Local Health Departments Pay High Price For Opioid Overdose Drug (National Journal)

Sunday Jun 17th, 2018

During an opioid epidemic that has lowered the country’s life expectancy and cost the economy $95.3 billion in 2016, Baltimore City’s health commissioner has found herself having to ration the supply of the drug used to reverse opioid-related overdoses, naloxone.

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When I’ve asked experts about these approaches, it’s not that any of them are bad. It’s that they fall short. For instance, Leana Wen, the former health commissioner of Baltimore (and soon-to-be president of Planned Parenthood), said that the Support for Patients and Communities Act “is simply tinkering around the edges.”

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