Recent News

Bmore Healthy Newsletter: April 6, 2018

Apr 6th, 2018

Click here to read the 4/6/18 newsletter. Subscribe to the Bmore Healthy newsletter.

In this issue:

  • Note from the Commissioner
  • Dr. Wen Speaks at Cecil County Health Department in Recognition of National Public Health Week
  • Dr. Wen Speaks at Why Women Cry XII
  • and more

The Surgeon General Just Called For Making An Overdose-Reversing Drug Available To Everyone (BuzzFeed)

Apr 5th, 2018

US Surgeon General Jerome Adams will on Thursday issue a nationwide advisory — the first from his office in 13 years — for more people to get access to and training for the overdose-reversing drug naloxone.

“Unfortunately, we are having to ration naloxone because we simply don’t have the resources to purchase this life-saving antidote,” Baltimore health commissioner Leana Wen said in a statement to BuzzFeed News. “Every week, we count the doses we have left and make hard decisions about who will receive the medication and who will have to go without.”

Read the entire story.

Leana Wenopioids

Baltimore City Health Commissioner Responds to Surgeon General’s Advisory Urging Naloxone Use

Apr 5th, 2018

BALTIMORE, MD (April 5, 2018) - Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen today issued the following statement in response to the U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on Naloxone:

“Here in Baltimore, we already have policies to expand naloxone access. 

Leana Wenopioids

Surgeon General Urges Americans to Carry Drug That Stops Opioid Overdoses (New York Times)

Apr 5th, 2018

The United States Surgeon General, Dr. Jerome M. Adams, issued a national advisory Thursday urging more Americans to keep on hand and learn how to use the drug, naloxone, which can save the lives of people overdosing on opioids. Naloxone has already revived thousands of overdose victims as the opioid epidemic has intensified, but rescue workers have usually been the ones to administer it.

Dr. Leana Wen, the health commissioner in Baltimore, said her city has to ration naloxone because it can’t afford to keep a stockpile on hand. She called on the Trump administration to negotiate directly with the manufacturers of naloxone to make it available at a steeply discounted rate. 

Read the entire story.

Leana Wenopioids

‘We simply don’t have the resources’: Surgeon general’s call to carry naloxone raises red flag (ThinkProgress)

Apr 5th, 2018

It’s been 13 years since a United States Surgeon General issued a public health advisory, but on Thursday Jerome Adams did so to urge every person to carry the overdose-reversal medication naloxone.

In response to Thursday’s announcement, Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen, arguably naloxone’s most ardent advocate, asked for more financial assistance as local officials have already been trying to get the medication into the hands of every person — and that’s been costly.

Read the entire story.

Leana Wenopioids

Poll: Most Americans wary of those suffering from addiction, despite recognition of medical condition (AP)

Apr 5th, 2018

A slim majority of Americans see prescription drug addiction as a disease that requires medical treatment, but most would not welcome those suffering from the problem into their neighborhoods, workplaces, or families. 

Those figures worry Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen, who says it’s counterproductive to blame people for their medical conditions. 

Read the entire story.

Leana Wenopioids

Federal moves to help opioid crisis not enough, experts say (NBCNews.com)

Apr 5th, 2018

Anybody who knows someone at risk of an opioid overdose should always carry naloxone, the anti-overdose drug, Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams said Thursday. 

Baltimore City Health Commissioner Dr. Leana Wen said the plan is a good first step.

Read the entire story.

Leana Wenopioids

Surgeon General urges more American carry Naloxone to fight opioid crisis (NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt)

Apr 5th, 2018

Dr. Wen appeared on NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt to discuss the Surgeon General's Advisory urging Americans to carry naloxone. 

Watch the video.

Leana Wenopioids

Surgeon general urges public to carry opioid overdose reversal drug in rare advisory (The Hill)

Apr 5th, 2018

The surgeon general in a rare public health advisory is calling on more Americans to carry a potentially life-saving medication that can reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.

Baltimore City Health Commissioner Leana Wen urged the federal government to make naloxone more affordable, suggesting it negotiate a discounted rate with manufacturers or provide funds for increased access to treatment. 

Read the entire story.

Leana Wenopioids

Surgeon general issues rare advisory: more people should carry opioid overdose antidote (Vox)

Apr 5th, 2018

The surgeon general issued the office’s first advisory in 13 years — calling on more people to carry the opioid overdose antidote naloxone.

Dr. Leana Wen, the health commissioner of Baltimore, has seen some of this firsthand. In the past, naloxone has typically required a prescription. But in 2015, her office issued a standing order that effectively acted as a blanket prescription for the entire city of Baltimore.

Read the entire story

Leana Wenopioids

Pages