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September 2018
Battling the opioid epidemic: A roundup of recent news and information
 Opioid laws hit physicians, patients in unintended ways
New state laws on opioids that were intended to save lives have some physicians concerned about unintended consequences, according to article in Crain’s Detroit Business on July 29. None of the doctors interviewed by Crain's objected to the laws' intent: Reducing misuse of the powerful painkillers that have contributed to rising deaths and addictions. But they say regulations have added unnecessary administrative headaches, led to a climate of fear for doctors and left some patients unable to get medications when they really need them. To read more, see the article in Crain's.
Michigan pharmacies filled more orders for drug that reverses opioid overdoses
Michigan pharmacies filled twice as many orders for naloxone, the drug that reverses opioid overdoses, during the second quarter of the year than it did the first, according to report from Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, the Detroit Free Press reported July 20. “While we have made great progress [in addressing the addiction epidemic], we have a long way to go and equipping people with naloxone is a great step,” Calley said. To read more, click here.
Number of deaths involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs rise
MSMS reported that a Health Alert Network Update indicated a rising number of deaths involving fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (i.e., compounds that are chemically related to fentanyl.) To read more, see the MSMS website.
Heroin deaths surpass gun homicides for first time
Deaths from heroin, an opioid, spiked in 2015, rising by more than 2,000 cases, according to CDC data, as reported in The Washington Post. For the first time since at least the 1990s, there were more deaths due to heroin than traditional opioid painkillers such as hydrocodone and oxycodone. To read more, click here.
Blue plans make progress in addressing opioid epidemic
In July, the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association issued an update to last year’s report on the opioid epidemic. The report titled, The Opioid Epidemic in America: An Update, indicated that Michigan is making significant progress in efforts to combat the epidemic. Last year’s report, titled America’s opioid epidemic and its effect on the nation’s commercially-insured population, examined opioid prescription rates, opioid use patterns and opioid use disorder among commercially insured Blue plan members.
Blue Cross plans working to improve addiction treatment
Dan Loepp, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan president and CEO, details how Blue Cross is expanding its efforts to connect members to effective addition treatment in a MI Blues Perspectives blog. To read more, click here.
Grants to address opioid epidemic helping Michigan communities
MI Blues Perspectives, a source for Blue Cross and Michigan health news, is highlighting how $570,000 in grants to address the opioid crisis are affecting communities across the state. For details, see the following blogs:
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