The Washington Post (10/3, Kornfield) reports two counties in Ohio “are set to face off against four of the nation’s largest chain pharmacies in a federal” opioid litigation trial. The trial, scheduled to start today, “could serve as a litmus test for thousands of cities and counties looking to hold” drug companies accountable for allegedly fueling the U.S. opioid crisis.
The AP (10/2, Gillispie) reported that for the first time, pharmacy companies – in this case CVS, Walgreens, Giant Eagle, and Walmart – will go “to trial to defend themselves in the nation’s ongoing legal reckoning over the opioid crisis.” During the “bellwether federal trial,” attorneys for Ohio’s Lake and Trumbull counties “will try to convince a jury that the retail pharmacy companies played an outsized role in creating a public nuisance in the way they dispensed pain medication into their communities.” The AP explained that pharmacies operating in the counties allegedly dispensed so “many prescription [pain medications]…between 2012 and 2016 that the amount equaled 265 pills for every resident.” The trial “is expected to last around six weeks” and “could set the tone for similar lawsuits against retail pharmacy chains by government entities across the U.S.”

Related Links:

— “Pharmacies face 1st trial over role in opioid crisis “Mark Gillispie, AP, October 2, 2021

NPR (10/2, Noguchi) reported, “Many health care workers surveyed say they feel burnt out,” and this has “a direct impact on patient care.” The pandemic “has left many doctors, nurses, medical assistants, respiratory therapists and others on the front lines of care exhausted and overwhelmed, fueling greater levels of burnout that were already high.” The availability “of vaccines against the coronavirus sparked hope of a return to normal – only to be dashed by the latest surge of cases, driven primarily by people who aren’t vaccinated.”

Related Links:

— “Health workers know what good care is. Pandemic burnout is getting in the way “Yuki Noguchi, NPR , October 2, 2021

Psychiatric News (10/1) reported, “Patients with bipolar disorder who have a high genetic risk for the condition or for schizophrenia may have a higher risk of hospitalization compared with those who have a lower genetic risk for either of these conditions,” researchers concluded after analyzing “the polygenic risk scores of 954 patients who had bipolar disorder for at least five years to determine if the patients’ genetic risk of bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, or schizophrenia was associated with severe bipolar disorder.” The findings were published online Sept. 28 in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Related Links:

— “Genetic Risk of Some Mental Illnesses Tied to Increased Hospitalizations in Bipolar Disorder, Psychiatric News, October 1, 2021

HealthDay (10/1) reported, “Besides the long-established benefits of breastfeeding for baby and mom, a new study reports one more: Nursing could help chase the blues away.” Breastfeeding “is linked to a lower risk for postpartum depression…and nursing for a longer time may further ease depression symptoms, according to the findings,” which were published in the journal Public Health Nursing.

Related Links:

— “Breastfeeding Longer May Lower Postpartum Depression Risk “Cara Murez, HealthDay, October 1, 2021

HealthDay (9/30, Reinberg) reports, “For those who smoke or drink, it’s only a small step to marijuana, researchers” concluded in a study suggesting that “legal consumption of alcohol and tobacco may directly increase the level of illicit drug use.” The findings were published online Sept. 29 in the journal Addiction. HealthDay does not disclose the number of participants in the study.

Related Links:

— “Smoking, Drinking Gateway to Pot, Study Finds “Steven Reinberg, HealthDay, September 30, 2021