OxyContin

Stories 61 - 70 | << Prev 

Enquirer: Palin's Son Addicted to Painkillers

Tab claims would-be VP kicked pregnant Bristol out of house

(Newser) - Sarah Palin’s Iraq-bound 19-year-old son, Track, was addicted to the painkiller OxyContin and binged on cocaine before joining the army last year, the National Enquirer reports. The supermarket tab also claims the Alaska governor kicked 17-year-old daughter Bristol—also supposedly a party animal—out of the house and made...

Feds Close Ledger Case
 Feds Close Ledger Case 
Aug 6, 2008 10:38 PM CDT

Feds Close Ledger Case

Mary-Kate Olsen will not have to testify

(Newser) - Federal prosecutors have closed their investigation into the death of Heath Ledger without filing charges, meaning Mary-Kate Olsen will not have to testify, People reports. The US attorney's office in Manhattan had been trying to determine whether the painkillers Ledger took were obtained illegally.

Overdose Deaths Spike
 Overdose Deaths Spike
Jul 29, 2008 8:35 AM CDT

Overdose Deaths Spike

Problem linked to patients sent home early with powerful prescriptions

(Newser) - The number of deaths caused by fatal combinations of prescription medications with alcohol or street drugs has exploded in recent years in part because patients are being released from hospitals early, according to researchers. Such deaths rocketed from 92 in 1983 to 3,792 in 2004, reports MSNBC.

After Drug Arrest, Pats Lineman Aids in Bust

Kaczur helps cops nab dealer of prescription painkiller OxyContin

(Newser) - New England Patriots offensive tackle Nicholas Kaczur wore a wire to help authorities nail a drug dealer after he was arrested in April for possession of prescription painkillers, the Boston Globe reported yesterday. The 28-year-old starter secretly recorded three $3,900 OxyContin transactions with Daniel Ekasala, sources say. But Kaczur...

Accidental OD Killed Ledger
Accidental OD Killed Ledger
Feb 6, 2008 9:26 AM CST

Accidental OD Killed Ledger

Autopsy results cite combo of sleeping pills, painkillers, and anti-anxiety meds

(Newser) - Actor Heath Ledger died of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills, painkillers, and anti-anxiety medication, the New York City Medical Examiner's Office ruled today. OxyContin, Valium, Xanax, Restoril, Unisom, and ibuprofen combined to result in a lethal "acute intoxication," an ME spokeswoman told the AP. 

War Hero Wants His Pot Back
War Hero Wants His Pot Back
Dec 19, 2007 10:15 AM CST

War Hero Wants His Pot Back

Prosecutor says soldier is licensed grower

(Newser) - A former Marine arrested for growing marijuana plants turns out to be a wounded Gulf War hero—and a licensed grower of pot for medicinal purposes. The 39-year-old former lieutenant corporal is insisting Denver area police return his plants, worth more than $100,000. Kevin Dickes uses marijuana to control...

Americans Double Use of Pain Meds
Americans Double Use
of Pain Meds
Aug 20, 2007 9:40 AM CDT

Americans Double Use of Pain Meds

Led by Oxycodone, sales of painkillers soared 90% in 8 years

(Newser) - Retail sales of five major painkillers rose a whopping 90% from 1997 to 2005, a new AP analysis of DEA statistics shows. The increase is driven by Oxycodone, the chemical used in OxyContin, which has seen sales increase nearly 600%. Causes include an aging population, huge new drug marketing campaigns,...

US Attorney Targeted After DoJ Brushoff

Lawyer put on pink-slip list after refusal to slow case vs. drugmaker

(Newser) - A US attorney testified yesterday that he found himself on a firings list after rebuffing DoJ pressure to slow a case—on the eve of a guilty plea. The Post reports a Justice higher-up urged John Brownlee to stall proceedings against the manufacturer of an addictive painkiller hours before it...

OxyContin Maker Pleads Guilty
OxyContin Maker Pleads Guilty
May 10, 2007 12:01 PM CDT

OxyContin Maker Pleads Guilty

Manufacturer, execs admit misleading public about risky painkiller

(Newser) - The company that makes OxyContin pleaded guilty today to misleading the public about the effects of the potent painkiller. Purdue Pharma and three executives will pay $634.5 million in civil and criminal fines. Federal prosecutors accused the firm of "misbranding" the drug, marketing it as a less addictive...

Ouch—Doc's Trial Highlights Pain Issues

Was he trafficking narcotics or treating chronic pain?

(Newser) - The drug-trafficking trial of a Virginia pain specialist demonstrates the slippery slope between treating chronic conditions and enabling addicts. Dr. William Hurwitz's jury heard the story of a patient with deblitating migraines who had been treated with anxiety medication that actually caused headaches—by another doctor who happened to be...

Stories 61 - 70 | << Prev