opioid epidemic

China has announced that all variants of fentanyl will be treated as controlled substances, after Washington urged Beijing to stop fueling the opioid epidemic in the United States.

Authorities in China already regulate 25 variants of fentanyl, a synthetic opioid linked to thousands of drug overdose deaths in the U.S. But some manufacturers in China, seeking to evade controls, have introduced slight changes to the molecular structure of their drugs, giving them the legal loophole to manufacture and export before the government can assess the products for safety and medical use.

A nationwide report released Tuesday looks at how federal dollars are being spent on the opioid epidemic. The study from the Bipartisan Policy Center drills down on five states in particular, including Ohio, where federal spending increased from $10 per person in 2017 to $19 last year.

A federal judge ruled Wednesday that a former U.S. Attorney in Northeast Ohio cannot defend a drug company against lawsuits brought by Cleveland and Cuyahoga County over the opioid crisis.

Carole Rendon joined law firm BakerHostetler after the Trump Administration asked her to resign as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio in 2017. She’s been defending Endo Pharmaceuticals in a massive group of lawsuits brought by local governments against drug companies.

In the wake of the opioid crisis, a pilot program in Cincinnati is designed to fill another gap in addiction treatment. In the Safe Places Cincy project, anyone seeking help for addiction can ask for help at a city health center and get a ride to one of three treatment programs.

Experts often blame illicit fentanyl for skyrocketing overdose deaths among illegal drug users. Now a series of deaths at an Ohio hospital is raising questions about oversight in prescribing pharmaceutical fentanyl.

The number of opioid prescriptions in Ohio has declined 36 percent from 2012 to 2018, according to a new report from the Ohio Board of Pharmacy. The decline follows regulations put in place at the state level over the last few years.