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October 2019

Battling the opioid epidemic: A roundup of recent news and information

Initiatives reduce opioids after surgery without increasing pain
What if you could slash the number of opioids prescribed to patients undergoing nine common surgeries by nearly 30% without increasing a patient’s pain? It’s happening now in Michigan, thanks to the Michigan Surgical Quality Collaborative and Michigan Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network, two Value Partnerships initiatives. The number of opioid pills for patients sent home after surgery from the more than 40 participating Michigan hospitals dropped from an average of 26 per patient to an average of 18, according to the University of Michigan news release.**

Executive order creates Michigan Opioids Task Force
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed executive order 2019-18, creating the Michigan Opioids Task Force, MSMS** reported Aug. 28. The task force will bring together leaders from across state government to tackle the opioid epidemic.

In the news

  • Purdue Pharma offers up to $12 billion to settle opioid claims
    The maker of OxyContin, Purdue Pharma, and its owners, the Sackler family, are offering to settle more than 2,000 lawsuits against the company for $10 billion to $12 billion, nbcnews.com** reported Aug. 27. The lawsuits allege the company and the Sackler family are responsible for starting and sustaining the opioid crisis.
  • Johnson & Johnson ordered to pay $572 million in opioid trial
    A judge in Oklahoma ruled that Johnson & Johnson had intentionally played down the dangers and oversold the benefits of opioids, The New York Times** reported Aug. 26.

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