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Following an internal investigation, the McKesson (MCK) board absolved senior management of any failures to oversee the distribution of opioid painkillers, an issue that has haunted several wholesalers as the opioid crisis in the U.S. worsens. Notably, the probe found that senior managers “worked in earnest” to meet Drug Enforcement Agency requirements, such as reporting suspicious orders to pharmacies, and had oversight procedures in place for a monitoring program and distribution facilities. (Silverman, 44/25)

Top Democrats on the House Energy and Commerce Committee voiced concerns over the speed at which the Republican chairman is aiming to put opioid legislation on the House floor. Chairman Greg Walden (R-Ore.) has repeatedly said he hopes the House can take up the committee’s legislation to combat the opioid epidemic by Memorial Day weekend. (Roubein, 4/25)

Democrats and Republicans sparred Wednesday as a House subcommittee began a lengthy markup of over 60 bills related to combating the opioid crisis. Democrats objected to the number and scope of the bills, a point brought up at earlier hearings to discuss the epidemic. ...Health Subcommittee ranking member GeneGreen, D-Texas, also emphasized that the committee was considering “quantity over quality” and that the number of bills being marked up on Wednesday was highly unusual. (Raman, 4/25)

Over-the-counter pain pills are safer and more effective than prescription opioids for controlling the pain following dental procedures, a review of the evidence has found. Researchers analyzed five reviews of studies of medication and medication combinations for pain relief. They included only reviews of high or moderate methodological quality. (Bakalar, 4/25)

A prescription painkiller that has been under a cloud for more than a decade is apparently safer than previously believed, a Food and Drug Administration panel concluded Wednesday. The drug celecoxib, which is sold by Pfizer under the brand name Celebrex, poses no greater risk for causing heart attacks and strokes than two other widely used pain relievers, the committee voted at the end of a two-day hearing. The vote was 15-5. One member abstained. (Stein, 4/25)

The demand for new needles continues to grow and so do the number of ZIP codes from which drug users travel to obtain the needles. ZIP code data also point to a growing concentration of drug users in particular suburbs, including Lakewood, Parma and Middleburgh Heights, that currently do not offer harm-reduction programs such as a needle exchanges. (Naymik, 4/26)

To help police officers breathe easier when they find suspicious white powders at crime scenes, Sen. Sherrod Brown says he'll introduce a bipartisan bill to fund purchases of high-tech portable drug screening devices for local law enforcement. (Eaton, 4/25)

Wise County, a sparsely populated area in Southwest Virginia that has been ravaged by the opioid epidemic, this week became the first locality approved for a needle exchange program in the state. The approval comes nearly a year after the service became legal in Virginia. (O'Connor, 4/25)