Archived articles

Prescription drugs

Prescription bottles in a medicine cabinet
Q+A
A spring cleaning remedy for nationwide opioid epidemic
Published April 23, 2021
Drug safety experts discuss safe disposal efforts like National Prescription Drug Take Back Day that remove potentially dangerous and addictive medicines from circulation
Pharmacy shelves
Strategies for shoring up U.S. drug supplies
Published May 12, 2020
Epidemiologist Caleb Alexander co-authors paper urging government officials, pharmaceutical stakeholders to take steps to protect U.S. drug supply chain
Bottles of pills
Bloomberg invests $50M to address opioid epidemic
Published Nov 30, 2018
New CDC figures show recent decline in U.S. life expectancy tied to record number of drug and opioid overdose deaths
Pills
Pain management
Reducing post-op opioid prescriptions
Published Aug 15, 2018
Experts and patients create procedure-specific Rx guidelines that range from prescribing zero opioids to up to 20 pills
Pills spilling out of prescription bottle
How insurance policies fuel opioid epidemic
Published June 22, 2018
Policies miss important opportunities to steer patients to safer, more effective treatments, researchers say
Former President Bill Clinton
Bill Clinton urges swift action on opioids
Published Oct 30, 2017
Former president visits Bloomberg school for discussion of the drug epidemic and the public health response
10 recommendations to address opioid crisis
Published Oct 28, 2017
Bloomberg School experts, in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation, outline steps for urgent action on opioids
Bill Clinton to take part in opioid epidemic forum
Published Oct 26, 2017
Bloomberg School to host experts for discussion on translating evidence to action to combat opioid crisis
Prescription drugs
Spike seen in long-term opioid use
Published Sept 7, 2017
Long-term use of opioids is associated with greater risk for addiction, overdose / School of Public Health
Orange prescription bottle labeled 'hydrocodone' with white pills spilling out
Prescription drugs
Review: Most opioid pills go unused
Published Aug 2, 2017
Researchers also find that majority of prescribed pills are not disposed of in recommended ways / Hopkins Medicine