Many public health experts have said the pandemic has exacerbated the opioid epidemic, as social isolation, moving recovery programs to remote settings and stress have led to an increase in opioid abuse and overdoses.
Below are the most-read stories about opioids in 2020, as reported by Becker's Hospital Review.
- 50 states ranked by opioid overdose death rates
- Physicians, nurses and pharmacists among 19 indicted in multimillion-dollar opioid distribution ring
- 49 states file $2.15 trillion opioid epidemic lawsuit against Purdue Pharma
- California hospital fires longtime physician over opioid prescribing habits
- Purdue Pharma to dissolve, pay $8.3B for role in opioid epidemic
- Walmart sued by shareholders for opioid distribution practices
- Intermountain establishes opioid-free surgery program
- McKinsey advised Purdue Pharma to pay pharmacies rebates for OxyContin overdoses
- Fatal overdoses hit record high in 2019, CDC data shows
- How Baylor Scott & White Health cut post-surgery opioid prescriptions by 64%