A new study examined the link between sexual orientation and opioid abuse. People who identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual are more likely to misuse opioids, and bisexual women are at a particularly high risk, according to a study published this week. The study, published in The American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found that bisexual… Continue reading Sexual Orientation Tied To Increased Risk Of Opioid Abuse
Tag: opioids
New York's Opioid Prescription Monitoring System Needs Improvement
The newly re-elected State Comptroller has found some major issues with the opioid prescription monitoring system. An audit of the New York State opioid prescription monitoring database found that patients in treatment for opioid dependency may have received potentially dangerous opioid prescriptions outside of their treatment programs. Newly re-elected State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli issued a… Continue reading New York's Opioid Prescription Monitoring System Needs Improvement
My Journey from Heroin to Prison
As soon as I was out of prison, it took one argument with a girlfriend for me to go running right back into the arms of the one that always made me feel better: heroin. I have been a man of many realities. I’ve been a son, a student, a friend, a lover, a brother… Continue reading My Journey from Heroin to Prison
The Other Side of the Opioid Epidemic: Chronic Pain Patients
“It is borderline genocide,” said DeLuca, 37. “You are allowing [chronic pain patients] to go home and essentially suffer until they kill themselves.” Last year, Lauren DeLuca went to the emergency room in the middle of the night, violently ill and in pain with a pancreatic attack. Despite the fact that she was passing out… Continue reading The Other Side of the Opioid Epidemic: Chronic Pain Patients
The Myths & Methods of Mindfulness Meditation
I kept cravings at bay with 12-step meetings and counseling but continued to seek meaning and purpose that would lead to lasting sobriety. Then I found mindfulness meditation. I was raised to believe meditation was wicked. Along with yoga, Buddha, incense, and anything symbolizing or hinting of Eastern religion or ritual. The rationale? Meditation clears… Continue reading The Myths & Methods of Mindfulness Meditation
Florida Sues CVS, Walgreens For Their Alleged Roles In Opioid Crisis
The suit claims that the companies failed to stop “suspicious orders of opioids,” and dispensed “unreasonable quantities” of such drugs. The state of Florida has named two of the largest drugstore chains in the United States—Walgreens and CVS—as well as Insys Therapeutics, in a lawsuit that alleged that they “played a role in creating the… Continue reading Florida Sues CVS, Walgreens For Their Alleged Roles In Opioid Crisis
Naloxone Price Spiked 600% During Opioid Crisis By Drug Maker
One drug manufacturer reportedly increased the price of its naloxone drug Evzio from $575 per dose to $4,100 per dose. Naloxone, the opioid overdose reversal drug, has been heralded as a lifesaving intervention credited with helping stem the death toll of the opioid epidemic. However, one drug manufacturer reportedly saw the demand for the drug… Continue reading Naloxone Price Spiked 600% During Opioid Crisis By Drug Maker
Philadelphia Clears Out Another "Heroin Camp" As Winter Hits City
It’s the third homeless camping spot cleared out in the Kensington neighborhood in recent months. Last week, police in Philadelphia shut down another of the city’s so-called heroin encampments, forcing the area’s homeless from under a railroad bridge and urging them into a local shelter. It’s the third homeless camping spot cleared out in the… Continue reading Philadelphia Clears Out Another "Heroin Camp" As Winter Hits City
New Jersey Sues One Of Its Largest Employers Over Opioids
The lawsuit alleges that Janssen Pharmaceuticals minimized the risk of opioids and targeted older patients who were less aware of the dangers of the drugs. The pharmaceutical industry is a major economic driver for the state of New Jersey, but that did not stop the state’s attorney general from launching a lawsuit against Janssen Pharmaceuticals,… Continue reading New Jersey Sues One Of Its Largest Employers Over Opioids
Inside Switzerland's Addiction Treatment Experiment
One Swiss organization is finding success with a treatment model centered around medical-grade heroin. With some treatment models still offering fairly dismal success rates, specialists are broadening the parameters of what successful treatment looks like. In Switzerland, an injection center attached to the Geneva University Hospitals is conducting an experimental heroin-prescription program (PEPS). Patients addicted… Continue reading Inside Switzerland's Addiction Treatment Experiment