Listen Doctors in Tennessee are putting patients on fewer addictive painkillers. An annual survey finds that opioid prescriptions dropped 8.9 percent in Tennessee last year, but the state still stands out for its high rate of prescribing.
Opioid Users Have Increased Risk of Deadly Infections, Vanderbilt Researchers Find
Listen Vanderbilt researchers have published a study that shows opioid painkillers — particularly in their most potent forms — put patients at significantly higher risk of deadly infections. The findings were released Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
Haslam’s Opioid Battle Plan Targets The Next Generation Of Doctors
Listen Governor Bill Haslam’s 10-point plan to attack the opioid epidemic announced this week puts some new focus on Tennessee’s medical schools. On Wednesday, he named a 19-member commission to develop a list of related skills for the next generation of doctors.
As Opioid Deaths Rise, Tennessee Governor Proposes More Money For Treatment, Tighter Prescriptions
Listen Creating a 500-bed treatment facility for addicted inmates, limiting the duration of new opioid prescriptions to just a few days, and putting more drug enforcement officers on the streets. Those are some of the ideas Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam is pitching to combat the opioid crisis — which despite past efforts, has continued to […]
One Factor In Some Tennessee Overdose Deaths? Addiction Treatment Medication
Listen Medication used to treat opioid addiction has now been blamed as a factor in dozens of overdose deaths in Tennessee. According to data released by the state health department, toxicology reports found buprenorphine played a role in 67 of the 1,600 overdose deaths in 2016.
Opioid Crisis Causes Nashville-Based Hospital Chains To Warn Patients, ‘You Will Feel Pain’
Listen The big hospital chains based in Nashville are accepting some of the blame for the country’s opioid crisis, which grows more deadly by the year. They admit they were going overboard with opioids to make people as pain-free as possible. So in an effort to be part of the cure, they’re issuing an uncomfortable […]
Tennessee Counties Begin Suing Drug Companies Over Opioids
Listen Tennessee counties are joining the list of entities suing pharmaceutical companies over opioids. Smith County is the first to file suit in federal court. Davidson County is likely to follow after approval by the Metro Council Tuesday night.
TBI Finds Deadly Street Drug Cocktails ‘That Don’t Even Make Sense’
Forensic experts say they’re alarmed by two drug combinations that recently showed up in the TBI crime lab. One is a mixture of fentanyl and methamphetamine. Another is cocaine, heroin and fentanyl.
Tennesseans Recruited For Study On Chronic Pain And Opioid Use
Researchers are turning to Tennessee to find a middle ground on the use of opioids for treating chronic pain. A new study is recruiting 1,000 patients in Tennessee and North Carolina who are taking opioids for chronic pain — a move that comes at a time of conflicting opinions about whether addictive narcotics should even […]
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