President Donald Trump is expected Thursday to direct the Department of Health and Human Services to declare the opioid crisis a public health emergency.
In Arizona, the state health department reports 471 suspected opioid-related deaths, and nearly 3,600 suspected overdoses between mid-June and mid-October.
The University of Pittsburgh is trying to get a handle on the epidemic by getting pharmacists more involved in screening patients who may be misusing their medications. They’ve gotten a more than $400,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health to work on this.
Jerry Cochran is leading the effort — he’s an associate professor and associate dean for research in the School of Social Work at the University of Pittsburgh.
EDITOR'S NOTE: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Jerry Cochran's name.
