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There was a stranger waiting for Sarah Fuller when she visited her doctor to discuss switching medications for her back and neck pain — a saleswoman pitching a prescription version of the potent opioid fentanyl. The drug, called Subsys, is so powerful, and the risk of addiction and overdose so formidable, that the Food and Drug Administration requires doctors to undergo special training before they are allowed to prescribe it. And it has approved Subsys only for cancer patients who suffer intense flares of pain. (Armstong, 9/30)

A former Insys Therapeutics Inc district sales manager was arrested on Thursday on charges he participated in a scheme to pay kickbacks to doctors to prescribe a drug containing the opioid fentanyl, U.S. prosecutors said. Jeffrey Pearlman, 49, was charged in a criminal complaint filed in federal court in New Haven, Connecticut, becoming the latest individual to face prosecution in connection with probes involving Insys' drug Subsys. (Raymond, 9/29)

Between 8 a.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. Wednesday, 27 people overdosed in the city, prompting police and health officials to issue a public warning Tuesday night and host a news conference Wednesday. A second wave of 21 people, including the person Bechtel and health department employees saved, were treated between 8 a.m. Wednesday and 8 a.m. Thursday, according to Columbus Division of Fire. Columbus fire battalion Chief Steve Martin said in each case, police officers and paramedics administered naloxone, also called by the brand name Narcan, to revive the victims. (Widman Neese, 9/30)

Americans spend an estimated $276 billion every year drinking, smoking and taking drugs, according to a recent analysis. To give that huge figure some perspective, that’s more than the federal government spent in 2015 on education and veterans’ benefits combined. About half of the spending goes toward alcohol and nicotine, according to the analysis by Addiction-Treatment.com, a Santa Monica, California-based organization that helps connect people with substance abuse disorders with treatment providers. (Brinkley-Badgett, 9/30)

Heroin addicts in Canada don’t have to find their next hit on the street. They can go to their doctor instead.It is now legal for the country’s physicians to prescribe the drug to addicts who are looking to kick their habit. Doctors must apply for a permit from Canada’s Special Access Program to prescribe dicetylmorphine, which is a pharmaceutical grade heroin. (Welsh, 9/29)

A new multi-agency program announced Thursday will begin administering methadone to drug offenders who volunteer to get treated and can prove they’re addicted to heroin or prescription painkillers. It is aimed at combating the city’s opioid epidemic, which reflects a national trend. Previously, the sheriff’s department would administer methadone to offenders if they already had been prescribed the medication. Now, the Medication Assisted Treatment Induction Program provides probationers in Denver’s drug court system with the option to begin methadone treatment in jail. In addition, their sentence will be reduced. (Siegelbaum, 9/29)

In 2012, with a small group that includes other recovering addicts, he [Clennan Williams] helped form Battlefield Ministry, a support network for addicts at Westside Church of Christ in San Mateo. The main group members all have experience working with people suffering from addictions. Battlefield, which meets at the church at 1 p.m. Sundays and 5:30 p.m. Tuesdays, also supports people with compulsive behavior and performs outreach to the homeless community and works with at-risk youth. Peggy helps by cooking for potlucks and fundraisers. (Kelly, 9/29)