Opioid Crisis

  • Read more: The Privatization of Opioid Litigation

    The Privatization of Opioid Litigation

    By Daniel Aaron As the opioid litigation continues over the shadow of one of our nation’s most pressing public health crises, some criticism has been levied at private lawyers representing the cities, counties, states, and individuals harmed by the crisis. For example, see the following tweet: Let’s work out tax and healthcare financing policy county…

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  • Read more: Wendy Mariner on “The Week in Health Law” Podcast

    Wendy Mariner on “The Week in Health Law” Podcast

    By Nicolas Terry TWIHL welcomes back Professor Wendy Mariner, Professor of Health Law at Boston University School of Public Health and Professor of Law at Boston University School of Law. Professor Mariner is a prolific scholar whose broad and deep understanding of the U.S. healthcare system is the envy of all her colleagues.

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  • Read more: Monthly Round-Up of What to Read on Pharma Law and Policy

    Monthly Round-Up of What to Read on Pharma Law and Policy

    By Ameet Sarpatwari, Charlie Lee, Frazer Tessema, and Aaron S. Kesselheim Each month, members of the Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL) review the peer-reviewed medical literature to identify interesting empirical studies, policy analyses, and editorials on health law and policy issues relevant to current or potential future work in the Division. Below are the abstracts/summaries…

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  • Read more: Opioid Claims for Fetal Opioid Exposure Alarm Pregnancy Advocates

    Opioid Claims for Fetal Opioid Exposure Alarm Pregnancy Advocates

    By Alexa Richardson Lawyers calling themselves the “Opioid Justice Team” are pushing forward in their mission to certify babies exposed to opioids in utero, as well as “all women in the United States capable of becoming pregnant,” as distinct classes in the multi-district opioid litigation now unfolding in federal court in Ohio. Last week, lawyers…

    Pregnant woman sitting across desk from doctor wearing scrubs and holding a pen
  • Read more: Ohio’s Efforts to Centralize Control Over Opioid Claims

    Ohio’s Efforts to Centralize Control Over Opioid Claims

    By Daniel Aaron On October 21, two Ohio counties are slated to present their opioid claims in a federal trial. However, last week, 13 states and the District of Columbia signed onto a brief requesting that the 6th Circuit Court of Appeals stay the upcoming trials. Their reasoning? States should control lawsuits for harms within…

    Ohio state flags waving in front of the Ohio State House
  • Read more: Big Ruling in Philadelphia: The Controlled Substances Act does not forbid a safe drug consumption room

    Big Ruling in Philadelphia: The Controlled Substances Act does not forbid a safe drug consumption room

    By Scott Burris Federal District Judge Gerald McHugh of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania ruled today that the operation of a safe injection site to prevent overdose, HIV, and other harms associated with drug injection would not violate the federal Controlled Substances Act.  The ruling came in an action for declaratory and injunctive relief brought…

    Black and white photograph of a gavel in front of scales of justice
  • Read more: The Role of Attorneys General in the Opioid Litigation

    The Role of Attorneys General in the Opioid Litigation

    By Daniel Aaron People following the opioid lawsuits might have noticed some strange headlines as of late. Virtually every state’s attorney general (AG) is suing Purdue Pharmaceuticals, maker of the blockbuster drug OxyContin. Purdue filed for bankruptcy and is hoping to settle for “$10 billion.” However, the deal only includes $4.4 billion in cash, which…

    Photograph of Purdue Pharma headquarters
  • Read more: Monthly Round-Up of What to Read on Pharma Law and Policy

    Monthly Round-Up of What to Read on Pharma Law and Policy

    By Ameet Sarpatwari, Charlie Lee, Frazer Tessema, and Aaron S. Kesselheim Each month, members of the Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law (PORTAL) review the peer-reviewed medical literature to identify interesting empirical studies, policy analyses, and editorials on health law and policy issues relevant to current or potential future work in the Division.

    Photograph of a gavel and three open books
  • Read more: Not Another Scott County?

    Not Another Scott County?

    By Emily Beukema, Aila Hoss, and Nicolas Terry In November 2014, Scott County, Indiana was the site of a now infamous HIV outbreak linked to intravenous drug use. Syringe service programs (SSP) would not only have curbed that outbreak but also could have prevented it from occurring in the first place. Later analysis found that…

    3-D rendering of an HIV virus
  • Read more: Rachel Rebouché and Scott Burris on “The Week in Health Law” Podcast

    Rachel Rebouché and Scott Burris on “The Week in Health Law” Podcast

    By Nicolas Terry Two great guests this week, Rachel Rebouché and Scott Burris, both from Temple Law School in Philadelphia. We’re here not only to tease Temple Law’s 2019 Law Review Symposium: Looking Back and Looking Ahead, 10 Years of Public Health Law Research, Friday, September 13, 2019, but also to discuss some cutting edge…

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