David Shillcutt is a health care & life sciences lawyer at Epstein Becker Green in DC with experience in behavioral health, government & commercial reimbursement, managed care due to his work at Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services CMS, Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration SAMHSA & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC.
In its 19th enforcement action involving a HIPAA "patient right of access" dispute, the Department of Health and Human Services has smacked a small
HHS is partnering with nonprofit Global Health Investment Corporation to launch a health security fund. The fund will be used to invest in technologies that can help prevent or respond to public health emergencies, like future pandemics.
Opioid Crisis Fast Facts
Here’s a look at the opioid crisis.
Opioids are drugs formulated to replicate the pain-reducing properties of opium. Prescription painkillers like morphine, oxycodone and hydrocodone are opioids. Illegal drugs like heroin and illicitly made fentanyl are also opioids. The word “opioid” is derived from the word “opium.”
Common Opioids
Hydrocodone and oxycodone are semi-synthetic opioids, manufactured in labs with natural and synthetic ingredients.
Fentanyl is a fully synthetic opioid, originally developed as a powerful anesthetic for surgery. It is also administered to alleviate severe pain associated with terminal illnesses like cancer. The drug is up to 100 times more powerful than morphine. Just a small dose can be deadly. Illicitly produced fentanyl has been a driving factor in the number of overdose deaths in recent years.