prescription painkiller News

Small Quantities of Opioids Prescribed for Minor Injuries Increase Risk of Longterm Use

Overprescribing of opioid medications for pain has contributed to a record-high number of drug-related deaths in the United States in recent years. A significant part of the issue, experts say, is the vast amount of variation in opioid prescribing habits …

New York Limits Initial Opioid Prescriptions to 7 Days

New York is limiting opioid drug prescriptions to seven days of painkillers following a patient’s initial visit to a doctor. Gov. Andrew Cuomo, signing the new law Wednesday, said it’s among four significant measures that he and state lawmakers are …

Doctors’ Use of Opioid Alternatives Thwarted by High Costs

Ken Manning’s head is held up by two metal rods, four plates, and 17 screws in his neck. Since falling off a frame at a carpentry job in the early 2000s, he has had four surgeries, leaving his tanned neck …

Reformulated OxyContin Doesn’t Stop Illicit Use

A reformulation of OxyContin that makes it harder to abuse has curtailed the drug’s illicit use. But some 25 percent of drug abusers entering rehab said they still abused the prescription painkiller despite package labeling that emphasizes its abuse-deterrent properties, …