- New Nevada law aims to tackle opioid epidemic (reviewjournal.com)
Doctors have additional protocols to consider when writing and maintaining opioid prescriptions under a new law that took effect on New Year’s Day...The Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Act, passed by the 2017 Legislature, outlines safeguards for doctors before they prescribe controlled substances to treat pain and increases requirements necessary to continue a prescription after one month, three months and a year...The additional paperwork is meant to curb the state’s opioid overdose problem and track down doctors who overprescribe...“It just provides a platform by which the provider can really have an in-depth discussion with the patient as to whether the use of a controlled substance is truly necessary, or whether there are alternatives, ” said Daniel Burkhead, a pain management specialist in Las Vegas...The guidelines require every doctor to perform a patient risk assessment before prescribing a controlled substance to treat pain...Nevada is among 17 states that have enacted legislation limiting the number of days of an initial opioid prescription or capping prescription strength...
- Nevada Legislature looks to defend law against drug companies (reviewjournal.com)
The Nevada Legislature has filed a motion to intervene as a defendant in a federal lawsuit that challenges a state law that requires disclosure of how insulin is priced...Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America and the Biotechnology Innovation Organization say the Nevada law passed this year is unconstitutional. The groups maintain the legislation improperly interferes with federal patent law because the disclosure requirements it imposes penalize pricing decisions that are consistent with the patent rights granted by Congress...Gov. Brian Sandoval and Department of Health and Human Services Director Richard Whitley are named as defendants in the lawsuit. The Legislature on Tuesday filed its motion to defend the law.
- Execution in Nevada to use powerful opioid fentanyl (cnn.com)Death row inmate says no concerns about painful execution (elkodaily.com)
...the Nevada Department of Corrections is preparing to use fentanyl in a three-part drug combination for an upcoming execution....The combination includes the sedative diazepam...the muscle relaxant cisatracurium; and fentanyl...Nevada turned to fentanyl for an execution because the state had no other drugs to carry out a lethal injection after "pharmaceutical industry opposition to the use of their products in executions,"..This fentanyl drug combination is to be used in the execution of 46-year-old Scott Raymond Dozier on November 14 at Ely State Prison in Ely, Nevada...Dozier was sentenced to death after a first-degree murder conviction for the 2002 killing and dismemberment of Jeremiah Miller, 22...The concern is that this specific chemical cocktail that they have proposed has never been used in this way before. It's not like they can point to some success or result. This will be the first time...
- Nevada gets $1.2M grant to fight opioid problem (reviewjournal.com)
Nevada will get another $1.2 million in federal grants to fight the opioid epidemic in the state...Gov. Brian Sandoval announced the new funding...It comes on top of $8.24 million in previous opioid-related grants the state has received...The grants will help the state implement a new state law and the recommendations of last year’s Prescription Drug Abuse Summit. The law put in place prescribing protocols for health care providers for controlled substances that are painkillers...Grants awarded to Nevada:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Prescription Drug Overdose: Prevention for States. The grant is focused on state-level interventions for preventing prescription drug abuse. The state Division of Public and Behavioral Health will get an additional $789,182 on Sept. 1. The state’s initial amount was $369,450.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Enhanced State Surveillance of Opioid-Involved Morbidity and Mortality. This grant analyzes overdose morbidity and mortality data, with input from coroners and medical examiners. DPBH will receive $387,763.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Strategic Prevention Framework – Partnerships for Success. The grant is aimed at preventing drug abuse among young people. Nevada will receive $2.2 million.
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis. Awarded in April, this provides $5.6 million to develop the infrastructure needed for treating residents.
- Nevada to Spend $1 Million on Opioid Incinerators, Anti-Abuse Plan (ktvn.com)
State officials are committing more than $1 million to fight prescription opioid abuse in Nevada...The Assembly's Interim Finance Committee...unanimously approved the five-point plan to combat prescription drug abuse...Attorney General Adam Laxalt's office put forward the initiative...My office’s ‘Prescription for Addiction’ opioid initiative creates an opportunity to face the epidemic that touches our families, friends and loved ones, and to promote prevention in Nevada...this initiative...includes the purchase of drug incinerators, the distribution of Naloxone to first responders, funding allocated toward prevention and education efforts, and the creation of an investigative position to assist with federal efforts to curb opioid abuse...The plan is being paid with a $5.3 million settlement with Volkswagen to settle allegations that the carmaker cheated on emissions tests.
- Injunction denied: Pharma argument fails to freeze Nevada drug pricing law (fiercepharma.com)
Drug pricing regulation hasn't gained much ground on a national level, but in Nevada, there's a fierce fight over pricing and transparency for diabetes medications. In the latest twist, the industry lost its bid to stall a new law that's designed to shine light on pricing practices...Industry groups PhRMA and BIO filed for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction against officials in Nevada, contending that the state's Senate Bill 539 will "impose irreparable injury" against drugmakers...The bill mandates that the state gather a list of essential diabetes medicines and as well as detailed pricing information from companies that sell those drugs. The reports would include costs, profits, rebates and other details, in addition to pricing numbers...And then that information would go public: Under the law, the state would publish the reported info online.
- Nevada earns D on nonprofit’s new health-care report card (reviewjournal.com)
A new nonprofit created by heavy hitters from Nevada’s business and medical communities gave the state a D grade on its first report card on the state’s health care system...The report card was released...by the Nevada Medical Center and is intended to focus attention on improving access to quality health care in the state...Larry Matheis, the NMC’s CEO, said the report card will help state leaders focus on the gaps that must be filled to improve Nevada’s medical standing. Currently, he said, the state’s medical system “resembles a series of isolated communities…due to the lack of collaboration among medical professionals and the dearth of thought given to enhancing our community’s reputation.”...The report card’s grades, based on analysis of data supplied by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and other government agencies, show how Nevada fares in the categories of health care access, chronic disease, nutrition and activity, mental health and substance abuse. The grades weren’t all bad, with the state receiving a passing “C” grade on chronic disease and a better-than-average “B” on nutrition and activity.
- Nevada explores options as Children’s Health Insurance Program expires (reviewjournal.com)
Nevada officials are exploring alternative avenues for insuring more than 26,300 children in the state covered under the Children’s Health Insurance Program if Congress doesn’t reauthorize the program, which is set to expire Saturday...Congress is expected to reauthorize the CHIP program through a bipartisan bill, though that could be weeks away. And with the turmoil in Congress lately, state officials are taking no chances...The Department of Health Care Financing and Policy is working with state partners to identify alternative sources of funding for the program if it is not reauthorized, deputy administrator Cody Phinney said ...“We would have to find other funding sources and we’d have to look at our options for limiting the services that are available, but our first role is to maintain those services,” Phinney said...the federal government pays nearly the entire annual $43 million cost of the program in Nevada...The state has ‘reserve funding’ to operate the health-care program for the next few months. However if Congress does not quickly reauthorize CHIP, states like Nevada will need to either send notices of termination to program beneficiaries or develop alternative funding...
- PhRMA and BIO Initiate Litigation to Challenge Unconstitutional Provisions of Nevada’s SB 539 (phrma.org)
The Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America the Biotechnology Innovation Organization today initiated litigation in the United States District Court for the District of Nevada challenging provisions of SB 539, a Nevada law that would violate patent rights and negate trade secret protection for designated diabetes medicines in a way that would harm patients and chill future biomedical innovation...PhRMA and BIO seek a declaration from the Court that the challenged provisions of SB 539 are preempted by federal law and violate several provisions of the United States Constitution...also seek an injunction prohibiting the implementation or enforcement of these challenged provisions...The Complaint alleges that provisions of SB 539 violate the Constitution in at least four ways:
- by interfering with federal patent law;
- by interfering with federal trade secret law;
- by violating the Takings Clause of the Fifth Amendment of the United States Constitution which prohibits government from taking property without just compensation; and
- by violating the dormant Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution, which prohibits Nevada from impeding commerce in other states.
- What should happen next on healthcare reform? Northern Nevada leaders weigh in (rgj.com)
- Repeal without solid replacement puts Nevada lives at risk - Tony Slonim, president and CEO of Renown Health
- Health care is about people not politics - Sharon Chamberlain, CEO of Northern Nevada HOPES
- Keep vaccines accessible and affordable - Heidi Parker, Executive Director of Immunize Nevada
- Protect Medicaid, seek single-payer long-term - Charles Duarte, CEO of Community Health Alliance
- Maintain funding so hospitals can serve everyone - Helen Lidholm, CEO of Saint Mary’s Health Network