White House Releases National Drug Control Strategy January 31, 2019 Today, Jim Carroll, the newly sworn-in Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), released the Administration’s National Drug Control Strategy, which establishes the President’s priorities for addressing the challenge of drug trafficking and use. “Our number one goal is to save […]
Mental health disorders common following mild head injury
From NIH. NIH-funded study identifies risk factors for neuropsychiatric conditions after a concussion. A new study reveals that approximately 1 in 5 individuals may experience mental health symptoms up to six months after mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI), suggesting the importance of follow-up care for these patients. Scientists also identified factors that may increase the […]
FDA Is Streamlining Labeling for Naloxone
From CNBC Angelica LaVito FDA clears the way to increase access and lower cost of life-saving opioid overdose treatment drug Naloxone is used in emergency rooms across the U.S. to reverse a drug overdose from opioids. The FDA is streamlining the labeling for naloxone. The change clears the way for drugmakers to sell it without […]
Health Advocates Say Schizophrenia Should Be Reclassified as a Brain Disease
From Politico. by Brianna Ehley Changing the definition could unlock more money for cures. Mental health advocates are lobbying Congress to help them get schizophrenia classified as a brain disease like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s, instead of as a mental illness, a move that could reduce stigma and lead to more dollars for a cure. Federal […]
D.C. announces plan to cut opioid-related deaths by half
From the Washington Post. In long-awaited plan, D.C. aims to reduce opioid deaths by half by late 2020 by Jenna Portnoy The District on Monday announced a plan aimed at cutting opioid-related deaths by half over the next 21 months, using a long list of treatment, tracking and education initiatives. Start-up costs of $24 million will […]
Delaware overdose deaths could top 400 in 2018
From WHYY. By Eric Eichmann Through Christmas Day, 286 deaths from suspected overdoses have been reported in Delaware. When the final toxicology reports are completed in a few months, however, that number could soar to more than 400. “Regrettably, we’re trending above where we were last year,” said Kara Odom Walker, secretary of the state […]
Opioid Crisis Linked to Spike in Infective Endocarditis
From MedPageToday. by Nicole Lou — Ten-fold rise in one state prompts urgent call for action Drug-associated infective endocarditis increased more than 10-fold from 2007 to 2017 in step with the opioid crisis in one state, researchers reported. Annual hospitalizations related to the infection went from 0.92 to 10.95 per 100,000 persons during this time […]
Fantanyl Leads in Overdose Deaths
From CNN. Fentanyl is the Deadliest Drug in America, CDC Confirms by Nadia Kounang Fentanyl is now the most commonly used drug involved in drug overdoses, according to a new government report. The latest numbers from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics say that the rate of drug […]
Pain meds from the dentist may put our youth at risk
From the Washington Post. by Ronnie Cohen Dentists who prescribe opioid painkillers such as OxyContin to teenagers and young adults after pulling their wisdom teeth may be putting their patients at risk of addiction, a new study finds. (Toby Talbot/AP) Dentists who prescribe opioid painkillers to teenagers and young adults after pulling their wisdom teeth […]
Alert! Life-threatening outbreak associated with synthetic cannabinoids
From CDC Update—Outbreak of Life-threatening Coagulopathy Associated with Synthetic Cannabinoids Use Distributed via the CDC Health Alert Network December 10, 2018 1300 ET (1:00 PM ET) CDCHAN-00416 Summary The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is providing information on: 1) the current status of a multistate outbreak of coagulopathy from exposure to synthetic […]