PHOENIX - Thousands of children are hospitalized every year and some die, because they take medications not prescribed for them, according to the Food and Drug Administration. With the hustle and bustle of the holidays, it's a good time to keep an extra eye on toddlers and teens.
Shelly Mowrey, director of programs at DrugFreeAZ.org, advises adults to remove all medications from obvious places such as kitchen cabinets or bathroom medicine cabinets. Small children could eat pills that look like candy, she says, and a growing number of youths as young as 12 raid medicine cabinets to supply so-called "pharming parties" - as in "pharmaceuticals."
"We've had a number of teens that we've lost here in the Valley that have taken prescription medication, they've mixed it with alcohol, and what happens is that those children go to sleep and they simply don't wake up."
At pharming parties, Mowrey says, youths typically throw pills into a bowl, then pass it around and consume them. Especially dangerous, she says, is a practice called "stacking," where several different pills are taken that can then cause dangerous interactions.
Too many teens, Mowrey says, have the idea that because pills are prescribed by a doctor, they must be safe.
Just because you don't think your teen could be capable of taking your meds and sharing them with others doesn't mean it isn't possible, she says.
"When you have one out of four 12th-graders reporting that they've used a painkiller to get high, and one out of six eighth-graders, even in your own circle, one out of four of those has tried a painkiller."
Proper disposal of pills which are expired or no longer used is also an important strategy to combat prescription-drug abuse. Mowrey says you can turn in medicine at local police drug turn-in days, or - with certain precautions - put them in the trash.
"You take it out of the bottle, you put it in a Ziploc baggie with some type of undesirable trash, like eggshells, kitty litter, something like that. And then you seal the bag and you put it into the trash."
Parents and grandparents may also want to consider buying a lockbox for their prescription drugs, which are available at most home-improvement stores.
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After more than 50 years of use, some Michigan lawmakers say naloxone may not be the best choice in an overdose situation.
Naloxone is sometimes called the "Lazarus drug" because of its powerful ability to seemingly resurrect people after a drug overdose.
Sen. Kevin Hertel, D-St. Clair Shores, and some of his colleagues have introduced a bill which would open the door for what they say are more costly, but more powerful, antidotes.
"Given the prevalence of fentanyl in our communities, and how much stronger some of these drugs that we're now seeing are, we believe -- and in talking with others -- that there should be other tools to respond to an overdose," Hertel explained. "To make sure we're doing everything we can to save somebody's life."
Not everyone is on board with the proposed legislation, Senate Bill 542. Opponents argued the more expensive naloxone alternatives are not necessary, and using them would only increase profits for the pharmaceutical industry.
Jonathan Stoltman, director of the Opioid Policy Institute in Grand Rapids, said while the naloxone alternatives do help in overdose situations, they can also cause nasty side effects.
"The newer approaches, they put people into more severe withdrawal," Stoltman pointed out. "That's a pretty profound negative side effect. The one approach is very inexpensive and works great; the other approach is far more expensive and has this strong negative side effect."
Sponsors of the bill say they're hoping to give Michigan residents a chance to chime in on the issue in a public hearing sometime in June. Michigan saw more than 3,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2021.
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New Mexico saw record enrollment numbers for the Affordable Care Act this year and is now setting its sights on lowering out-of-pocket costs - those not reimbursed by insurance. More than 56,000 New Mexicans are enrolled in a medical health insurance plan on the state exchange - an increase of 12,000 people overall.
Colin Baillio, deputy superintendent with the state's Office of Insurance, said the state has boosted its outreach and made efforts to improve the overall consumer experience.
"We saw a 40% year-over-year increase, and New Mexico saw the biggest percentage increase during the open-enrollment period among all of the state-based marketplaces," he explained
Part of the enrollment increase is due to what's called the "unwinding" - a federal directive that required all states to redetermine Medicaid eligibility following a three-year pause on checks during the COVID pandemic. He said by using expanded tools made available by the federal and state government, 8% of New Mexico's population is now uninsured - down from 23% in 2010.
Following approval by lawmakers in the 2024 legislative session, the New Mexico governor signed seven health care-related bills into law - one of which requires annual reporting of prescription drug pricing. Baililo said the Affordable Care Act built the foundation that has allowed the state to pursue additional affordability initiatives.
"I'm really glad to see that there's so much interest in the next step of health reform, really leaning into these out-of-pocket cost issues and making it easier for people to afford to stay covered and see their doctors," he continued.
Two years ago, the state also passed a one-of-a-kind law that did away with behavioral health co-pays for people in certain insurance plans.
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New York's medical aid-in-dying bill is gaining further support. The Medical Society of the State of New York is supporting the bill. New York's bill allows terminally ill people with only six months to live to use this option, with safeguards requiring two physicians' approval.
The bill's Assembly sponsor Amy Paulin, D-Westchester, said despite the growing support, other hurdles lie ahead.
"Now we have what I believe, if it came to the floor, a majority. There's still a hesitation on the part of leadership. You know, we need members to assure leadership that they no longer have reservations," she said.
Other newly resolved concerns center on making sure insurance companies and doctors who don't support this aren't held liable. She's optimistic the bill will pass after nine years in the Legislature. New York would be the 11th state along with Washington, D.C. to have medical aid in dying legislation.
Corinne Carey, senior New York campaign director with Compassion and Choices finds the pandemic drew a vivid picture of a person's end-of-life experience. There were images of people dying on ventilators, apart from loved ones, and unable to communicate. She said people began thinking about a "good death."
"And, what is a good death is being surrounded by loved ones, having some measure of control, experiencing the touch of your loved ones, and being the one in the driver's seat," she explained.
Now people have different options for end-of-life care, each of which presents various challenges. Polls show medical aid in dying has garnered considerable support since being introduced in 2015. A 2022 Compassion and Choices poll finds 57% of nurses support medical aid in dying professionally, although fewer support it personally.
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