Join the November All-Participants Meeting with CDC, CMS, and Senate Focus Topic Speakers at 3PM Eastern
CEPOP will be hosting its November All-Participants Teleconference today at 3:00pm EST. Today’s meeting will include presentations from Dr. Deborah Dowell from CDC on the finalized 2022 opioid prescribing guidelines, Lindsey Baldwin from CMS on the new Medicare payment rules related to opioid treatment benefits, and Charlotte Pineda of Senator Roger Marshall’s office on a bill to combat the illegal sale and distribution of counterfeit pills. Please contact Sanjyot Sangodkar for meeting details.
DEA Issues Public Safety Alert on Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl
Last week, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a public safety alert to warn Americans about the increase in lethality of counterfeit prescription pills that contain fentanyl. The DEA Laboratory analyzed samples of fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescription pills this year and found that six out of ten pills contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. The pills are manufactured to look like real prescription opioid medications and are often sold online via social media and e-commerce platforms. In a press release, DEA Administrator Anne Milgram said, “More than half of the fentanyl-laced fake prescription pills being trafficked in communities across the country now contain a potentially deadly dose of fentanyl. This marks a dramatic increase – from four out of ten to six out of ten – in the number of pills that can kill.” In 2021, DEA seized over 20.4 million counterfeit pills, which was more than the previous two years combined. To educate the public on the dangers of counterfeit pills, DEA established the One Pill Can Kill Public awareness campaign and developed a fact sheet that outlines ways the public can identify counterfeit pills.
Articles & Resources
DEA – DEA Laboratory Testing Reveals that 6 out of 10 Fentanyl-Laced Fake Prescription Pills Now Contain a Potentially Lethal Dose of Fentanyl
What We Read Last Week
Several articles were published last week pertaining to the opioid epidemic, covering a variety of different components of the topic. Links to relevant articles are provided below.
Daily Wire – Combinations Of Fentanyl And Other Drugs Add New Dimension To Devastating Overdose Epidemic
Futurism – New Vaccine Blocks Fentanyl in Brains of Rats
HCA Healthcare – HCA Healthcare sets record by collecting 19,423 pounds of medication during fourth annual Crush the Crisis
Herald and News – Community organizations partner to help fight opioid epidemic
Journal of Pharmaceutical Policy and Practice – Home care nurses’ management of high-risk medications: a cross-sectional study
Leader Reader – Defendants Busted in $2.5M Detroit Opioid Pill Ring
Metro News – Federal dollars to help WVU expand rural drug treatment program
Salon – Their children struggled with addiction. Now, they’re fighting against the war on drugs
Teva – Teva Finalizes Nationwide Opioid Settlement Terms
The Hill – Pregnant women with addiction need treatment, not punishment — Congress can help
This Week’s Calendar
In the week ahead, there are no relevant events or hearings noticed at this time. In the event that there are any changes to the schedule for this week, we will make additional information available.
Questions about the above content can be directed to [email protected].