Judge postpones OxyContin-maker Purdue Pharma's sentencing to let opioid victims attend in person A judge has rescheduled a hearing in which she is expected to sentence OxyContin maker Purdue Pharma to forfeit $225 million to the U.S. government. U.S.

A federal judge on Tuesday delayed the criminal sentencing of Purdue Pharma in order to allow victims to attend the court proceeding in person.

apnews.com/article/purd...

Trump signs order to hasten review of psychedelics Ibogaine and other psychedelics remain banned under the federal government's most restrictive category for illegal, high-risk drugs. But the administration is taking steps to ease restrictions and spu...

President Trump on Saturday directed his administration to speed up reviews of certain psychedelic drugs, including ibogaine.
www.pbs.org/newshour/pol...

Trump to sign executive order on psychedelic drug used abroad to treat PTSD Ibogaine is used in Mexico and the Caribbean to treat depression, anxiety, addiction and brain trauma.

President Trump is set to sign an order as soon as this week that would signal a willingness to further research the psychedelic drug ibogaine; however, the administration does not plan on rescheduling the substance at this time.
www.cbsnews.com/news/psyched...

Labcorp Point of Care announced the launch of the Labcorp Fentanyl Urine Visual Test, the first FDA-cleared rapid fentanyl test of its kind manufactured in the U.S. The test delivers results in just 10 minutes.

www.labcorp.com/education-ev...

New Mental Health Parity Index highlights where disparities persist Despite policymakers putting a focus on the issue, mental health parity challenges remain for much of the country, a new report shows. | Despite policymakers putting a focus on the issue, mental healt...

The new Mental Health Parity Index identifies disparities in 43 states in terms of access to in-network mental health and SUD treatment in comparison to physical health.
www.fiercehealthcare.com/payers/new-m...

Picture of the LAPPA booth at the 2026 Rx Summit.

At the #RxSummit? Stop by the LAPPA booth to learn more about our work and meet some of our attorneys!

Medetomidine in the U.S. Illegal Fentanyl Supply Increasing Risk for Overdose and Severe Withdrawal Syndrome HAN Health Advisory: Medetomidine in the U.S. Illegal Fentanyl Supply Increasing Risk for Overdose a

The CDC, in conjunction with ONDCP, has issued a Health Advisory to notify public health professionals, clinicians, laboratorians, and people at risk for overdose about increasing reports of medetomidine in the illegal drug supply.

www.cdc.gov/han/php/noti...

Driving Distance From US Jails to Opioid Treatment Programs This cross-sectional study quantifies access to methadone for incarcerated people in the US in terms of distance between jails and opioid treatment programs.

A recently published study found that 51.5% of U.S. jails were located more than a 30-minute drive from an opioid treatment program (OTP), a distance that makes it difficult to establish an OTP partnership for people in custody.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Fentanyl Vaccine Begins Trial in New Effort to Prevent Overdose Biotech startup ARMR Sciences Inc. said it has begun a human trial of its anti-fentanyl vaccine in an early study that could one day lead to a shot offering months-long protection from the deadly resp...

Biotech startup ARMR Sciences Inc. said it has begun a human trial of its anti-fentanyl vaccine. The trial involves 56 healthy adult volunteers who will be given either a placebo or two doses of the anti-fentanyl vaccine called ARMR-100.

www.bloomberg.com/news/article...

According to a new report from HHS, less than half of outpatient facilities for substance use disorder accept Medicare. Additionally, only one-third of substance use and mental health programs tailor care to older adults' specific needs.

aspe.hhs.gov/reports/olde...

ASAM has released new, dedicated treatment standards and admission criteria for youth with substance use disorder (SUD), including a new continuum of care for adolescents.

www.asam.org/asam-criteri...

Advisory: Expanding Behavioral Health Teams in Care Deserts With Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialists This SAMHSA advisory explores innovative, community-driven solutions to close these gaps and improve access to life-saving behavioral health services. One promising way to improve behavioral health ca...

SAMHSA has released a timely new advisory, "Expanding Behavioral Health Teams in Care Deserts With Community Health Workers and Peer Support Specialists," highlighting the critical role peers play in closing gaps in access to care.

library.samhsa.gov/product/advi...

The Legal Action Center has released a guide on how to best protect individuals with SUD and formerly incarcerated individuals from losing Medicaid coverage under H.R. 1's work reporting requirements.

www.lac.org/resource/pro...

Ricketts’ Letter Calls on FDA to Address Kratom Scheduling Loophole - Senator Pete Ricketts WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) and Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) led a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Commissioner Makary recommending scheduling act...

A group of senators sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Makary recommending scheduling action of the whole Kratom leaf and 7-OH under the Controlled Substances Act.

www.ricketts.senate.gov/news/press-r...

Trial results support weekly buprenorphine treatment of opioid use disorder during pregnancy Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), researchers led by the University of Cincinnati's John Winhusen published clinical trial results in JAMA Internal Medicine that found administerin...

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati found that administering weekly injectable extended-release buprenorphine for treatment of OUD during pregnancy led to higher rates of abstinence from illicit opioids than daily sublingual buprenorphine.

www.uc.edu/news/article...

The DEA has emergency scheduled the novel benzodiazepine bromazolam as a Schedule I controlled substance. For more information on bromazolam, check out LAPPA's factsheet on the substance.

www.dea.gov/press-releas...

legislativeanalysis.org/novel-psycho...

Experimental vaccine could help turn the tide on America’s opioid epidemic Researchers discovered a way to use nanoparticles to create a vaccine that prevents specific opioids from causing their signature addictive high. They hope this can be used to curb opioid overdose dea...

.@virginiatech.bsky.social researchers are advancing a new generation of vaccines designed to block opioids from reaching the brain and triggering their addictive effects.

news.vt.edu/articles/202...

CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics has released a new report titled “Drugs Most Frequently Involved in Drug Overdose Deaths: United States, 2017–2023,” which provides a detailed look at drug overdose deaths across the country over a seven-year period.

blogs.cdc.gov/nchs/2026/03...

LAPPA is excited to announce the publication of three new model acts: the Model Addressing Drug Diversion in Healthcare Settings Act; the Automatic License Plate Recognition System Act; and the State Office of Drug Control Policy Act.

legislativeanalysis.org/model-laws/

Opioid Overdose Deaths: National Trends and Variation by Demographics and States | KFF Opioid overdose deaths fell sharply from 2023 to 2024 (79,358 to 54,045), driven largely by decreases in fentanyl-involved deaths. Even after these declines, deaths remained above 2019, the year befor...

Opioid overdose deaths fell sharply from 2023 to 2024, driven largely by decreases in fentanyl-involved deaths, but even after these declines, deaths remained above 2019 levels. @kff.org @kffhealthnews.org

www.kff.org/mental-healt...

Potential health impacts of comprehensive access to opioid use disorder treatment in United States correctional facilities: A synthetic analysis Background and aims Providing comprehensive access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) for people transitioning from United States (US) jails and prisons is important to addressing the sub...

Approximately 27% of opioid overdose deaths in the US in 2022 occurred among individuals recently released from carceral settings. Expanding access to MAT to people in custody and those recently released could prevent a substantial portion of overdose deaths
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Tens of thousands of mothers were flagged to police over flawed drug tests at childbirth The Marshall Project found more than 70,000 cases referred to law enforcement over allegations of substance use during pregnancy — and that's a significant undercount.

In at least 70,000 cases in 21 states, parents were referred to law enforcement agencies over allegations of substance use during pregnancy, according to six years of state and federal data obtained and published for the first time by the @themarshallproject.org.

www.cbsnews.com/news/mothers...

SAMHSA recently distributed $794 million in block grant funding across the United States and territories for community mental health services and substance abuse treatment and prevention. 
www.hhs.gov/press-room/s...

The DEA has announced the seizure of more than 200 website domains tied to an India-based transnational criminal organization working within the US and allegedly responsible for at least six fatal and four non-fatal overdoses.
www.dea.gov/press-releas...

DEA recognizes its success in combatting drug cartels and saving lives in 2025.
www.dea.gov/press-releas...

HHS unveils program to address homelessness and addiction, part of a set of new initiatives Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. says his department will devote $100 million toward a pilot program addressing homelessness and substance abuse in eight cities.

HHS announced that it will devote $100 million toward a pilot program addressing homelessness and substance use disorder in eight cities.
apnews.com/article/trum...

Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Launches the Great American Recovery Initiative to Address the Addiction Crisis LAUNCHING THE GREAT AMERICAN RECOVERY INITIATIVE: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order creating the White House Great American

Last week, President Trump signed an Executive Order creating the White House Great American Recovery Initiative, which establishes a task force that will advise agencies on how to steer grants toward prevention, treatment, recovery housing, and re-entry programs.
www.whitehouse.gov/fact-sheets/...

New quality measures reveal wide variation in opioid treatment programs’ Medicaid patient retention rates New findings highlight challenges keeping Medicaid patients engaged in opioid treatment and offer tools to compare and improve retention outcomes.

A new study published in @jama.com Network Open and authored by experts at @rti.bsky.social International, an independent scientific research institute, has found that many opioid treatment programs (OTPs) across the U.S. are struggling to keep patients engaged.
www.rti.org/news/medicai...

AMA 2025 report on substance use and treatment New report shows drop in overdose deaths and calls on policymakers to remove obstacles to evidence-based care.

.@ama-assn.org has released its 2025 report on the nation’s overdose epidemic, showing that while opioid-related overdose deaths declined last year, the epidemic remains widespread and increasingly complex.

www.ama-assn.org/press-center...

HHS reverses mental health cuts after pushback Health care advocates and members of Congress expressed opposition to the cuts after learning about them earlier this week.

HHS is reinstating $2 billion in funds to address substance use and mental health after the department said it would cancel funds the day before. The initial cancellation prompted pushback from physicians and behavioral health advocates.

www.nbcnews.com/politics/tru...