Latest Drugs Headlines

All the headlines from our Drugs Topic Page, ordered by recency.

Accidental Deaths in Pennsylvania Rose in 2016, Driven By Opioid Overdose

Feb 19 2018 // According to National Safety Council (NSC) analysis of federal data, 1,086 more Pennsylvanians died accidentally in 2016, an increase of 15 percent over 2015. Opioid overdose led to 78 percent of those deaths.This comes on...

Trump’s FTC Appointee Eyes Task Force to Investigate Drug Prices

Feb 16 2018 // President Donald Trump’s nominee to lead the Federal Trade Commission said he’s “very concerned” about price increases for prescription drugs and will explore forming a task force to monitor whether...

Tribe Continues Suit Against Drug Distributors; Refiles in State Court

Feb 12 2018 // The Cherokee Nation has refiled a lawsuit against opioid distributors in state court after a federal judge ruled that tribe’s court system had no jurisdiction over the companies. Lawyers filed the suit in Sequoyah...

Alabama Sues OxyContin Maker Purdue Pharma Over Opioid Epidemic

Feb 7 2018 // Alabama on Tuesday became the latest state to file a lawsuit accusing OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma LP of fueling the opioid epidemic by deceptively marketing prescription painkillers to generate billions of dollars in...

Jury Finds AbbVie Not Liable in AndroGel Injury Suit

Feb 5 2018 // A federal jury in Chicago on Jan. 26 found AbbVie Inc. not liable in a lawsuit by an Arizona man who claimed he had suffered a pulmonary embolism due to using the company’s testosterone replacement medication...

Legal Marijuana Worries Canadian Oil Companies with Strict Drug Testing Regimes

Feb 1 2018 // Once recreational marijuana becomes legal in Canada, Garnet Amundson says it will get a lot harder to find the workers he needs at Essential Energy Services Ltd. And he isn’t the only employer who’s...

5 in U.S., 2 in Italy Arrested Over $21M Opioid ‘Pill Mills’ Scheme in Florida, Tennessee

Feb 1 2018 // Two people in Italy and five U.S. residents have been charged in a fraud and drug trafficking conspiracy to distribute opioids in Florida and Tennessee, leading to hundreds of deaths, federal prosecutors said last...

Accidental Deaths in Pennsylvania Rose in 2016, Driven By Opioid Overdose

Jan 30 2018 // According to National Safety Council (NSC) analysis of federal data, 1,086 more Pennsylvanians died accidentally in 2016, an increase of 15 percent over 2015. Opioid overdose led to 78 percent of those deaths.This comes on...

Jury Finds AbbVie Not Liable in AndroGel Injury Suit

Jan 29 2018 // A federal jury in Chicago on Friday found AbbVie Inc. not liable in a lawsuit by an Arizona man who claimed he had suffered a pulmonary embolism due to using the company’s testosterone replacement medication...

Arkansas Hires 5 Law Firms to Help with Opioid Abuse Probe

Jan 26 2018 // Arkansas’ attorney general has retained five law firms to help investigate drug companies and prepare for potential legal action over their role in the state’s opioid abuse problem.Attorney General Leslie...

West Virginia to Get $153K in Drugmaker Settlement

Jan 25 2018 // West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said the state will receive more than $153,000 in a national settlement with a prescription drug manufacturer. Morrisey says in a news release last month that every state and...

Tennessee Gov Proposes $30M Plan to Fight State Opioid Epidemic

Jan 24 2018 // Gov. Bill Haslam touted a $30 million plan Monday that focuses on prevention, treatment and law enforcement to attack an opioid epidemic that kills at least three people a day in Tennessee.The Republican governor released...

New York City Sues Drug Companies Over Opioid Epidemic

Jan 24 2018 // New York City on Tuesday sued eight companies that make or distribute prescription opioids, blaming them for fueling a deadly epidemic afflicting the most populous U.S. city.Mayor Bill de Blasio said the lawsuit sought...

Kentucky Accuses Drug Distributor of Helping Fuel Opioid Epidemic

Jan 23 2018 // Kentucky’s attorney general on Monday accused drug distributor McKesson Corp of helping fuel the opioid epidemic by failing to halt shipments of suspiciously large or frequent orders by pharmacies of prescription...

In Turnabout, Wisconsin Governor Moves to Stabilize Insurance Market

Jan 23 2018 // In a tack to the left in an election year, Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker announced Sunday that he wants a state law that would bar insurers from denying a person health coverage due to a pre-existing condition.He...

Report: West Virginia Controlled Substance Dispensing Down 11.7% in 2017

Jan 23 2018 // A West Virginia board report says state pharmacies dispensed 31 million fewer controlled substances last year, a trend the board’s acting chief says is due to heightened awareness about prescription medication...

Delaware Sues Opioid Manufacturers, Distributors Over Epidemic

Jan 22 2018 // Delaware on Friday became the latest state to file a lawsuit accusing corporations of helping fuel the national opioid epidemic, suing a wide range of companies involved in making, distributing and selling prescription...

Texas Workers’ Comp Division Accepting More Comments on Compounded Drug Rule

Jan 22 2018 // The Texas Department of Insurance – Division of Workers’ Compensation (TDI-DWC) is accepting comments through Feb. 20 on a compounded drug rule that was first proposed in June 2017.On June 16, 2017, DWC...

Ohio Restricts Back Surgery, Opioid Use for Injured Workers

Jan 22 2018 // Ohio residents with work-related back injuries in most cases must try remedies like rest, physical therapy and chiropractic care before turning to spinal fusion surgery and prescription painkillers under a groundbreaking...

West Virginia’s Drug Overdose Rate Highest in Nation, Again

Jan 22 2018 // West Virginia still leads the nation in the rate of drug overdose deaths. The latest data from the National Center for Health Statistics shows the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths in West Virginia is 52 per...