Payout Plans In Opioid Lawsuit Overlook A Vital Need: Pain Management Care And Research Focused On Smarter Use Of Addictive Drugs
HEALTH & WELLNESS
Mark C. Bicket, University of Michigan
The opioid crisis has resulted in more than 500,000 overdose deaths over the past two decades. The federal government, states and other entities have filed litigation against drug manufacturers, suppliers and pharmacies as one approach to address the harm and suffering caused by inappropriate opioid prescribing practices. Billions of dollars of funds have since been awarded, and more is likely to come.
To ensure these funds are used in areas relevant to opioids, policy and public health groups led by experts at Johns Hopkins University, Harvard University and other organizations have proposed frameworks detailing priorities on what to do with the money. But none of them address the needs of one critical group: patients who suf...