opioid

US Sues Rite Aid for Ignoring Glaring ‘Red Flags’ in Opioid Prescriptions

The Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Rite Aid, accusing the pharmacy chain of filling hundreds of thousands of opioid prescriptions that had “obvious, and often multiple, red flags.” The DOJ claimed that Rite Aid violated the Controlled Substances Act by filling unlawful prescriptions for addictive drugs, as well as the False Claims Act when the chain sought reimbursement from federal healthcare programs for these prescriptions.

By Katie Adams

BioPharma, Legal

Northeast Hospital Must Pay $1.9M After Failing to Keep Accurate Record of Opioid Inventory

A hospital corporation with facilities across Massachusetts must pay $1.9 million in civil penalties in a lawsuit alleging that an employee stole more than 17,000 units of controlled substances and the hospitals did not have accurate records of controlled substances to prevent such illegal activity.

By Amanda James

With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?

Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.

MedCity Influencers

Can We Break the Link Between Pain and Addiction?

Opioids are our most effective tool for treating pain, but what if there were a better way to stop pain without relying on addictive substances? To develop a non-addictive painkiller, scientists have been searching for proteins that appear on pain neurons but not in the reward pathway, and this has been no small task.

By Yang Yang and Daniel Millard

MedCity Influencers, Physicians

Strategies for managing opioid use in elderly patients

Clinicians must be aware that coordination of care is one of the key factors to combat opioid epidemic and stop overuse of more powerful and dangerous medications.

By Reema Hammoud

Legal, BioPharma, Retail Health

Walmart pharmacies fueled opioid crisis, DOJ lawsuit claims

The Justice Department has sued Walmart for fanning the flames of the opioid crisis through its network of pharmacies, claiming that the retailer knowingly filled thousands of illegitimate opioid prescriptions. But Walmart says the lawsuit is "misguided."

By Anuja Vaidya

Startups, Health IT, Health Tech

Startup raises $15M to help prevent and treat opioid addiction

AxialHealthcare, a startup building software to manage opioid prescriptions and addiction, raised $15 million in funding. The company plans to use the new funds to build out tools to help addicted patients find help.

By Elise Reuter

Hospitals

Northwell Health reveals program for emergency departments to help patients with opioid use disorder

Through a program called Pathways to Recovery, the health system is enabling clinicians in its emergency departments to provide interventions that can help patients get on the path to recovery.

By Erin Dietsche

Payers, Policy

Cigna and VA join forces to help veterans at risk of opioid misuse

The goal of the partnership is to improve opioid use-related patient-provider interactions and boost health outcomes for veterans with chronic pain who are at risk for opioid misuse.

By Erin Dietsche

BioPharma, Policy

In last Senate testimony, FDA’s Gottlieb highlights agency’s opioid epidemic efforts

The outgoing commissioner requested $55 million to aid the agency's fight against the opioid epidemic.

By Alaric DeArment

Hospitals

Splunk and NewYork-Presbyterian join forces to fight drug diversion

Through the Splunk controlled substance monitoring platform, NewYork-Presbyterian can see if medications are being diverted for potentially illegitimate purposes, like a doctor prescribing a medication to a patient not currently in the hospital.

By Erin Dietsche

Health Services

Maximize Revenue and Patient Care with Strategic Weight Loss Management

We will highlight Build My Health's revenue practice management tools, which could help physician practices add up to $250,000 to their practices.

By Build My Health and MedCity News

BioPharma

Former Insys execs in alleged opioid conspiracy start criminal trial in Boston

The trial - of Insys founder John Kapoor and four other defendants - had been scheduled to start Monday morning. Two other executives pleaded guilty in November and earlier this month.

By Alaric DeArment