Trump's Response to the Opioid "Crisis"

[DGS49]

So he declared that it is a problem that the Fed's must react to.

Leftists immediately whined that without MONEY, his declaration is meaningless.

The Federal Government has more than TWO MILLION civilian employees. State and local government have many more than that, in total.

As a taxpayer to at least four levels of government, do I not have a right to presume that given such an "emergency" some of these millions and millions of government workers could be diverted to address it, WITHOUT HAVING TO HIRE MORE OF THEM at this time? Especially when one considers that every new government employee comes with an invoice for millions of dollars on his or her back (considering 35 years of employment, another 20 years of retirement at near full pay, and 55 total years of "free" healthcare, etc).

The reflex reaction of Leftists that any new crisis, need, or situation requires YET ANOTHER expansion of Government is an abomination.

 

[waltky]

Insurance backlash against opioids...

Midwest Health Care Provider Cuts Opioid Prescriptions
October 27, 2017 — A major health care system serving the upper Midwest said this week that the number of opioid pills it prescribes has fallen by almost a quarter as it works to respond to America’s opioid epidemic.

South Dakota-headquartered Sanford Health started analyzing its prescribing last year to direct its response to rising opioid and heroin overdose deaths, said Doug Griffin, who spearheaded the system’s data collection as vice president and medical officer for Sanford in Fargo, North Dakota. Griffin said the health system learned that the numbers are “staggering”: The system reported prescribing 4.3 million opioid pills in the first quarter of 2016, a figure that doesn’t include cancer patients’ prescriptions. Sanford took steps as a result, including mandating opioid education for providers and using its electronic health record system to alert doctors about safe prescribing habits, Griffin said.

President Donald Trump speaks during an event declaring the opioid crisis in the U.S. a national public health emergency, in the East Room of the White House​

Sanford has since seen a significant reduction in both the number of pills prescribed and prescriptions written. Sanford providers wrote 18 percent fewer prescriptions for opioids in the third quarter of 2017 compared to the first quarter of 2016, amounting to 24 percent, or about 1.25 million, fewer pills prescribed, according to the health system. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota, region saw a 19 percent reduction in pills prescribed, while the Fargo area experienced a 33 percent drop and the Bemidji, Minnesota, region saw a 37 percent decrease, according to Sanford.

‘Knowledge has changed’

“The stance that we have taken is clearly opioid overdoses, both illicit and prescription overdoses, are a problem in this country, including in our footprint,” Griffin said. “Like many things in medicine, our knowledge has changed and our focus has shifted on this.” Allison Suttle, chief medical officer at Sanford, said the system’s end goal is to ensure patients are safe and well-treated and that physicians are educated in how to treat patients’ pain while being “good stewards of the use of opioids.” “Large health systems can serve as examples,” she said. South Dakota Department of Health Secretary Kim Malsam-Rysdon said that South Dakota has a low opioid overdose death rate compared to other states, but noted that the state had 38 opioid overdose deaths last year. She said large health systems are on the front lines

Allison Suttle, chief medical officer at Sanford Health, talks about the system's opioid prescriptions in Sioux Falls, S.D., Oct. 25, 2017. Sanford providers wrote 18 percent fewer prescriptions for opioids in the third quarter of 2017 compared to the first quarter of 2016.​

“I think they’re extremely committed to this, and I’m really confident that we’re going to see the changes that we need to see to stay ahead of this epidemic that we’re seeing in other states,” she said. Avera Health, a Sioux Falls-based health system, sponsored a conference this month with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of South Dakota on the opioid epidemic. Deb Fischer-Clemens, Avera vice president of public policy, said the organization’s responsible prescribing program includes patient contracts, educating providers and patients on opioids and working with its electronic health record to create easy access to the state Prescription Drug Monitoring Program.

Fewer prescriptions, fewer pills

Jay Bhatt, senior vice president and chief medical office for the American Hospital Association, said in a statement that the nation’s hospitals and health systems are working to reduce the number of prescriptions written for opioids and the number of days that many patients take them. Utah-based Intermountain Healthcare pledged in August to cut by 40 percent the average amount of opioids given per acute pain prescription by the end of next year.

Midwest Health Care Provider Cuts Opioid Prescriptions

 

[waltky]

Granny says don't take away her pain pills - she needs `em fer her rheumatiz...

IG: 14.4 Million Medicare Part D Beneficiaries Got $4.1 Billion in Opioids in 2016
November 6, 2017 | A total of 14.4 million beneficiaries of Medicare Part D, which offers Medicare recipients the opportunity to get federally subsidized prescription drug coverage, received at least one prescription for an opioid in 2016 while the Medicare Part D program paid about $4.1 billion to provide them with those drugs, according to a study by the inspector general for the Department of Health and Human Services.

Nationwide, 33 percent of all Medicare Part D beneficiaries got federally funded opioids in 2016. In Alabama, it went as high as 46 percent; in Mississippi, it was 45 percent; and, in Arkansas, it was 44 percent. The IG’s discovery that 14.4 million Medicare Part D beneficiaries got an opioid prescription in 2016 was cited in a Government Accountability Office report released today. “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), reported that from 1999 to 2014 the rate of drug poisoning deaths from prescription opioids nearly quadrupled from 1.4 to 5.1 per 100,000 people,” said the GAO report. “In addition, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) reported that 14.4 million people (about one-third) who participate in Medicare Part D received at least one prescription for opioids in 2016, and that Part D spending for opioids in 2016 was almost $4.1 billion.”

The inspector general’s report—“Opioids in Medicare Part D: Concerns about Extreme Use and Questionable Prescribing”—was completed in July. “In 2016,” said the IG report, “one out of every three beneficiaries received at least one prescription opioid through Medicare Part D. “In total,” said the report, “14.4 million of the 43.6 million beneficiaries enrolled in Medicare Part D received opioids. Medicare Part D paid almost $4.1 billion for 79.4 million opioid prescriptions for these beneficiaries.” “Several states had higher proportions of beneficiaries receiving opioids than the nation overall, which was 33 percent,” said the IG. “Alabama and Mississippi had the highest proportions, with almost half of the state’s Part D beneficiaries receiving at least one opioid—46 percent and 45 percent respectively. Arkansas had 44 percent of beneficiaries receiving opioids, while Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Louisiana each had 42 percent. The two lowest proportions were in Hawaii (21 percent) and New York (22 percent).”

Some of the Medicare Part D beneficiaries received an opioid prescription only for a short period of time. But others received an opioid on what the IG called “a regular basis”—and some received “high” or “extreme” amounts. Some beneficiaries also appeared to be “doctor shopping” in pursuit of opioids.

The IG report stated:

 

[waltky]

Common Painkillers as Effective as Opioids in Hospital Emergency Room...

Study: Common Painkillers as Effective as Opioids in Hospital Emergency Room
November 07, 2017 - Researchers studying a hospital emergency room report a cocktail of simple drug store pain relievers work just as well or sometimes better than prescribed opioids.

The study appears in the latest issue of The Journal of the America Medical Association and could be an effective ground zero in the fight against the current opioid epidemic. “Preventing new patients from becoming addicted to opioids may have a greater effect on the opioid epidemic than providing sustained treatment to patients already addicted,” emergency medical specialist Demetrios Kyriacou wrote in the Journal.

Studies have shown that many opioid addictions start in the emergency room, where a patient with a broken bone or another injury is sent home with a prescription for a powerful painkiller.

This Nov. 2, 2017, photo shows tablets of ibuprofen in New York. A study released on Nov. 7, 2017, found that over-the-counter pills worked as well as opioids at reducing severe pain for emergency room patients with broken bones and sprains.​

The study shows that patients given a cocktail of the same kind of painkillers found in such well-known, over-the-counter brands as Tylenol and Advil get the same kind of short-term pain relief as they get from the stronger medications.

The study was carried out at the Montefiore Medical Center emergency room in New York City. Experts say as many as 2 million Americans are addicted to opioids and President Donald Trump has declared it a national health emergency.

Study: Common Painkillers as Effective as Opioids in Hospital Emergency Room

See also:

Wisconsin Lawsuit Blames Drug Makers for Opioid Crisis
November 07, 2017 — Nearly two dozen Wisconsin counties are suing makers of prescription painkillers, alleging in a federal lawsuit Tuesday that the companies’ “nefarious and deceptive” marketing campaigns precipitated the nation’s opioid overdose epidemic.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages and says the county health and law enforcement services “have been strained to the breaking point” because of the overdose crisis that has claimed thousands of lives. More than two dozen states, cities and counties have filed similar lawsuits against pharmaceutical companies, accusing them of making false claims about the dangers of their drugs to make a profit. “Defendants’ goal was simple: to dramatically increase sales by convincing doctors that it was safe and efficacious to prescribe opioids to treat not only the kind of severe and short-term pain associated with surgery or cancer, but also for a seemingly unlimited array of less severe, longer-term pain, such as back pain and arthritis to name but two examples,” the lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Wisconsin says.

An arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen in New York.​

Drug companies knew their “products were addictive, subject to abuse, and not safe or efficacious for long-term use,” that lawsuit says. It names Purdue Pharma, Johnson & Johnson, Endo Health Solutions, Inc. and subsidiaries of the companies. Three doctors in California and Utah are also listed. “We vigorously deny these allegations and look forward to the opportunity to present our defense,” Purdue Pharma said in a statement that also said the company is “deeply troubled by the opioid crisis and we are dedicated to being part of the solution.”

Endo Health Solutions said in a statement its “top priorities include patient safety and ensuring that patients with chronic pain have access to safe and effective therapeutic options” while preventing opioid abuse. It said it couldn’t comment further on pending litigation. Johnson & Johnson did not immediately respond to an email asking for comment.

More than 52,000 Americans died in 2015 from drug overdoses, most of them involving prescription opioids or related illicit drugs such as fentanyl and heroin, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Wisconsin, 1,824 people died from opioid overdoses from 2013 to 2015, according to the lawsuit. One of the local governments taking legal action, Washington County, with a population of about 131,900, had 542 hospitalizations involving opioids last year, according to the lawsuit, and 70 opioid overdose deaths from 2013 to 2016.

Wisconsin Lawsuit Blames Drug Makers for Opioid Crisis

Related:

Indiana Prosecutors Vehemently Oppose Medical Marijuana
November 07, 2017 — Indiana's county prosecutors remain vehemently opposed to any form of marijuana legalization and insist the plant "is not medicine" amid a push by a conservative state lawmaker to have it recognized as such.

The Association of Indiana Prosecuting Attorneys argues, in a letter to Republican Governor Eric Holcomb's administration, that.any type of marijuana legalization would come with grave consequences The letter, dated last week, was publicly released Monday.
"Reports abound of efforts to legalize marijuana in the state of Indiana," wrote David N. Powell, the association's executive secretary. "We respectfully ask the [administration] to formally oppose the legalization of marijuana in any form, for any purpose."

Vials filled with samples of marijuana are lined up March 24, 2017, at the Blum medical marijuana dispensary, in Reno, Nev.​

It came as state Representative Jim Lucas — a media-savvy politician better known for his outspoken opposition to gun restrictions — said he would "100 percent full-throttle" pursue medical marijuana legislation. The libertarian-leaning lawmaker from Seymour faces long odds during the session beginning in January, but the fact that a Republican is so vocally pushing the measure marks a significant change. Reached Tuesday for comment on the prosecutors' letter, Lucas said: "The gloves are off." Holcomb's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Legalization common

Although federal law still considers marijuana illegal, more than half of U.S. states, including some conservative ones, have legalized medical marijuana for the treatment of certain conditions. "We got 29 states that are ahead of us, that have shown the benefits," Lucas said. "Can it be abused? Sure, anything can be abused. But since we know this can save lives, why do we want to continue to risk the quality of life, or the well-being of innocent people, just because some might go out there and abuse it?" He suggested medical marijuana could provide an alternative to addictive painkillers. The prosecutors association disagrees. It also says those who argue that marijuana can be used as medicine are relying on "half-truths and anecdotal evidence." But that's at odds with scientific studies that have found marijuana can treat chronic pain and ease nausea from chemotherapy, among other medical issues.

A federal advisory panel said in a January report that there were likely medical benefits to marijuana, but also potential risks that needed to be researched more. Powell said in his letter that a Food and Drug Administration review was the only "legally recognized procedure for bringing safe and effective medications to the American public." "To date, the FDA has not found marijuana to be either safe or effective medicine for any condition," he added. Last year, Indiana took baby steps toward adopting medical marijuana after Holcomb signed a law allowing those with a form of epilepsy to use cannabidiol, often referred to as CBD, which is derived from pot plants but lacks psychoactive properties. The prosecutors association opposed the measure.

Indiana Prosecutors Vehemently Oppose Medical Marijuana

 

[waltky]

Granny says dat's a lotta money...

Opioid Crisis Cost US Economy $504 Billion in 2015
November 19, 2017 | WASHINGTON — Opioid drug abuse, which has ravaged parts of the United States in recent years, cost the economy as much as $504 billion in 2015, White House economists said in a report made public on Sunday.

The White House Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) said the toll from the opioid crisis represented 2.8 percent of gross domestic product that year. President Donald Trump last month declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency. While Republican lawmakers said that was an important step in fighting opioid abuse, some critics, including Democrats, said the move was meaningless without additional funding.

An arrangement of pills of the opioid oxycodone-acetaminophen, in New York.​

The report could be used by the Trump White House to urge Republicans in Congress - who historically have opposed increasing government spending - to provide more funding for fighting the opioid crisis by arguing that the economic losses far outweigh the cost of additional government funding. Using a combination of statistical models, the CEA said the lost economic output stemming from 33,000 opioid-related deaths in 2015 could be between $221 billion and $431 billion, depending on the methodology used.
In addition, the report looked at the cost of non-fatal opioid usage, estimating a total of $72 billion for 2.4 million people with opioid addictions in 2015. Those costs included medical treatment, criminal justice system expenses and the decreased economic productivity of addicts.

The CEA said its estimate was larger than those of some prior studies because it took a broad look at the value of lives lost to overdoses. The CEA also said its methodology incorporated an adjustment to reflect the fact that opioids were underreported on death certificates. "The crisis has worsened, especially in terms of overdose deaths which have doubled in the past ten years," the CEA said. "While previous studies have focused exclusively on prescription opioids, we consider illicit opioids including heroin as well." Opioids, primarily prescription painkillers, heroin and fentanyl, are fueling the drug overdoses. More than 100 Americans die daily from related overdoses, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

White House: Opioid Crisis Cost US Economy $504 Billion in 2015

 

[badger2]

19 Nov 2017 Heroin / Krokodil Bust
drugs.globalincidentmap.com/eventdetail.php?ID-47210

Routes via Canada get screwed on the north-south axis.

 

[Admiral Rockwell Tory]

So he declared that it is a problem that the Fed's must react to.

Leftists immediately whined that without MONEY, his declaration is meaningless.

The Federal Government has more than TWO MILLION civilian employees. State and local government have many more than that, in total.

As a taxpayer to at least four levels of government, do I not have a right to presume that given such an "emergency" some of these millions and millions of government workers could be diverted to address it, WITHOUT HAVING TO HIRE MORE OF THEM at this time? Especially when one considers that every new government employee comes with an invoice for millions of dollars on his or her back (considering 35 years of employment, another 20 years of retirement at near full pay, and 55 total years of "free" healthcare, etc).

The reflex reaction of Leftists that any new crisis, need, or situation requires YET ANOTHER expansion of Government is an abomination.

Let me guess! You got that information from the same place that says teachers get their summers off with pay!

Not hardly!

 

[waltky]

Chinese opioid dealers exploit U.S. postal service flaw to ship illegal drugs...

Chinese opioid dealers exploit U.S. postal service flaw to ship illegal drugs, investigators say
Jan 24, 2018 | WASHINGTON — Congressional investigators said Wednesday that Chinese opioid manufacturers are exploiting weak screening at the U.S. Postal Service to ship large quantities of illegal drugs to American dealers.

In a yearlong probe, Senate investigators found that Chinese sellers, who openly market opioids such as fentanyl to U.S. buyers, are pushing delivery through the U.S. postal system. The sellers are taking advantage of a failure by the postal service to fully implement an electronic data system that would help authorities identify suspicious shipments. At a time of massive growth in postal shipments from China due to e-commerce, the investigators found that the postal system received the electronic data on just over a third of all international packages, making more than 300 million packages in 2017 much harder to screen. The U.S. Postal Service said it has made dramatic progress in the last year in total packages with opioids seized. “The Postal Service will continue to work tirelessly to address this serious societal issue,” spokesman David Partenheimer said in a statement.

China said Thursday it is ready to work with the United States in fighting illicit opioid shipments. “Anti-drug coordination is one of the highlights of China-U.S. law enforcement cooperation,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said at a regular briefing. “We stand ready to work with the U.S. to enhance our coordination in this field.” Partenheimer said implementing the use of electronic data is slowed by the need to negotiate with international partners, but the service is making progress. The Senate probe matches many of the findings of a 2016 investigation by The Associated Press that detailed unchecked production in China of some of the world’s most dangerous drugs.

Congressional investigators said Wednesday that Chinese opioid manufacturers are exploiting weak screening at the U.S. Postal Service to ship large quantities of illegal drugs to American dealers.​

AP reporters found multiple sellers willing to ship carfentanil — an opioid used as an elephant tranquilizer that is so potent it has been considered a chemical weapon. The sellers also offered advice on how to evade screening by U.S. authorities. Researchers on the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations also contacted Chinese sellers directly. The sellers preferred payment in Bitcoin. Investigators traced the online sellers to seven U.S. opioid deaths and 18 drug arrests. The Senate has cleared the report to be handed over to law enforcement.

In one case, the investigators traced orders from an online seller in China to a Michigan man who wired $200 in November 2016. The next month he received a package from someone identified by the investigators as a Pennsylvania-based distributor. A day later, the Michigan man died of an overdose from drugs, including a chemical similar to fentanyl. The huge influx of opioids has led to a wave of overdose deaths across the U.S. in recent years. Republican Sen. Rob Portman, the subcommittee’s chairman, noted that fentanyl now kills more people in his home state than heroin. “The federal government can, and must, act to shore up our defenses against this deadly drug and help save lives,” he said.

Chinese opioid dealers exploit U.S. postal service flaw to ship illegal drugs, investigators say

 

[evenflow1969]

So he declared that it is a problem that the Fed's must react to.

Leftists immediately whined that without MONEY, his declaration is meaningless.

The Federal Government has more than TWO MILLION civilian employees. State and local government have many more than that, in total.

As a taxpayer to at least four levels of government, do I not have a right to presume that given such an "emergency" some of these millions and millions of government workers could be diverted to address it, WITHOUT HAVING TO HIRE MORE OF THEM at this time? Especially when one considers that every new government employee comes with an invoice for millions of dollars on his or her back (considering 35 years of employment, another 20 years of retirement at near full pay, and 55 total years of "free" healthcare, etc).

The reflex reaction of Leftists that any new crisis, need, or situation requires YET ANOTHER expansion of Government is an abomination.

I personally would prefer Trump takes his time and figures out how to spend what ever money is spent is spent wisely. I am not for throwing money at some hting until we figure out a way that works. Some times lack of movement shows the understanding that the problem is complex!

 

[waltky]

Death penalty for opioid traffickers...

Trump plan mulls death penalty for opioid traffickers
Tue, Mar 20, 2018 - ‘ULTIMATE PENALTY’: Opioids killed more than 42,000 people in the US in 2016. The US president said a drug dealer, who might kill thousands, should receive a murderer’s sentence

US President Donald Trump’s plan to combat opioid drug addiction nationwide calls for stiffer penalties for drug traffickers, including the death penalty where appropriate under current law, a top administration official said on Sunday. It is a fate for drug dealers that Trump, who aims to be seen as tough on crime, has been highlighting publicly in recent weeks. Trump also wants the US Congress to pass legislation reducing the amount of drugs needed to trigger mandatory minimum sentences for traffickers who knowingly distribute certain illicit opioids, said Andrew Bremberg, Trump’s domestic policy director, who briefed reporters on Sunday on the plan that Trump was scheduled to unveil yesterday in New Hampshire, a state hard-hit by the crisis. The president was to be joined by US first lady Melania Trump, who has shown an interest in the issue, particularly as it pertains to her focus on child welfare.

Death for drug traffickers and mandatory minimum penalties for distributing certain opioids are just two elements under the part of Trump’s plan that deals with law enforcement and interdiction to break the international and domestic flow of drugs into and across the US. Other parts of the plan include broadening education and awareness, and expanding access to proven treatment and recovery efforts. Trump has mused openly in recent weeks about subjecting drug dealers to the “ultimate penalty.” The president told the audience at a Pennsylvania campaign rally this month that countries such as Singapore have fewer issues with drug addiction because they harshly punish their dealers.

He said that a person in the US can get the death penalty or life in prison for shooting one person, but that a drug dealer, who potentially kills thousands, can spend little or no time in jail. “The only way to solve the drug problem is through toughness,” Trump said in Moon Township. He made similar comments at a recent White House summit on opioids. “Some countries have a very, very tough penalty — the ultimate penalty. And, by the way, they have much less of a drug problem than we do,” Trump said. “So we’re going to have to be very strong on penalties.” The US Department of Justice said the federal death penalty is available for several limited drug-related offenses, including violations of the “drug kingpin” provisions of federal law. It was not clear that death sentences for drug dealers, even for those whose product causes multiple deaths, would be constitutional, Ohio State University law professor Doug Berman said. The issue would be litigated extensively and would have to be definitively decided by the US Supreme Court, he said.

Opioids, including prescription opioids, heroin and synthetic drugs such as fentanyl, killed more than 42,000 people in the US in 2016, more than any year on record, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.Trump has said that fighting the epidemic is a priority for the administration, but critics say the effort has fallen short. Trump in October last year said the crisis was a national public health emergency, short of the national state of emergency sought by a presidential commission. “We call it the crisis next door because everyone knows someone,” Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said. “This is no longer somebody else’s community, somebody else’s kid.”

Trump plan mulls death penalty for opioid traffickers - Taipei Times

 

[Snouter]

People should take whatever the fuck they want as long as it doesn't make them violent and attack others. Cigarettes and homosexual sex kills millions each year. Why does The Donald think people are incapable of making personal choices?