There are 14 article(s) tagged Opioid Epidemic:

• May 2020

  • Shelby County overdose spike hits ‘unprecedented’ record

    Health Department officials said Shelby County has had a total of 391 suspected overdoses and 58 fatalities between April 7 and May 7, but they don't know why.

    By Linda A. Moore May 12, 2020

• September 2019

  • Shelby County issues second drug overdose spike alert for five-day period

    The Shelby County Health Department has issued a drug overdose spike alert for Aug. 30, when there were 20 suspected overdoses with three fatalities.

    By Linda A. Moore September 04, 2019

• August 2019

  • Health Department reports record single-day number of suspected overdose deaths

    On Aug. 25, five people in Shelby County died from a suspected drug overdose, the largest number of people to die since the health department began tracking opioid deaths in 2018.

    By Linda A. Moore August 30, 2019

• May 2019

  • Pharmaceutical funding could bring syringe exchange centers to Shelby County

    An $11.3 million initiative to reduce the rise in Hepatitis C infections tied to the opioid epidemic will fund local harm reduction efforts such as centers where users can exchange used needles for sterile ones. 

    By Michelle Corbet May 30, 2019

  • Rash of opioid-related overdoses spurs offer of assistance

    Memphis police and other authorities reached out to the community Friday with information about available resources after a dozen suspected opioid-related overdoses in a 24-hour period.

    By Omer Yusuf May 25, 2019

  • Faces behind opioid crisis underscore need to keep working

    As the opioid epidemic continues to rage nationwide, the human faces behind it demand we keep looking for answers.

    By Ron Maxey May 03, 2019

  • Stories prioritized over stats at West Tennessee Opioid Summit

    The latest summit convening more than 200 people working to find a multi-approach remedy to the opioid epidemic emphasized individual stories of those affected over statistics and data.    

    By Michelle Corbet May 01, 2019

• April 2019

  • Five Memphis doctors, nurses indicted in federal opioid sting

    Five Memphis doctors and nurses were charged in connection with a federal major drug bust of dozens of medical professionals  accused of distributing illegal prescription opioids and other narcotics. 

    By Yolanda Jones April 19, 2019

• March 2019

  • Opioid summit classifies addiction as brain disease, public health crisis

    Addiction and substance abuse professionals are gathering at the Shelby County Opioid Summit this week to address what they define as a genetic brain disorder that has turned into a public health crisis. 

    By Michelle Corbet March 15, 2019

  • City sues big pharma companies over opioid addiction

    The city of Memphis is suing 21 opioid manufacturers and distributors in a federal lawsuit claiming “opioid addiction is ravaging Memphis.”

    By Bill Dries March 13, 2019

• January 2019

  • Putting the opioid crisis on ice

    Facing an opioid addiction crisis, surgeons, insurance providers and patients themselves are exploring pain management alternatives, including nerve freezing and cold-water therapy. 

    By Michelle Corbet January 27, 2019

  • Pharmacy companies may face penalties for failing to meet ‘partial-fill’ rule

    The state Legislature could take action in 2019 to penalize pharmaceutical companies and pharmacies for failing to comply with Tennessee's new "partial-fill" law designed to cut opioid abuse.

    By Sam Stockard January 14, 2019

• December 2018

  • BlueCross removes Oxycontin, adds acupuncture amid opioid crisis

    Blue Cross Blue Shield taking more steps to reduce opioid circulation, and will begin covering acupuncture for pain relief in 2019.

    By Michelle Corbet December 26, 2018

• October 2018

  • Drug collection day is Saturday at four area Kroger stores

    Saturday, Oct. 27, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. Kroger is teaming up with UnitedHealthcare and Cardinal Health Foundation to help remove potentially dangerous medications from homes and safely dispose of them.

    By Wayne Risher October 25, 2018