A paper on overdose-reversal drugs reached a conclusion no one liked. The pushback raised questions about sexism and scientific methods. 

“[Doleac and Mukherjee’s] study assumes that passage of these laws lead immediately to everyone having easy access to naloxone when they need it, when this is not the case,” said Leana Wen, Baltimore’s health commissioner.

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Governors who are anxiously awaiting funding to fight opioid addiction are eyeing $6 billion set aside in the two-year budget deal (PL 115-123) for the epidemic that has yet to be appropriated or divvied up between federal agencies and the states.

“Since the president declared a state of emergency around opioids, we have not seen a tangible effect for those on the ground around the epidemic,” said Leana Wen, the commissioner of health for the city of Baltimore, who said she contacted a number of government officials about this problem.

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Dr. Leana Wen provides input on the use of fentanyl testing strips.

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Dr. Leana Wen weighs in on a working paper questioning the effects of expanding access to naloxone.

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Dr. Wen was interviewed on WYPR's Midday Healthwatch, where she talked about some of the key legislative battles being waged over public health policy, and addressed listeners' comments and questions.

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Healthcare professionals can improve patient screening for opioid abuse and better identify patients with opioid use disorder, experts said here Friday, recognizing that these efforts will be difficult. 

"It's so frustrating because we know what works," said Dr. Leana Wen. "It's so easy, I cannot understand why we don't do it more ... We are rationing Narcan."

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Every 19 minutes someone dies from an opioid overdose, primarily prescribed drugs such as oxycontin and hydrocodone and the illegal drug heroin. A group of professionals in the field and a city mayor spoke about how a data-driven social safety net can save lives during a panel discussion at Smart Cities Week in Washington, D.C.

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The price of a drug that has saved the lives of more than 800 people overdosing on heroin or other opioids in Baltimore is rising rapidly.

"We shouldn't be priced out of saving lives," said Dr. Leana Wen, Baltimore's health commissioner. "In a time of a public health emergency, we should be making it more affordable and available."

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President Trump’s State of the Union address was 80 minutes long. He spent just 49 seconds on the opioid epidemic, something he has declared to be a public health emergency.

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The life expectancy declined in 2016 for a second consecutive year, and this was largely driven by the country’s drug crisis. And yet, the federal response to this epidemic has been dismal. 

“We have received no additional funding and no sign of additional funding coming our way,” Baltimore City Health Department Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen told ThinkProgress.“

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