(NEW YORK) — CVS is the latest pharmacy to change its drug pricing formula, a move it said would increase transparency and simplify costs.
The company will now base drug costs on the amount that it pays for a drug — limiting the markup and service fee to customers.
“What CVS is doing — at the pharmacy and at the PBM [pharmacy benefit managers] — is rewiring or resetting how reimbursement happens in an industry that has become very complex and largely follows a model based on how things used to be a decade ago,” a CVS Pharmacy spokesperson told ABC News. “Only we can take this kind of step forward, given our leadership on the PBM and pharmacy. It is a necessary foundational step to make this entire system more consumer-friendly, preserve choice for payers, and maintain a viable retail pharmacy industry.”
Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News contributor, said the announcement by CVS aligns with the industry’s decision to be more straightforward with drug prices.
“By basing drug costs on their actual acquisition price, CVS is taking a crucial foundational step to make healthcare more consumer-friendly and ensure the viability of retail pharmacies,” he said.
Many consumers may not be impacted immediately by this change. The earliest consumer impact would be the first half of 2024 for those using cash pharmacy discount cards at a CVS Pharmacy.
In 2025, CVS Pharmacy said it will launch this model with pharmacy benefit managers. Savings will mostly be seen on the payer or plan sponsor side but will depend on exactly how the model is adopted, individual client use and how the plan is applied to an individual’s benefits.
Dr. Lucas Berenbrok, an associate professor of pharmacy and therapeutics at the University of Pittsburgh, said pharmacies and consumers alike will benefit from these new pricing models. Pharmacies will have a more predictable reimbursement rate and consumers may be less likely to overpay for generic drugs, he noted.
“I think it could give patients in the public even more trust that someone’s looking out for them and that they’re able to get medications at a fair price,” Berenbrok told ABC News.
The CVS pricing model is similar to the cost-based pricing for prescription drugs at Express Scripts announced last month.
“It’s encouraging to see major players like CVS and Express Scripts taking steps to eliminate the complexity in drug pricing, ultimately benefiting consumers and payors alike,” Brownstein said.
Dr. Jade A. Cobern, MD, MPH, is a board-certified pediatrician specialized in preventive medicine and a member of the ABC News Medical Unit.
(NEW YORK) — Nearly one year ago, Christie Martin, a mom and realtor in Las Vegas, said she started taking Ozempic to help her lose weight.
Martin, 58, told ABC News’ Good Morning America that within a matter of months of taking the medication, she had lost over 30 pounds.
But Martin, who said she had gotten into a routine of drinking nearly one bottle of wine per night after work, said she soon noticed a side effect of the drug: She lost her appetite for alcohol.
“I did not want to drink anymore,” Martin said. “I went to the grocery store and I didn’t even want to buy a bottle of wine. I would even go out with friends and other coworkers and clients and maybe I would try to order a glass of wine at dinner, and I couldn’t even finish it. It just didn’t sit well with me.”
Martin said that before taking Ozempic, she was someone who would have wine at lunch and who “loved” having wine at dinner. At home, she said she saw drinking wine as a “reward” after a long day of working and being a single mom.
“I have no desire to drink wine anymore,” she said of the effect of Ozempic. “And that’s crazy to me because I couldn’t stop before.”
Martin’s experience is one that is ringing true for researchers as well.
One small, recently published case study found that six people who screened positive for alcohol use disorder saw a clinically significant decrease in symptoms while using semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic and another medication, Wegovy, for weight loss.
While this small case study doesn’t provide strong scientific evidence that these drugs can also be used to treat alcohol use disorder, experts say it does reinforce the need for larger, randomized clinical trials that are in early stages.
Alcohol use disorder is a medical condition that is characterized by “an impaired ability to stop or control alcohol use despite adverse social, occupational, or health consequences,” according to the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. Nearly 30 million people over the age of 12 in the United States have alcohol use disorder, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s 2022 National Survey of Drug Use and Health, the most recent data available.
Martin, who was not part of the case study, said that she was never diagnosed with alcohol use disorder, but acknowledged that her drinking was “an issue” prior to taking Ozempic.
“The fact that I just have no desire for it is something I didn’t expect and is just an amazing side benefit,” she said. “I can’t even tell you.”
How semaglutide may help with alcohol use
Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist medication, is the active ingredient in drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy that have skyrocketed in popularity over the past year due to their success in being used for weight loss.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Ozempic as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes alongside diet and exercise if other medications cannot control blood sugar levels well enough.
Although Ozempic is not explicitly approved for chronic weight management, it can be prescribed off-label and used safely for people who are obese.
Wegovy is essentially the same injectable drug as Ozempic, prescribed at a higher dosage. The FDA has specifically approved Wegovy for patients with severe obesity, or who are overweight and have one or more weight-associated conditions like high blood pressure or high cholesterol.
Both drugs work by slowing down movement of food through the stomach and curbing appetite, thereby causing weight loss.
Experts have theorized that the way in which semaglutide interacts with the brain to stop overeating also helps with other addictive behaviors, including alcohol use.
“Theories are that it works in the brain and the rewards center,” said ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton, a dual board-certified physician in OBGYN and obesity medicine who was not involved in the semaglutide study.
Ashton described the research showing drugs used for weight loss may help people curb alcohol use as a “potential major indication.”
In addition to raising the risk of health complications including cancer, drinking alcohol is listed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services as a known human carcinogen.
Heavy drinking is typically defined as consuming eight drinks or more per week, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. One serving of alcohol is defined as five ounces for wine and just 1 1/2 ounces for hard alcohol, far less than what is typically served in bars, restaurants and people’s homes.
Currently, treatments for alcohol use disorder include three FDA-approved medications, behavioral interventions, and tech-based or app-based therapies, according to Ashton.
“This isn’t just about potentially choosing one [treatment],” Ashton said. “It’s about, if you have an alcohol use disorder or a substance abuse disorder, filling the boat and getting as much treatment as you can to make a big change in your lifestyle.”
Currently, the use of semaglutide medications for alcohol use disorder is considered off-label and therefore unlikely to be covered by insurance, making this option too costly for most to afford. Without insurance coverage, the cost of medications like Ozempic and Wegovy can run more than $1,000 a month.
Results from clinical trials that provide stronger scientific evidence are a year or more away and would still need to be approved through appropriate regulatory agencies before this indication could be approved.
For questions and concerns about alcohol use, SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, has a 24/7 free and confidential helpline available at 1-800-662-HELP (4357), and online at samhsa.gov/find-help/national-helpline.
(NEW YORK) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning consumers about a multistate salmonella outbreak linked to some cantaloupes.
The CDC published another food safety alert on Friday, after multiple retailers and brands — including Trufresh, Crown Jewels Produce, Vinyard Fruit and Vegetable Company, CF Dallas, ALDI and Pacific Trellis Fruit — issued recalls for both whole and pre-cut cantaloupes.
The cantaloupes were sold by some retailers with labels or stickers that read “Malichita” or “Rudy,” and by others in clear containers or cups, pre-cut or sliced into cubes. (More specific information is included below.)
The CDC also released investigation details citing epidemiologic and laboratory data that showed “cantaloupes are contaminated with Salmonella and are making people in this outbreak sick.” Canada is also investigating the outbreak, the CDC said, and “has linked illness … with the same Salmonella strain to cantaloupes.”
As of time of publication, there have been 117 reported illnesses, 61 hospitalizations and two deaths across 34 U.S. states connected to the outbreak, according to the CDC.
The two deaths were reported in Minnesota.
The agency said the illnesses were reported between Oct. 17 and Nov. 10, however the CDC noted the number of people with illnesses connected to the outbreak is likely higher than current figures suggest.
“Recent illnesses may not yet be reported as it usually takes 3 to 4 weeks to determine if a sick person is part of an outbreak,” the CDC stated. “The true number of sick people in this outbreak is also likely much higher than the number reported. This is because many people recover without medical care and are not tested for Salmonella.”
Several brands and retailers have initiated outbreak-related cantaloupe recalls so far.
Whole cantaloupes
Last week, Trufresh, operating under parent company Sofia Produce LLC., expanded an earlier Nov. 8 recall to include all Malichita brand and Rudy brand whole cantaloupes sold between Oct. 10 and Nov. 3. The affected products were distributed directly to states including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Maryland, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Utah, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Texas and Florida, as well as Canada.
On Nov. 22, Crown Jewels Produce also recalled Malichita brand whole cantaloupes that were distributed to retailers and wholesalers in Ohio and California and sold between Oct. 31 and Nov. 9 due to possible salmonella contamination, according to a company announcement on the FDA website.
Pacific Trellis Fruit issued a similar recall on Nov. 24. According to a company announcement on the FDA website, the recall involves “4,872 cases of Malichita brand whole cantaloupe” packed in corrugated cartons and distributed between Oct. 18-26 in California, Illinois, Oklahoma, Texas and Wisconsin, and sold in various retail supermarkets.
Whole cantaloupes included in the above recalls “might have a sticker that says ‘Malichita’ or ‘Rudy,’ with the number ‘4050,’ and ‘Product of Mexico/produit du Mexique,'” according to the CDC.
Sliced or pre-cut cantaloupe products
In coordination with Sofia Produce, CF Dallas voluntarily recalled pre-cut fruit products sold under the Freshness Guaranteed and RaceTrac brand names that may have contained the recalled cantaloupes. The affected products were packaged in clear square or round plastic containers with best-by dates between Nov. 7-12. The products were sold in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia.
In a statement on the FDA website, CF Dallas noted that the “fresh-cut fruit products associated with the recalled whole cantaloupe have expired, however consumers who have purchased these items and may have frozen them for later use are urged not to consume the products and to dispose of them immediately or return the items to their local store for a full refund.”
Vinyard Fruit and Vegetable Company, located in Oklahoma City, issued a recall earlier this month on pre-cut cantaloupe, which included cantaloupe cubes, melon medleys and fruit medleys that were sold in Oklahoma stores between Oct. 30 and Nov. 10. A company statement on the FDA website notes that the recall was issued in relation to the earlier Sofia Produce whole cantaloupes recall.
On Nov. 14, ALDI issued a recall in association with Sofia Produce on both whole cantaloupe and pre-cut fruit products in clamshell packaging with best-by dates between Oct. 27-31 that were sold in ALDI stores in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Michigan and Wisconsin. Click here for full recall details.
“Investigators are working to identify any additional cantaloupe products that may be contaminated,” the CDC said in its food safety alert on Friday.
If you can’t tell if your cantaloupe was impacted by the current recalls and food safety alert, throw it away and do not consume it. The CDC has advised people to wash items and any surfaces that may have come into contact with the fruit “using hot soapy water or a dishwasher,” and to “call your healthcare provider if you have any … severe Salmonella symptoms.”
Symptoms and treatment of salmonella sickness
Salmonella is a bacteria that can make people sick, and most types cause an illness called salmonellosis, according to the CDC.
Most people with salmonellosis experience symptoms such as diarrhea, fever and stomach cramps, which may occur hours to days after infection, the CDC states, though some do not develop symptoms for several weeks.
Infections are diagnosed through lab testing. Most people recover within four to seven days without antibiotics, according to the CDC. Antibiotic treatment is recommended for people with severe illness, those with weakened immune systems, adults 50 and older with medical issues like heart disease, as well as infants, and adults older than 65, the agency states.
An earlier version of this story was originally published on Nov. 27, 2023
(MASON, Ohio) — A county in Ohio has recorded 142 cases of pediatric pneumonia since August, caused by a mix of known infections, including common cold, strep and a bacterial infection called mycoplasma pneumonia, according to a press release from the Warren County Health District.
“We do not think this is a novel/new respiratory disease but rather a large uptick in the number of pneumonia cases normally seen at one time,” the release stated.
Some European countries have reported an uptick in respiratory illness cases, including mycoplasma pneumoniae infections, in recent weeks, according to local health agencies.
Recently, China has also been dealing with a surge of respiratory illnesses among children, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). The uptick has been partly attributed to the removal of pandemic restrictions leading to a resurgence of known viruses and bacteria, health authorities have insisted.
“There is zero evidence that what we’re seeing in Warren County has any connection to any respiratory activity in the state, in the country, or in the world,” Dr. Clint Koenig, the medical director of Warren County Health District told ABC News.
Bacterial infections like mycoplasma pneumonia tend to flare up in cyclical patterns, rising every few years. Viruses like influenza, RSV, and the common cold follow similar trends on an annual basis with cases typically rising in colder months.
“Despite the headlines that we’re seeing in China, there is no indication that there are any new viruses or bacteria spreading from country to country,” said Dr. John Brownstein, chief innovation officer at Boston Children’s Hospital and an ABC News Contributor.
“This is typical seasonal bacterial and viral activity that we see each year,” he added.
“Based on our provisional assessment, we are seeing seasonal trends. Nothing is appearing out of the ordinary, but we are continuing to monitor,” said a spokesperson from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Only a few of the 142 pneumonia cases have been confirmed as mycoplasma pneumonia, according to Koenig. He points out that providers typically don’t test for every virus and bacterium, making it difficult to determine which pathogens are dominating.
So far, there have been some hospitalizations including patients with underlying conditions but no reported deaths, Koenig said.
“The vast, vast majority” are getting better and returning to school, he added.
A spokesperson from the CDC told ABC News that it’s continuing to monitor respiratory illness activity across the country and remaining in touch with private labs regarding testing of bacterial illnesses.
“Based on our provisional assessment, we are, at this point, seeing activity that is typical for the season, but we are continuing to monitor,” a spokesperson from the federal agency shared in part of a statement.
Health officials continue to recommend that everyone over the age of six months old get an updated COVID-19 vaccine and their annual flu shot.
Older adults over the age of 60 are also eligible for an RSV vaccine to protect against severe illness and death. An RSV vaccine is also available to pregnant women to protect newborns as well as a shot for infants under the age of 8 months.
Those with respiratory illness symptoms such as fever, cough or sore throat should stay at home, get tested, and seek treatment, according to the CDC.
“As we approach the holiday season when many of us will be gathering together with family and friends, please remember to take necessary precautions to protect your health: wash your hands, cover your cough, stay home when ill, and stay up to date on vaccines,” the Warren County release stated.
(NEW YORK) — Suicides by firearm have reached an all-time high, increasing 11% between 2019 and 2022, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), published Thursday.
An estimated 27,024 Americans died of suicide by firearm in 2022, compared to 23,941 people in 2019.
All race/ethnicity groups saw firearm suicide rates increase from 2019 to 2022, with American Indian and Alaska Native people experiencing the highest rate increase, at 66%.
The highest firearm suicide rates in 2022 were observed among white people, followed by American Indian and Alaska Native people. All other race/ethnicity groups, including Asian or Pacific Islanders, Black and Hispanic people, all had rates in 2022 half or less the rate of those top two groups. The report did not include breakdowns by sex or age.
Researchers suggest promoting secure firearm storage, as well as providing counseling and social services, as ways to potentially help reduce firearm suicides. In general, strategies to reduce suicide risk also include “fostering positive social connections, identifying and supporting persons at risk, and addressing underlying inequities in economic security and housing,” according to the CDC report’s authors.
The new CDC report follows a similar one released earlier this week by the federal agency showing that the total number of suicides reached a new record high of 49,449 in 2022, a 3% increase from the 48,183 seen in 2021.
In the past two decades, overall rates of suicide have increased by about one-third, over half of which were firearm suicides.
The proportion of suicides being carried out by firearm has been increasing since 2006, according to previous research. About 90% of suicides are carried out via firearm, suffocation, and overdose or poisoning.
Experts believe that the pandemic may have exacerbated known risk factors for depression and suicide such as social isolation and relationship stressors, as well as substance abuse.
An estimated 12.3 million adults have seriously contemplated suicide, with 3.5 million having made a plan and 1.7 million attempting suicide, according to CDC data from 2021. Suicide remains a leading cause of death in the United States, with one death every 11 minutes.
If you or someone you care about is struggling with thoughts of suicide, text or call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Free help is available 24/7.
(NEW YORK) — Progress in women’s health since the 1960s is backsliding, with millennial and Gen Z women facing heightened risks to their physical well-being and safety compared to their moms or grandmothers, according to a report released on Thursday by the Population Reference Bureau.
The analysis, which looked at how women in their 20s and early 30s fared across generations, found that women born after 1981 are more likely to be at risk of suicide, death in childbirth and being murdered than young women in previous generations.
The findings come even as younger generations of women are also more likely to have access to better educational opportunities and higher pay than their parents, according to the report.
“Young women today are obtaining college degrees and entering the workforce in record numbers to achieve their generation’s version of the American Dream. But structural barriers to health and safety are preventing many of them from reaching their full potential,” said Diana Elliott, vice president for U.S. programs at the Population Reference Bureau.
As reasons for why millennial and Gen Z women are struggling more, the organization cited the rise of harmful social media content, the lingering impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, increased political divisions and rising inflation. It also blamed restrictions on reproductive health access for young women, including state abortion restrictions.
The report defines millennials as born between 1981 and 1999; Gen Z are born 2000 and later.
“Increased rates of suicide and homicide, and a lack of access to health care services like safe abortion, have the combined effect of reversing the health and safety gains women of previous generations experienced, especially women of color,” said Elliott.
The Population Reference Bureau, a nonprofit research organization that partners with the U.S. Census Bureau to examine issues of gender and poverty, is funded by several philanthropies like the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and MacArthur Foundation.
Among the most startling findings in the new report is the jump in suicide rates compared to past generations. When baby boomers were teens back in the 1960s and 1970s, for example, the suicide rate was 3 girls per 100,000. Now, Gen Z female teens experience an unprecedented rate of 5 per 100,000, according to the report.
Deaths in childbirth have also soared, the analysis found. Maternal mortality among millennial women is some 30 deaths per 100,000, compared to 19 maternal deaths per 100,000 just a decade ago.
On the upside, women are significantly more likely to get a college degree, according to the report — nearly 44% of millennial women compared to 28% of Generation X women. Incarceration rates are also declining for the first time in 50 years among women.
(NEW YORK) — In another effort to get Americans to test for COVID-19 this winter, the Biden administration announced it would begin distributing tests for free to all school districts nationwide.
Schools will be able to place orders for the tests starting in early December, for delivery within about two weeks of ordering.
In a letter to schools Wednesday, the Department of Education urged schools to use the tests to try to contain the spread of COVID in the winter months.
“While the COVID-19 virus can be found year-round in the United States, infection rates are typically higher during the fall and winter months,” wrote Roberto J. Rodríguez, assistant secretary at the Department of Education.
“These self-tests are easy to use and can play an important role in preventing the spread of COVID-19,” he said.
The department encouraged schools to use the tests to “stock school nurses’ offices and main offices with tests; to send test kits home with students or parents; or to distribute by other means to put these valuable safeguards in the hands of students, parents, and staff who need them.”
The announcement comes just over a week after the administration opened up the free COVID test website for another round of ordering to all American households. The tests are all coming from the government stockpile.
The test ordering site now offers an additional four tests per household — or eight tests per household for anyone who hasn’t placed an order yet this fall.
(NEW YORK) — The number of suicides in the United States has hit a record high, new provisional federal data shows.
In 2022, an estimated 49,449 people died by suicide, which is 3% higher than the 48,183 people who died in 2021, according to a report published early Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics.
The suicide rate increased by 1% in 2022 to 14.3 deaths per 100,000 from 14.1 per 100,000 in 2021, marking this as the highest rate seen since 1941, according to the report.
The authors said when the final data for 2022 is collected, they expect the number of suicides to likely be higher as additional death certificates with pending causes of death are ruled as deaths by suicide.
“Reporting of suicides in particular can be delayed due to investigations regarding the cause and circumstances surrounding the death,” the authors wrote.
For the report, the NCHS looked at 2022 death records received and processed as of Aug. 6, 2023, and compared it with 2021 final data.
When broken down by sex, the suicide rate for males was 1% higher in 2022 than 2021 at 23.1 per 100,000 compared with 22.8 and 4% higher for females at 5.9 per 100,000 compared with 5.7.
Among males, suicide rates declined for those ages 34 and younger and increased for those 35 and older. The report found that for females, rates fell for those ages 24 and younger and rose for those 25 and older.
Although the percentage increase was greater for females, the provisional number of suicides for males in 2022 was 39,255, nearly four times that of females at 10,194.
By age, rates for those under age 34 fell between 2021 and 2022 and increased for those aged 35 and older. The report found that the rate was highest for those aged 75 and older and lowest for those aged 10 to 14.
There were also disparities when it came to race/ethnicity. American Indians/Alaska Natives had the highest rate at 26.7 deaths per 100,000. However, the rate was 5% lower in 2022 compared with 2021 and was the only group to experience a decline in rates, although this decrease was not deemed statistically significant, according to the report.
All other race/ethnic groups experienced a 1% to 3% increase in suicide rates, but according to the report, none of these changes were deemed statistically significant either.
Suicides have been steadily increasing during the 21st century, leading to U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issuing a call to action in 2021 on a national strategy for suicide prevention as well as a youth mental health advisory.
Last year, the federal government launched the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline for people to call or text if they or someone they know is experiencing a crisis.
If you are struggling with thoughts of suicide or worried about a friend or loved one, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System
(NEW YORK) — After two consecutive years of declines, life expectancy in the United States increased between 2021 and 2022, new provisional federal data shows.
Life expectancy, defined as the average number of years a person is expected to live from the time they are born, rose in the U.S. from 76.4 in 2021 to 77.5 in 2022, a report published early Wednesday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics found.
While the increase is notable, it does not fully compensate for the loss of 2.4 years of life expectancy seen from 2019 to 2021, which was mainly due to increases in excess deaths as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Prior to this increase, life expectancy had fallen to the lowest levels seen in 26 years, the data showed.
For the annual report, the NCHS looked at 2022 provisional mortality data and compared it to final 2021 data from the National Vital Statistics System.
The report found that life expectancy differed between sexes, although both saw increases between 2021 and 2022.
Males had a life expectancy of 74.8, an increase of 1.3 years, and females had a life expectancy of 80.2, an increase of 0.9 years. There was still a gap between the sexes, but it decreased to 5.4 years from 5.8.
The authors noted that between 2000 and 2010, the life expectancy between the sexes had narrowed to 4.8, “but then increased in 2020 and 2021 to levels not seen since 1996, when the difference was 6.0 years.”
Life expectancy increased for every racial/ethnic group including 2.3 years for American Indians/Alaska Natives, 2.2 years for Hispanics, 1.6 years for the Black population, 1.0 years for Asians and 0.8 years for the white population.
Despite the increases, American Indians/Alaska Natives had the lowest life expectancy at 67.9 years while Asians had the highest life expectancy at 84.5 years.
Additionally, while life expectancy for Black Americans has been steadily lower than that of white Americans, the gap has been narrowing for nearly three decades, according to the report.
The report also looked at reasons for the increases in life expectancy. For the total population, more than 84% of the increase was credited due to decreases in COVID-19 mortality.
In 2021, there were approximately 460,000 COVID-19 deaths compared to approximately 244,000 COVID-19 deaths in 2022, according to CDC data.
Additionally, decreases in deaths from heart disease, unintentional injuries and cancer as well as homicides helped increase life expectancy.
The authors noted that life expectancy would have been even greater if not for increases in deaths due to influenza and pneumonia; perinatal conditions; kidney disease; nutritional deficiencies; and congenital malformations.
(NEW YORK) — People with heroin dependency don’t use less of that drug if they start also using cannabis, according to a new study.
The findings cast some doubt on the idea that cannabis might help people reduce their dependence on opioids, experts say.
“Cannabis is becoming increasingly recognized as a therapeutic product,” says study author Dr. Jack Wilson, a researcher at The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use at the University of Sydney.
But it may not be therapeutic in this specific case.
“Despite suggestions that cannabis may be used as a method for reducing opioid use, we found no evidence to suggest a relationship between the use of these [substances],” said Wilson.
The opioid epidemic in the United States is worsening, with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reporting over 80,000 deaths in 2021. In response to this crisis, states like New York and Illinois have amended their medical marijuana laws in recent years, now permitting the use of cannabis as an alternative to prescription opioids.
This legislative shift is the result of growing discussions about the potential role of cannabis in reducing opioid dependency, but research over the years has yielded mixed results.
“Increasing the availability of cannabis is unlikely to have an impact one way or the other on the opioid crisis and overdose death rate,” said Dr. Andrew Saxon, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington School of Medicine, and a member of the American Psychiatric Association’s council on addiction psychiatry.
In this new study, researchers studied over 600 patients with heroin dependency, including those who both were and were not in treatment. Further, they inquired about the subjects’ use of heroin and other drugs, including prescription opioids.
Unlike earlier studies that only looked at the short-term effects of both cannabis and opioid use, this study interviewed participants over a 20-year period.
The study found that cannabis use was very common among those who were dependent on heroin. However, there wasn’t a consistent relationship between the patterns of use of the two drugs, and no evidence to suggest that cannabis use reduced long-term opioid use.
Doctors are still trying to understand how cannabis use impacts opioid use, and vice versa, says Dr. Stephanie Widmer, a medical toxicologist and emergency medicine physician practicing in New York.
“Much more research needs to be done,” she says.
The intersection of cannabis and opioid use disorders presents a complex challenge for policymakers and healthcare providers, experts say.
“Opioid use disorders are such a persistent and complex condition,” says study author Wilson, in part because everyone has a unique set of psychical and psychological needs that affect their treatment plan.
“Rather than implementing policies that allow people to substitute their opioids for cannabis, it may be more impactful to design a policy that ensures that all people with opioid use disorder are accessing effective treatments early and often,” Wilson says.
