The goal is to prevent opioid disorders before they happen. Colorado should devote a share of its lawsuit settlements on data-supported prevention methods.
opioid epidemic
Posted inOpinion Columns
Opinion: Signs of hope amid the overdose epidemic
Jason felt like his life was over before it had begun. Twenty-two years old, unable to keep a job, and spending his time and money maintaining a heroin habit, Jason wanted more but didn’t know how to stop using. As a psychiatrist working in the emergency department at Denver Health, I was equipped to help. […]
Posted inHealth, News
Colorado’s program to stop patients from “doctor shopping” for opioids hasn’t been working, audit finds
A Colorado program that allows doctors, dentists, pharmacists and others to check a database before issuing prescriptions for certain drugs hasn’t stopped so-called “doctor shopping” for opioids and sedatives and requires legislation to compel prescribers to register with the database and to use it. That’s according to the Office of the State Auditor, which examined Colorado’s Prescription […]
Posted inColoradans, COVID, Health
Coronavirus moved some substance treatment services online in Colorado — possibly permanently
Kara Bonham was already struggling with alcohol consumption, depression and anxiety when the pandemic forced her life into overdrive. She had a high-stress job as a first responder in Fort Collins. On top of that, her older sister, who also struggles with alcohol, had recently been diagnosed with end-stage liver failure. As Bonham saw it, […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government
Colorado governor vetoes bill that sought to reduce prescription opioid abuse
Gov. Jared Polis on Thursday vetoed a bill that sought to reduce opioid abuse in Colorado because it would have increased the cost of health insurance. Provisions in House Bill 1085 requiring insurance carriers to cover at least six annual physical therapy visits, six annual acupuncture visits, six annual occupational therapy visits, and six annual […]
Posted inHealth, News, Politics and Government
Colorado could soon get a lot of money from opioid settlements. But where should those dollars go?
Colorado could soon be in line for tens of millions — maybe even hundreds of millions — of dollars from legal settlements related to the opioid epidemic. That kind of windfall would represent a major leap forward in the state’s effort to combat the crisis, which has claimed more than 5,000 Coloradans’ lives since 2000. […]
Posted inBusiness, Crime and Courts, Health, News
Bankruptcy judge considers $1.3 million bonus for Purdue Pharma CEO being sued by Colorado
By Geoff Mulvihill, The Associated Press The judge overseeing the bankruptcy case of OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma will consider Wednesday whether the company’s CEO should get a bonus equal to half his $2.6 million salary. Attorneys general representing about half the states say the company’s chief executive Craig Landau shouldn’t get a bonus, arguing in […]