By calling a concurrent special session, Ducey sets the stage to go from proposal to finished law in three days.
Dr. Cara Christ, the state’s health director, said at a ceremony where Gov. Doug Ducey signed a proclamation for a special legislative session to confront the issue:
In 2016, more than two Arizonans died each day due to...Arizona News
Expect announcement today at an afternoon news conference with Ducey and leaders of the Legislature from both parties.
The Associated Press reports:
A special session means the Legislature could pass the measure in as little as three days with limited time for public comment or analysis of the proposed legislation.
Ducey's proposal...Arizona News
Alarming number of overdose deaths in Arizona creates call for action.
The Arizona Republic reports at least 716 people in Arizona are believed to have died of opioid-related overdoses during a six-month stretch of 2017, far exceeding previous death statistics that span an entire calendar year, according to the state health...National News
Rosebud, Flandreau and Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux tribes allege they sold addictive drugs without warning of their dangers.
The tribes have targeted drug makers Purdue Pharma, Teva Pharmaceuticals, Allergen PLC and distributors McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc. and AmerisourceBergen Corp.
The tribes' allegations align with those...National News
In the three years since the California law permitting pharmacists to dispense the medication to patients without a doctor’s prescription has been in effect, pharmacists have been slow to dispense naloxone, which reverses the effects of an overdose.
Kaiser Health News reports in 48 states and Washington, D.C., pharmacists have...Arizona News
Opioid deaths double and border seizures of smuggled fentanyl up 600 percent over last year.
Nearly 140 pounds of the synthetic opioid were seized this year at Arizona’s ports, enough deadly doses for almost 32 million adults, and enough to make traffickers up to $1.3 billion.
More than half, 550 pounds, of the 950 pounds total...Arizona News
The City Council voted 8-0 Wednesday to take legal action against drug manufacturers and distributors to recoup some of the money the city has spent fighting the opioid epidemic.
More than 500 Arizonans have died of suspected opioid-related death since June 15, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
In June, Gov....
The four top opioid-prescribing doctors are located in sparsely populated Mohave County.
Mohave County's 200,000 residents are concentrated in Kingman, Lake Havasu City and Bullhead City. It's also a short drive to Las Vegas.
Earlier this year, Governor Ducey declared a public-health emergency seeking to enhance the state's efforts...
Insys Therapeutics manufactures Subsys, a highly addictive fentanyl spray which is meant only for cancer patients with severe pain.
Jerrold Rosenberg, a Rhode Island doctor, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Providence to one count each of health care fraud and kickbacks conspiracy.
The doctor admitted on Wednesday that he...National News
The Drug Enforcement Administration is charged with policing drug distribution.
A recently published Washington Post / 60 Minutes investigation reveals how the DEA was effectively stripped by Congress of its most potent weapon against large drug companies suspected of spilling prescription narcotics onto the nation’s streets.
By...Arizona News
The Chandler-based firm is accused of fraud, negligent misrepresentation, unjust enrichment, civil conspiracy and engaging in deceptive, unfair and unlawful business practices.
At the center of the issue is Subsys, an opioid made by Insys that's roughly 50 times more powerful than heroin. Side effects of the fentanyl spray can...National News
People with mental health disorders represent 16 percent of the U.S. population.
In a study published June 26, researchers looked at opioid use among a class of patients.
“We are prescribing way too much opioids,” said Dr. Brian Sites, an anesthesiologist at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center in New Hampshire and one of the...National News
Dr. Jerome Adams would replace Dr. Vivek Murthy, who was ousted by the Trump administration in April.
Adams, an anesthesiologist, has been an advocate for addressing the opioid epidemic. Dr. Adams also has had to face the public health consequences of opioid addiction head-on as health commissioner, most notably when an HIV outbreak...National News
With an eye toward passage before Independence Day, the U.S. Senate finally unveiled its path to the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act.
Republicans need 50 votes to pass the legislation - if two Republicans abandon the bill when it comes to the floor next week and Democrats remain unified in their opposition, repeal...
