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Ohio physician gets 6 years for opioids, inappropriate behavior
Ohio physician Jeffrey Sutton, DO, was sentenced May 23 to six years in prison after he pleaded guilty to healthcare fraud and illegally prescribing and distributing opioids and other controlled substances, the Justice Department said. -
6 clinicians get 2 to 20 years prison in separate opioid cases
Since April 1, Becker's has reported on physicians in California, Michigan, Ohio, New York and Texas, and a nurse in North Carolina, who were sentenced to prison terms of between 2.5 and 20 years for the respective opioid cases brought against them. -
Nurse gets 4 years prison, loses license for swapping pain meds with saline
Former registered nurse Melissa Chacona, of Fuquay-Varina, N.C., was sentenced to four years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for tampering with surgery patients' painkillers, the Justice Department said May 22. -
Walgreens paying San Francisco $230M over opioid crisis
Walgreens settled an opioid lawsuit with the city of San Francisco for nearly $230 million, the largest award to a local jurisdiction against an opioid defendant, The Washington Post reported May 18. -
California to allocate $23M for substance abuse counselor students
California plans to invest $23.3 million to support students who are going to school to become substance use disorder counselors through its Earn and Learn Training Program. -
RiverValley Behavioral Health opens addiction recovery center for men
Owensboro, Ky.-based RiverValley Behavioral Health plans to open an addiction recovery center specifically for men this month, The Ohio County Monitor reported May 16. -
Fentanyl-laced cannabis found in 4 states
Cannabis is being increasingly found laced with fentanyl. -
Study finds 'substantial' ethnic disparity in addiction treatment
The gold standard in opioid addiction treatment, buprenorphine, is drastically underprescribed despite still-climbing opioid overdose deaths, according to a new study. Black patients receive it less often than others. -
Former California physician pleads guilty to opioid charges
Former Modesto, Calif., pulmonologist Sawtantra Chopra, MD, pleaded guilty to three counts of illegally prescribing opioids and other medications, the Justice Department said May 11. -
The biggest roadblocks in the transition to in-person mental healthcare
Ryan Wade, MD, medical director of the Freedom Institute, an addiction treatment center in New York City, joined Becker's to discuss his new leadership role and the transition from virtual to in-person care. -
Overdose prevention centers: Successful and controversial
Several states are debating instating overdose prevention centers where those with substance abuse issues can go to use drugs in a controlled environment to prevent overdose, The Washington Post reported May 8. -
West Virginia settlement with Kroger brings state opioid payment total over $1B
Kroger settled an opioid lawsuit with West Virginia for $68 million, bringing the state's total opioid litigation dollars to more than $1 billion, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey said in a May 4 press conference. -
15 addiction treatment updates in 1 month
Here are 15 addiction treatment updates Becker's has reported on since April 5: -
5 states with the highest rates of teenage drug use
Approximately 46.3 million people ages 12 or older, or 16.5 percent of the population, had a substance use disorder in 2021, according to data from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. -
15 states most affected by substance abuse
There were more than 103,500 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. from 2021 to 2022, according to the CDC. -
California to allocate $17M for youth substance abuse prevention
California has granted $17 million to 44 community and tribal organizations aimed at preventing youth substance abuse. -
Philadelphia addiction treatment facility closes doors
CHANCES, an addiction services program in Philadelphia, has closed following financial hardship, NPR affiliate WHYY reported May 1. -
Oregon bill would create alcohol pricing task force to combat addiction
New legislation in Oregon would create a task force on alcohol pricing and addiction services to better understand how much money the state spends on addiction treatment and prevention, and how much taxes from alcohol sales fund that spending, the Lund Report reported April 27. -
Mental health and substance use counselor pay by state
Mental health and substance use counselors make an average of $56,230 annually in the U.S., according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics occupational employment statistics survey. -
U.S. counties with highest nonfatal opioid overdose rates
The National Emergency Services Information System has released a report showing the national nonfatal opioid overdose rates from data collected between March 2022 and March 2023.
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