of Over-Regulating Pain Management
A report from Human Rights Watch accuses Tennessee of regulating opioids to the point of depriving patients in pain. Along with Washington State, the analysis focuses on Tennessee because of its new prescribing regulations, which are considered some of the strictest in the nation.
How A Recovering Addict Convinces Doctors To Rein In Opioid Prescribing
Listen Physicians who seem to be over-prescribing painkillers or working with addicted patients may now get a tap on the shoulder from a Nashville startup working on behalf of insurors. The company uses sophisticated algorithms to identify problem patients and providers. But since this is such a delicate issue with doctors, they’ve hired a pharmacist […]
How Harshly Should Doctors Be Punished For Violating Tennessee’s New Opioid Laws?
Listen A panel of doctors met for the first time last week with a single mandate: Decide how to punish physicians who prescribe too many opioids.
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