News & Updates – January 24, 2020; Issue 336
Association of Medicaid Expansion With Opioid Overdose Mortality in the United States
Medicaid expansion was associated with reductions in total opioid overdose deaths, particularly deaths involving heroin and synthetic opioids other than methadone, but increases in methadone-related mortality. As states invest more resources in addressing the opioid overdose epidemic, attention should be paid to the role that Medicaid expansion may play in reducing opioid overdose mortality, in…
Policy, Financing, Stigma, and Workforce Barriers Stand in the Way of Addressing Co-Occurring Opioid and Infectious Disease Epidemics
The opioid epidemic in the U.S. is driving a simultaneous epidemic of infectious diseases — including HIV, hepatitis C virus (HCV) and bacterial infections, and sexually transmitted infections — but workforce shortages, stigma, and financial and policy barriers are preventing the integration of opioid use disorder (OUD) and infectious disease services, says a new report…
Opioid-Related Treatment, Interventions, and Outcomes Among Incarcerated Persons: A Systematic Review
In this carefully conducted systematic review, the authors found that correctional facilities should scale up opioid agonist treatment (methadone and buprenorphine) among incarcerated persons with opioid use disorder. The strategy is likely to decrease opioid-related overdose and mortality, reduce opioid use and other risky behaviors during and after incarceration, and improve retention in addiction treatment…
Effect of Expanding Opioid Agonist Therapies on the HIV Epidemic and Mortality in Ukraine: A Modeling Study
To optimize HIV prevention and treatment goals in Ukraine, opioid agonist treatment (OAT) must be substantially scaled up in all regions, the authors found. Increased medication procurement is needed, combined with optimization of OAT dosing. Source: The Lancethttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanhiv/article/PIIS2352-3018(19)30373-X/fulltext
Salt Lake County Program Aims to Combat the Opioid Crisis from Inside Jail
Salt Lake County has a new strategy to combat the opioid crisis from inside the county’s jail. The new approach seeks to address the opioid epidemic by administering medication designed to treat addiction and providing patients with substance abuse counseling while they are in jail custody. “Not only is this intervention the compassionate thing to…
Continue Reading Salt Lake County Program Aims to Combat the Opioid Crisis from Inside Jail
‘A Different Way’: Walk-in Clinic Sees Success Treating Opioid Addicts with Medication
Salvador Ceniceros, a psychiatrist on the front lines of the opioid epidemic, took a break between seeing patients the other day to reflect. He’s finally gaining traction at Jordan Valley Community Health Center, which gives him a sense of urgency to speak his mind. Since July 2018, Jordan Valley, which has nine clinics in southwest…
An Inside Look Inside Kitsap’s First Methadone Clinic
Local leaders got their first look at a new opioid treatment clinic in East Bremerton that could open by the end of the year. On a tour Monday, BAART clinic staff showed a group of Kitsap law enforcement officers, county officials and elected leaders the soon-to-be-open facility, which will provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction.…
Continue Reading An Inside Look Inside Kitsap’s First Methadone Clinic
Availability of Buprenorphine Treatment in the 10 States With the Highest Drug Overdose Death Rates in the United States
Although the SAMHSA buprenorphine practitioner locator is used by patients and providers to locate treatment options, only a small portion of clinicians in the database ultimately offered initial appointments, implying that the database is only marginally useful for patients. Source: Journal of Psychiatric Practicehttps://journals.lww.com/practicalpsychiatry/Fulltext/2020/01000/Availability_of_Buprenorphine_Treatment_in_the_10.3.aspx
Buprenorphine a Safer Alternative for Opioid Use Disorder, Chronic Pain in the Elderly?
For older individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) resulting from treatment of chronic pain, buprenorphine may be a safer pain management alternative, new research suggests. Results of the review show that in general, there is evidence to support the use of buprenorphine in older patients. It is well tolerated, it has few side effects, and it can…
Few Teens Who Survive Opioid OD Get Recommended Care
Even after surviving an opioid overdose, few U.S. teenagers receive the recommended treatment for their addiction, a new study shows. Researchers found that of nearly 3,800 teenagers and young adults who’d suffered an opioid overdose, less than one-third went into addiction treatment within a month. And only one in 54 received the medication recommended for…
Continue Reading Few Teens Who Survive Opioid OD Get Recommended Care
A Look Inside the Olympia Clinic Serving Hundreds of People Battling Opioid Addiction
The Olympia Bupe Clinic opened at the Capital Recovery Center on Cherry Street Southeast, which also houses the county-run syringe exchange. It provides buprenorphine, which serves as a safer alternative to opioids and heroin, which is the drug people with opioid use disorder often turn to when their prescriptions run out. The Bupe Clinic was…
News & Updates Archives
2019
News & Updates – December 19, 2019; Issue 335
Walk-in Clinics for Opioid Addiction Offer Meds First, Fast
In St. Louis, Seattle and San Francisco, people with opioid addictions can start medication on their first day of treatment. Early research suggests the approach can change lives. But it will be a tough sell elsewhere: Nearly two-thirds of U.S. treatment centers don’t offer anti-addiction drugs and there’s resistance to easy access. In Missouri, some…
Continue Reading Walk-in Clinics for Opioid Addiction Offer Meds First, Fast
Opioid Addiction Treatment Center Planned to Come to Maryville
“My first thought was the day I knew was coming, is here,” said Sherry Petrowski. In 2014 her son, Chris Sullivan, died of an opioid overdose. “When you’re the mother of an addict every time a phone rings, every time you walk away from your child you feel like it’s the last time,” explained Petrowski.…
Continue Reading Opioid Addiction Treatment Center Planned to Come to Maryville
‘First Shot is Free’: Hundreds Incarcerated in Michigan Offered Opioid Blocker Shots
The Michigan Department of Corrections says more than 20% of its inmates have an opioid-use disorder. Wayne County Jail, the state’s largest, has similar numbers. Inmates returning home after incarceration are at acute risk of overdose and death from opioids — between 40 and 120 times more likely to die of an opioid overdose, according to…
LCBHS Brings Buprenorphine and Naltrexone To The Fight Against Opioid Addiction
Lewis & Clark Behavioral Health Services (LCBHS) is helping those fighting opioid addiction with both in-patient and out-patient services, and now, with targeted medications. Though LCBHS has provided alcohol and drug addiction treatment for some time, that treatment is now able to be honed specifically towards opioid dependency, which is on the rise around the…
Continue Reading LCBHS Brings Buprenorphine and Naltrexone To The Fight Against Opioid Addiction
Health Department to Coordinate Drug Response in 2020
The Grant County Health Department is planning to tackle the local drug crisis in 2020 by connecting the existing nonprofits in the county. “As we looked over the entire nation over the last few years, there’s a tidal wave over big cities and little cities impacting with the drug crisis,” said Health Officer William David…
Continue Reading Health Department to Coordinate Drug Response in 2020
The ‘Opioid Workforce Act’ Hopes To Increase Ranks In Fighting The Opioid Epidemic
Senators Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are hoping to increase ranks in fighting the opioid epidemic through the introduction of their bipartisan bill the Opioid Workforce Act of 2019 (S.2892). Citing the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) 2018 report that approximately 21 million people needed treatment for a substance use…
Continue Reading The ‘Opioid Workforce Act’ Hopes To Increase Ranks In Fighting The Opioid Epidemic
Help Is on the Way: Medicare Coverage of Opioid Treatment Programs
Opioid use disorder (OUD) among older adults has been increasing, yet evidence still remains scarce for age-specific treatment. We discuss the three US Food and Drug Administration-approved medications used to treat OUD (methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone) and consider evidence gaps in OUD treatment in older adults. Legislation passed in 2018 (the Substance Use Disorder Prevention That…
Continue Reading Help Is on the Way: Medicare Coverage of Opioid Treatment Programs
Private Coverage of Methadone in Outpatient Treatment Programs
Among the three medications approved for the treatment of opioid use disorder (methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone), methadone has been in use for the longest period and has the most extensive evidence base of effectiveness. Yet it remains underutilized as new insurance policies favor access to buprenorphine and neglect to dismantle barriers to obtaining methadone. In the absence…
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In Rural Areas, Buprenorphine Waiver Adoption Since 2017 Driven By Nurse Practitioners And Physician Assistants
Few patients with opioid use disorder receive medication for addiction treatment. In 2017 the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act enabled nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) to obtain federal waivers allowing them to prescribe buprenorphine, a key medication for opioid use disorder. The waiver expansion was intended to increase patients’ access to opioid use treatment,…
Opioid Use Disorder and Treatment: Challenges and Opportunities
This special issue of BMC Health Services Research focuses on how health services research has emerged as an important contributor to efforts to control the opioid epidemic in North America and Europe. Addiction health service researchers have focused efforts on opioid use disorder (OUD) and strategies to address the emerging public health threats associated with…
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Adjunctive Memantine for Opioid use Disorder Treatment: A Systematic Review
Memantine is commonly used for the treatment of moderate-to-severe Alzheimer’s disease. It has also been investigated for potential utilization in opioid use disorder (OUD). The objective of this systematic review is to assess the evidence available to determine the safety and efficacy of memantine as treatment for OUD. After assessing studies appropriate for the objective,…
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News & Updates – November 25, 2019; Issue 334
Facilitating Methadone Use in Hospitals and Skilled Nursing Facilities
Current federal regulations complicate the provision of effective treatment for opioid use disorder in hospitals and skilled nursing facilities, according to this Viewpoint. As a result, many patients experience costly cycles of complications, admission, discharge, repeated complications, and readmission with little gain to their health. Researchers argue that changing regulations of the Substance Abuse and…
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Jail-Based Methadone Induction Effective, But Benefits Only Last if Patients Remain in Treatment After Discharge
Treatment with methadone works, but patients have to remain in treatment. That’s the lesson from a recent study – and from all studies. This study, in particular, looked at jail inmates who were inducted on methadone, and then entered community based-treatment. The conclusions: Initiating methadone treatment in jail was effective in promoting entry into community-based drug abuse…
County Prison Receives $400,000 Toward the Cost of Vivitrol
Grant money received from the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) for treatment and assimilation of inmates with opioid addictions back into society were a topic of discussion at the Northumberland County Jail’s monthly board meeting Wednesday. The Vivitrol and Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) grant money provides a combined total of about $400,000 worth…
Continue Reading County Prison Receives $400,000 Toward the Cost of Vivitrol
Buprenorphine for College Students Recommended
Young people do better in school if they are treated for opioid use disorders, resulting in lower costs to society. Recent research suggests that opioid users achieve lower levels of education, which may result in both individual and economic costs. Prevention programs need to not only include education-specific risk factors (e.g., social norms), but underlying…
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Cannabis Found Not to be a Substitute for Opioids
There has been interest in cannabis being used as a replacement drug for people with opioid use disorder, but research at McMaster University has found it doesn’t work. Source: Canadian Medical Association Journal Read more at: http://cmajopen.ca/content/7/4/E665
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Michigan to Offer Opioid Addiction Treatment in Prison, Increase Syringe Exchange Programs
The state of Michigan on Thursday announced it will begin providing medication-assisted treatment for prisoners with addiction and support more needle exchange programs in an effort to combat the nationwide opioid epidemic. “We are losing more than five people every single day to opioid overdoses,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a prepared statement, announcing the initiatives.…
News & Updates – November 12, 2019; Issue 333
Mass. Has The First Jail In The Country That’s Also A Licensed Methadone Treatment Provider
(Editor’s note: it’s not the first, Rikers in NY had them beat by 30 years and there are many others in other states, so we hope WBUR will change their headline…but still, congratulations to Massachusetts.) Methadone and Suboxone (the brand name for buprenorphine) ease opioid cravings and withdrawal symptoms. Forty-four of the estimated 200 people…
ACLU of Colorado Sues GEO Group for Wrongful Death in Man’s 2017 Death at Aurora Facility
The ACLU of Colorado on Tuesday filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit in the U.S. District Court of Colorado against GEO Group, Inc., which operates the immigrant detention facility in Aurora, for the death of Kamyar Samimi in December 2017. Samimi, a legal permanent resident originally from Iran, was 64 years old when he died in December 2017…
Tenn. Doctor Plans to Plead Guilty to Opioid Distribution
COLUMBIA, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee doctor who had five patients fatally overdose in a 10-month span intends to plead guilty to distributing a controlled substance. The Tennessean reports 64-year-old Dr. Darrel Rinehart’s attorney filed a motion to have a hearing in December where Rinehart “intends to plead guilty.” (more…)
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An Opioid More Deadly than Fentanyl Found on Seattle Streets
SEATTLE (KOMO) — Right in the midst of the opioid crisis, another illicit drug has hit the streets of Seattle. Experts say it’s more potent and deadly than other opiods. The DEA says carfentanil is 10,000 times more potent than morphine and 100 times stronger than fentanyl. It was first detected in Seattle in March.…
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Why the DEA is Suing Colorado’s Pharmacy Board as Part of an Opioid Investigation
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has sued the board that regulates Colorado’s pharmacies, demanding it share information from a database that tracks opioid prescriptions and setting up a clash over patient privacy amid the nation’s overdose epidemic. The requested information is part of an investigation into whether two unnamed pharmacies broke the law in dispensing…
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How One Minnesota Clinic Slashed Its Number of Opioid Prescriptions
It was just over two years ago that doctors at Alexandria Clinic were given report cards detailing all the opioids they were prescribing to their patients on a daily basis. “Everybody was in a state of shock in realizing where we were on that scale of prescribing,” said Dr. Deb Dittberner, chief medical officer for Alomere Health, which oversees…
Continue Reading How One Minnesota Clinic Slashed Its Number of Opioid Prescriptions
N.Y. Insurance Regulator Notifies Opioid Makers, Distributors of Enforcement Action -Sources
New York’s insurance regulator has formally notified a group of opioid manufacturers and distributors that it will launch a civil enforcement action against them for contributing towards a rise in health insurance premiums in the state, said two sources familiar with the matter. (more…)
Florida Seeks Funding To Continue Opioid Fight
Florida may be on the right track to reducing the amount of opioid-caused deaths, according to the Department of Children and Families, but only if that state can find funding. Ute Gazioch, the director of Substance Abuse and Mental Health at the Florida Department of Children and Families, has high hopes for the state’s approach…
Continue Reading Florida Seeks Funding To Continue Opioid Fight
News & Updates – November 5, 2019; Issue 332
Methadone Clinic Operators To Meet With Neighbors Following Complaints
Operators of a newly-opened methadone clinic in Springfield, Massachusetts plan to meet with neighbors Monday who complain their quality of life has been disrupted. Residents and business owners in Springfield’s South End have witnessed an increase in apparent drug use, prostitution, and panhandling in the last few months, according to Leo Florian, president of the…
Continue Reading Methadone Clinic Operators To Meet With Neighbors Following Complaints
Facial Recognition in the Pharmacy: Meet Strong Room, the Startup Bringing Tech into Opioid-Addiction Treatment
In the latest twist in the facial recognition tech tale, Melbourne, Australia startup Strong Room is developing artificial intelligence software for the dispensing of the opioid replacement drug methadone. Source: SmartCompany Read more at: https://www.smartcompany.com.au/startupsmart/news/facial-recognition-pharmacy-strong-room/
Expanded Treatment Program in First State Prisons Seeks to Stem Opioid Crisis
Delaware’s Department of Correction announced in June it is expanding Medication Assisted Treatment to all of its level five facilities. The DOC previously only offered MAT to pregnant women and would also use medicine to assist offenders going through opioid withdrawal. But for the past few months now, methadone, buprenorphine and Vivitrol have been available…
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Construction Workers are the Most Likely to Misuse Prescription Opioids
Workers in the construction industry are most likely to use cocaine and misuse prescription opioids compared with other employees, according to a study published last week by the Center for Drug Use and HIV/HCV Research at the New York University College of Global Public Health. (more…)
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The Changing Face of the US Opioid Epidemic: Middle-Aged Black Adults See Rise in Deaths
About 48,000 people lost their lives to opioids in 2017, the latest year for which complete data is available, according to a new study. Synthetic opioids (not methadone), such as fentanyl, accounted for almost two-thirds of those deaths. In large metropolitan areas, black adults saw the largest increases in rates of drug overdose deaths involving…
Opioid Epidemic Has Deep Roots
Mention the opioid epidemic, and many people might think it’s something that mostly affects the person using the drugs. But the epidemic has much deeper roots, reaches much further than any one person, and battling it requires a cooperative effort from an array of medical and human services professionals. (more…)
News & Updates – October 29, 2019; Issue 331
Tribe, City to Begin Application Talks for MAT Clinic
The process of the city of Sequim, Washington for the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s proposed medication-assisted treatment (MAT) facility is about to begin. Barry Berezowsky, Sequim’s community development director, said he’s scheduled to meet with tribe health services director Brent Simcosky on Oct. 31 for a pre-application meeting regarding the project. The facility, named by the…
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Local Perspectives on Opioid Crisis Echo a Larger, National Conversation
At a roundtable discussion last Thursday, North Carolina State Attorney General Josh Stein and local leaders discussed the opioid crisis and how our region is dealing with it. The event, hosted by Stein and WECT, featured different viewpoints on the epidemic. But many of these local perspectives echoed a larger, national conversation. Over 2 million…
Continue Reading Local Perspectives on Opioid Crisis Echo a Larger, National Conversation
In Opioid Settlements, Suboxone Plays a Leading Role
In this week’s $260 million settlement between drug companies and two Ohio counties hit hard by the opioid crisis, $25 million worth of the addiction medication known as Suboxone is a big part of the deal. Suboxone would make up a much larger share of a proposed national settlement announced shortly afterward by a bipartisan…
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Hospitals Take Shot At Opioid Makers Over Cost Of Treating Uninsured For Addiction
While thousands of cities and counties have banded together to sue opioid makers and distributors in federal court, another group of plaintiffs has started to sue on their own: hospitals. “The expense of treating overdose and opioid-addicted patients has skyrocketed, straining the resources of hospitals throughout our state,” said Lee Bond, CEO of Singing River…
Continue Reading Hospitals Take Shot At Opioid Makers Over Cost Of Treating Uninsured For Addiction
The Full Cost of the Opioid Crisis: $2.5 Trillion Over Four Years
October 26 marked National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, which provided Americans an opportunity to prevent drug misuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. One of the most tangible examples of the dangers of misusing prescription drugs comes from the opioid crisis, which the Council of…
Continue Reading The Full Cost of the Opioid Crisis: $2.5 Trillion Over Four Years
News & Updates – October 22, 2019; Issue 330
$260 Million Deal Averts 1st Federal Trial on Opioid Crisis
The nation’s three biggest drug distributors and a major drugmaker agreed to an 11th-hour, $260 million settlement Monday over the terrible toll taken by opioids in two Ohio counties, averting the first federal trial over the crisis. The trial, involving Cleveland’s Cuyahoga County and Akron’s Summit County, was seen as a critical test case that…
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Those Left Behind: Opioids and the Epidemic of Loss
Over the past few years, the Gazette has reported on many families who have lost loved ones to the opioid epidemic. Parents want to honor their children and who they were before, after and during their struggle with addiction — and as a result, our stories have centered on the person who died. But what…
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Nevada Addicted: Why Nevada Won’t Settle Opioid Suit
Another milestone was crossed this week in the legal action involving opioids, and the crisis associated with addition. Three opioid distributors and one pharmaceutical company reached settlements with two Ohio counties, Summit and Cuyahoga, for more than a quarter of a billion dollars. (more…)
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Tennessee Drug and Opioid Overdose Rates Hit Five Year High in 2018
New data from the Tennessee Department of Health reveals there were 1,818 drug overdose deaths in 2018, the highest total since 2014. The Tennessee Drug Overdose Dashboard records county, regional, and state-level data on fatal overdoses, nonfatal overdoses, and drug prescriptions. According to the data, there have been a total of 7,939 drug overdose deaths…
Continue Reading Tennessee Drug and Opioid Overdose Rates Hit Five Year High in 2018
Growing Opioid Crisis Tests Limits of Methadone Clinics
Jose DeJesus pulls his silver minivan out of a parking lot in back of a row of historic houses on New Haven’s Congress Avenue. He points with pride to the flowers he planted around the lot. Then he grimly spins a commentary as he gives a tour of the surrounding Hill neighborhood. (more…)
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News & Updates – October 10, 2019; Issue 329
Methadone Clinic Operators Turn Down Mayor’s Invite To Neighborhood Meeting
The operators of a newly-opened methadone clinic in Springfield, Massachusetts have declined the mayor’s invitation to attend a community meeting. Residents and business owners in Springfield’s South End say there has been an increase in break-ins, prostitution, aggressive panhandling and apparent drug use, since a methadone clinic opened in the neighborhood roughly two months ago.…
Continue Reading Methadone Clinic Operators Turn Down Mayor’s Invite To Neighborhood Meeting
Kenya Struggles to Cope With Growing Number of Heroin Users
– In a discreet clinic just outside the Kenyan capital, a recovering heroin addict named Peter holds the hand of his two-year-old daughter as he drinks a dose of methadone. Peter’s teeth are yellow and he looks much older than 26. (more…)
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To Meet the Need for Opioid Addiction Treatment in Camden County and South Jersey, RCA’s Fourth NJ Addiction Treatment Program Opens to the Public for Expert Discussion and Tours
SOMERDALE, N.J., Oct. 8, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — Camden County had the highest number of drug-related deaths in New Jersey in 2017, and was the 37th worst county out of 3000 total counties in the nation for drug deaths, according to Centers for Disease Control data. To meet the need for treatment for those suffering from an opioid addiction in this area, Recovery Centers…
Medical Care in Immigrant Detention Centers Under Fire Over Methadone Withdrawal
When 64-year-old Kamyar Samimi died in ICE custody, the agency issued a routine press release saying the preliminary cause of his death was cardiac arrest. It boasted about the nearly $200 million it had been spending annually on health care services for detainees, saying that “comprehensive medical care is provided from the moment detainees arrive and…
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Specialists Take on Opioid Crisis
Summit to take wide-ranging look at factors of race, stigma, policy, and the lived experience of patients (more…)
Mcklenburg County Opens NC’s First Jail Psych Unit
The bottom half of a small basketball court is covered by cheerful yellow paint and speckled with marker doodles of smiling stick figures, flowers and sets of two humps to indicate birds in a sunny sky. That yellow matches stripes on the linoleum floor in the main area set off by columns in cheerful pastels.…
Continue Reading Mcklenburg County Opens NC’s First Jail Psych Unit
News & Updates – October 1, 2019; Issue 328
Dr Herbert Kleber: Google Doodle Honours Pioneering Addiction Psychiatrist
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD3f4oBkUIY Source: Youtube
Continue Reading Dr Herbert Kleber: Google Doodle Honours Pioneering Addiction Psychiatrist
Spike in Fentanyl Deaths Spurs Overdose Prevention Program in SF Residential Hotels
Alarmed at a citywide spike in fentanyl OD deaths, San Francisco Mayor London Breed will announce Monday that city health and homelessness officials are creating a program for the city’s vast network of gritty SRO hotels and apartments that will train residents and managers on how to best stop people from dying from drug overdoses — particularly…
Continue Reading Spike in Fentanyl Deaths Spurs Overdose Prevention Program in SF Residential Hotels
10 Deaths in 26 Hours Amid Growing Overdose Epidemic in Ohio
The Franklin County Coroner’s Office on Sunday reported a surge in overdose deaths and warned residents that they could be fentanyl-related. “As of about 10am this morning we have had 10 people die of overdoses in about 26 hours. This is an unusually high number for our county in this period of time,” the office…
Continue Reading 10 Deaths in 26 Hours Amid Growing Overdose Epidemic in Ohio
Their Son Died From Fentanyl. Now ComedySportz Founder and Spouse Back Efforts to Keep Other Kids From Becoming Addicted to Drugs.
Nick Chudnow died on Oct. 4, 2017, of an overdose of fentanyl, making him one of 466 people in Wisconsin that year who died from synthetic opioid use. Nick, who was 29, was the only child of Dick, the founder of ComedySportz, and his wife Jennifer Rupp, a writer, actor and a co-founder of Milwaukee’s Renaissance Theaterworks.…
Regardless of Race, Income, Gender, or Profession, Addiction is a Complex Medical Disease That Can Affect Anyone.
Take, for example, a young doctor I watched fall into its clutches. Like most college students, he experimented with alcohol. When his post-college experimentation expanded to cocaine and opioids, his judgment left him, but his false confidence — fueled by his training in neurophysiology — did not. As he moved into medical school and then…
Here’s How to Fight Addiction. Trust Me, I’m in Recovery — But does the government have the guts?
SAMHSA Quietly Deleted All Blog Entries Before 2017 The U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), an agency of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, quietly deleted hundreds of blog entries from its blog that pre-dated the current administration. The oldest entries date back only to September 2017, with hundreds of…
Providers Push Back on Loosening Patient Privacy for Criminal Investigations
Some providers have come out against a recent HHS proposal that would expand law enforcement’s access to patient records that involve addiction treatment information, worrying it could deter people from seeking care. The proposal from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration would allow courts to authorize disclosure of these patient records when investigating…
Continue Reading Providers Push Back on Loosening Patient Privacy for Criminal Investigations
Medicaid Expanding to Cover Inpatient, Residential Addiction Treatment
An expected Medicaid expansion next year will allow more low-income Southwest Colorado residents struggling with drug and alcohol addiction to seek more intensive treatment. Local addiction experts say they hope new access to inpatient and residential addiction treatment can help prevent overdose deaths, which have been rising statewide for decades. (more…)
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News & Updates – September 24, 2019; Issue 327
Foster Care Case Numbers Continue to Climb in NC, as Opioid Crisis Affects Families
North Carolina needs more foster parents, as the state grapples with record numbers of children entering and staying in the already stretched foster care system, mainly due to the opioid crisis. The foster care system in North Carolina continues to experience record levels of need, the increases believed to be yet another aspect of devastation…
Continue Reading Foster Care Case Numbers Continue to Climb in NC, as Opioid Crisis Affects Families
Methadone Barriers Persist, Despite Decades Of Evidence
Methadone, one of three medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), is effective in reducing illicit opioid use and mortality. Despite extensive evidence of its effectiveness, methadone remains one of the most heavily regulated drugs in the United States. At a time when additional methadone treatment capacity…
Continue Reading Methadone Barriers Persist, Despite Decades Of Evidence
Walking The South End With A Mass. Lawmaker Proposing New Laws To Combat The Opioid Crisis
About two months after Boston police arrested dozens of people in “Operation Clean Sweep,” state lawmakers will consider legislation to address some of the issues that prompted the police action. The sweep occurred in an area of Boston’s South End where there are many services for addiction treatment and the homeless. State Sen. Nick Collins, who…
Missourians on Medicare Use More Opioids Than the National Average
One out of three Missouri participants in Medicare’s prescription drug program were prescribed opioids last year, more than the national rate of 29%, according to a newly released government report. About 973,000 Missourians were enrolled in Medicare Part D and 321,000 of them received opioids, the report by the U.S. Department of Health & Human…
Continue Reading Missourians on Medicare Use More Opioids Than the National Average
News & Updates – September 17, 2019; Issue 326
Kansas Inmate Will Be Allowed Opioid Addiction Drugs
The American Civil Liberties Union said it had reached a settlement with a federal prison in Kansas that had denied buprenorphine, an opioid addiction medication, to an inmate who the group said would “inevitably suffer and possibly die” without it. The inmate, Leaman Crews, is set to receive the medication Wednesday night, Lauren Bonds, legal director…
Continue Reading Kansas Inmate Will Be Allowed Opioid Addiction Drugs
In Opioid Fight, City Expands Access to Crucial Medication-Assisted Treatment
New York City is showing modest progress in the fight to curb the explosion in drug overdoses, with the health department reporting 38 fewer deaths last year compared to 2017, after a concerted $60-million effort focused on substance abuse prevention, treatment, and education, especially with regard to opioids. Medication-assisted treatment involves prescribing and administering drugs such as…
Continue Reading In Opioid Fight, City Expands Access to Crucial Medication-Assisted Treatment
Settlement Money Won’t Restore Ohio City Upended by Opioids
The tentative settlement involving the opioid crisis and the maker of OxyContin could mean that thousands of local governments will one day be paid back for some of the costs of responding to the epidemic. But for public officials in Akron, no amount of money will restore the families and institutions that were upended by…
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In Cherokee Country, Opioid Crisis Seen as Existential Threat
Here in the foothills of the lush Ozark Mountains, where the Cherokee Nation re-formed its government after U.S. soldiers marched members of the tribe out of the South in the 1830s, people say the removal of children from their Native homes is the most troubling part of the opioid crisis. The earliest evidence that the…
Continue Reading In Cherokee Country, Opioid Crisis Seen as Existential Threat
Continuing to Help Those With the Disease of Addiction
When it comes to drug overdoses, many people have a preconceived idea of who the typical overdose death victim is. I strongly reject that stereotyping. The faces of this crisis include a young adult who became addicted because he was injured while playing pickup basketball and was prescribed opioids to deal with the pain. They…
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For Health Workers Struggling With Addiction, Why are Treatment Options Limited
Peter Grinspoon got addicted to Vicodin in medical school, and still had an opioid addiction five years into practice as a primary care physician. Then, in February 2005, he got caught. One day, during lunch, the state police and the DEA showed up at his medical office in Boston. “I start going all, ‘I’m glad…
Continue Reading For Health Workers Struggling With Addiction, Why are Treatment Options Limited
Purdue Pharma, Maker of Oxycontin, Files for Bankruptcy
Purdue Pharma, maker of OxyContin, the drug widely seen as igniting the opioid crisis, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on Sunday Sept. 15, a move at the center of the company’s efforts to shield itself and its owners from more than 2,600 federal and state lawsuits. (more…)
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Opioid Plaintiffs Fight Bid to Disqualify U.S. Judge Before Trial
Lawyers for cities and counties suing drug companies over the opioid epidemic on Sept. 16 objected to a bid by pharmaceutical distributors and pharmacies to disqualify the federal judge overseeing the cases, saying it had no basis and came too late. The plaintiffs’ lawyers moved swiftly to fight the request companies including AmerisourceBergen Corp, Cardinal…
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News & Updates – September 10, 2019; Issue 325
Mass. Jails Expand Use Of Medication To Treat Opioid Addiction
Sheriffs, health officials and lawmakers gathered Thursday at the State House to discuss a recently launched pilot program at seven county correctional systems. Massachusetts Sheriffs’ Association President Peter Koutoujian said participating jails are now offering all three federally-approved opioid treatment medications: methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone. The efforts were mandated under a broader opioid bill lawmakers approved last…
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Treatment Limitations For Physicians With Opioid Addictions
Opioid addiction can happen to anyone, and that includes doctors and nurses. But unlike the general population, they are often barred from medications like methadone, the gold standard of treatment. When doctors and nurses become addicted to opioids and they get caught, they have to follow strict treatment guidelines to get their licenses back.…
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National Opioid Policy Roadmap Highlights State Efforts on Epidemic
The American Medical Association (AMA) and Manatt Health released an analysis today identifying effective state policies used to combat the opioid epidemic. First on the list: increasing access to medication-assisted treatment. The analysis looked at the response to the epidemic in four states and determined which polices increased access to evidence-based treatment for people with a substance…
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Two Methadone Clinics Open in Madison, Doubling Capacity as Opioid Deaths Rise
With opioid overdose deaths surging in Wisconsin, two methadone clinics have opened in Madison this year, giving the city four of the state-licensed centers. Both of the new clinics, officially known as opioid treatment programs, also offer buprenorphine, or Suboxone, another medication used in addiction treatment. One provides naltrexone, or Vivitrol, the other drug approved to treat opioid addiction.…
Continue Reading Two Methadone Clinics Open in Madison, Doubling Capacity as Opioid Deaths Rise
News & Updates – September 3, 2019; Issue 324
It’s Not a “Methadone Distribution Facility,” It’s a “Medication-Assisted Treatment Facility”
In a letter to the editor about a planned opioid treatment program near Jamestown, New York, Rebecca Morgan writes to object to the “Save Our Sequim” group’s scare tactics about the treatment center. After attending the Aug. 8 presentation by the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, followed by a lengthy comment session, I wanted to compliment everyone…
SAMHSA Ushers in Law Enforcement “Fishing Expeditions” for MAT Patients
The federal government’s move to ditch confidentiality regulations for substance use disorder treatment will increase patients’ exposure to law enforcement investigations, despite claims to the contrary. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is pushing through a proposal that would allow the courts to seize all patient records in the investigation of a serious crime—not…
Continue Reading SAMHSA Ushers in Law Enforcement “Fishing Expeditions” for MAT Patients
‘The Nightmare Everyone is Worried About’: HIV Cases Tied to Opioids Spike in West Virginia County
The surge in cases comes as the Trump administration sets out to eradicate HIV transmission by 2030. A cluster of HIV cases in a rural West Virginia county represents what public health officials have long feared amid the nationwide opioid epidemic. Cabell County has reported 74 cases since January 2018, primarily among drug users sharing…
Tracking the Flow of Opioids Across America
The manufacturers and distributors of opioid prescription painkillers have supplied billions of pills throughout the U.S. An investigative series by The Washington Post looks at the opioid epidemic through the DEA’s newly public database that tracks every pain pill sold to pharmacies across the country. Steven Rich, The Post’s data editor, joins Hari Sreenivasan with…
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News & Updates – August 27, 2019; Issue 323
SAMHSA to Drop SUD Treatment Confidentiality Rule, Because “Times Change”
On August 22 the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in one of the biggest rulemakings undertaken in recent history, announced proposed changes to 42 CFR Part 2, the regulation which protects confidentiality for patients treatment in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment programs, including methadone. The Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for each of…
Continue Reading SAMHSA to Drop SUD Treatment Confidentiality Rule, Because “Times Change”
State Variation in Medicaid Prescriptions for Opioid Use Disorder from 2011 to 2018
Expanding access to effective treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) is essential to staunching the opioid epidemic. Access to these treatments is particularly important in Medicaid, which covers a disproportionately large share of people with OUD (MACPAC 2017). Despite strong evidence supporting the effectiveness of pharmacotherapy for OUD (sometimes called medication-assisted treatment), research indicates that…
Continue Reading State Variation in Medicaid Prescriptions for Opioid Use Disorder from 2011 to 2018
Feds to Revamp Confidentiality Rules for Addiction Treatment
Federal health officials proposed Thursday to revamp stringent patient confidentiality regulations from the 1970s to encourage coordination among medical professionals treating people caught in the nation’s opioid epidemic. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said the goal is to make it easier to share a patient’s drug treatment history with doctors treating that person…
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Johnson & Johnson Must Pay $572 Million to Oklahoma for the Company’s Role in the Epidemic
There are no real winners in the opioid epidemic. But on August 26, a judge in Oklahoma handed a small victory to the state, which had sued opioid-maker Johnson & Johnson for its role in the morass. In the first such ruling to hold a pharmaceutical company responsible for the opioid crisis, the judge found…
West Virginia Doctor Pleads Guilty in Pain Pill Case
A West Virginia doctor has pleaded guilty to illegally distributing prescription opioid medications. U.S. Attorney Mike Stuart says in a news release Muhammed Samer Nasher-Alneam pleaded guilty in federal court in Charleston last week. Nasher-Alneam operated the Neurology & Pain Center in Charleston. He admitted to writing prescriptions in July 2014 for oxycodone and methadone…
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Lost Lives and Long Odds: Inside STAT’s Decision to Take on Purdue
Last month, I got an email from a dear old friend from Kentucky with devastating news. Her daughter Kathryn had died of an opioid overdose. I was stunned, though perhaps I shouldn’t have been. I knew she had long struggled with addiction: A talented artist and writer, she was prescribed an opioid for wrist pain…
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Op/Ed: Stigma – Words Matter
By Corinne Dolman, Director, Substance Use, Interior Health Getting “clean.” “Junkie.” “Addict.” “Dirty” needles. The language we use to refer to people with substance use disorders can elicit many negative stereotypes. Substance use disorders are more highly stigmatized than any other health condition. (more…)
Tracing Fentanyl’s Journey To The United States
The vast majority of the opioid overdose deaths in Massachusetts this year have been associated with fentanyl, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. Bryce Pardo of the RAND Corporation has worked with national, state and local governments on crime and drug policy. Pardo spoke with WGBH Radio’s Jeb Sharp about fentanyl and how…
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News & Updates – August 21, 2019; Issue 322
Spate of Regulatory Moves from SAMHSA
August saw several regulatory moves by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA. Here are three which affect opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in particular: On 8/14, SAMHSA issued its proposed rule regarding Medicare coverage for medical-assisted treatment (buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone), which will take effect in January. Only OTPs are allowed to dispense methadone…
Hospitals Can Exclude Measuring Co-prescribing Methadone and Buprenorphine With Benzodiazepines in Palliative Care
In a final rule published August 16 in the Federal Register, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services said that information did not need to be collected on patients on methadone or buprenorphine receiving benzodiazepines as part of palliative care. (It also said it didn’t need to include cancer care.) “Some commenters recommended excluding patients…
SAMHSA Reaffirms OTP Certification Regulations
In a “comment request” published in the Federal Register August 13, SAMHSA has reiterated its certification requirements for OTPs. Comments are due by September 12. For more information, go to the source: https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2019/08/13/2019-17261/agency-information-collection-activities-submission-for-omb-review-comment-request What’s up with 42 CFR Part 2? We are still awaiting the rulemaking announcement on 42 CFR Part 2 from SAMHSA. As…
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NSDUH Shows Mysterious Decline in Illicit Drug Abuse Treatment in 2018
The National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) was released August 20, and surprised us by showing a decrease in treatment for illicit drug use in 2018, following an increase every year since 2015. Why was this? “While we do not know for certain, our thought is that the structure of the survey question…
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News & Updates – August 1, 2019; Issue 321
Hospitals’ Blind Spots are Fueling the Opioid Crisis — Here are Specific Ways Leaders Can Address Them
A major hole in the healthcare system has many hospitals and health systems fueling the nation’s opioid epidemic — unintentionally or not. To shed more light on the problem, Becker’s caught up with Gregory Rudolf, MD. Dr. Rudolf is board-certified in pain medicine and addiction medicine, and since 2004 has worked in a multidisciplinary pain management clinic…
Your Methadone History Could Soon be Shared Without Your Consent
The federal government wants to weaken confidentiality rules for patients with addictions. This means people who have been in any kind of treatment—even years ago—but will mainly affect methadone patients, because protections for other patients have already been chipped away at. Patients who have been treated for substance use disorder (SUD) are currently entitled to…
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AAFP Supports Methadone Treatment in Primary Care
One resolution at this year’s meeting of the American Association of Family Physicians (AAFP) with family physicians’ inability to prescribe methadone in the primary care setting for treatment of opioid use disorder. Resolution co-author Taylor Boland, M.D., of the University of Wisconsin Department of Family and Community Health’s Madison Family Medicine Residency Program, told a…
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Medicine-Assisted Treatment for Addiction Offered on Peninsula
The availability of medicine-assisted treatment has increased significantly on the North Olympic Peninsula over recent years. Since 2017 Olympic Medical Physicians in Port Angeles has developed a medicine-assisted treatment program, Nortch Olympic Healthcare Network, also of Port Angeles, started and then expanded its Suboxone program, and new clinics are opening soon. BayMark Health Services, awarded…
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Why Aren’t More People With Opioid Use Disorder Getting Buprenorphine?
More than 2 million Americans struggle with opioid use disorder (OUD), a chronic relapsing medical condition, but access to medication-assisted treatment—the most effective therapy—remains limited. Buprenorphine, one of three drugs approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat OUD, helps alleviate painful symptoms associated with the disorder. But few clinicians prescribe the drug. Ironically, federal…
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Delaware Prisons to get Opioid Treatment Program
Delaware’s Department of Correction says it’s expanding a program in prisons aimed at providing medication and therapy to opioid-addicted inmates. WBOC-TV reports DOC Healthcare Services chief Richman says a significant number of inmates enter Delaware facilities addicted to opioids. He says providing medication-assisted treatment programs can improve chances of reentry to society when they are…
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NIH Establishes Network to Improve Opioid Addiction Treatment in Criminal Justice Settings
The National Institutes of Health will award 12 grants to form the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN) to support research on quality addiction treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in criminal justice settings nationwide. The awards, totaling an estimated $155 million from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, part of NIH, will support the…
Trump Administration Tightens Opioid Prescriptions for Feds
The government’s employee health plan will tighten its rules for covering prescription opioid painkillers starting this fall, the Trump administration said Monday. The announcement by a senior administration official was part of a White House drug policy briefing. The official spoke on condition of anonymity under the media coverage rules established for the event. The…
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Employers Walk Fine Line With Opioid-Addicted Workers
Workers suffering from addiction are protected under the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, unless they’re currently using drugs illegally—a legal wrinkle that creates uncertainty for employers and employees in the midst of a national opioid epidemic. Medication-assisted treatment is considered to be the most effective option for breaking opioid addiction while reducing withdrawal symptoms, said…
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The Importance of Treating Opioid Use Disorder in the Justice System
If we are to effectively turn the tide on the opioid crisis, one of our top priorities must be integrating treatment for opioid addiction into the justice system. More than half of those in prison in the U.S. have been diagnosed with a substance use disorder, and 15 percent of those in jails and prisons…
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News & Updates – July 26, 2019; Issue 320
SAMHSA to Propose Changes to 42 CFR Part 2
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) wants to change its regulation requiring patients to consent to the release of their substance use disorder (SUD) treatment records. According to the SAMHSA proposal, which is now in the Office of Management and Budget and titled “Coordinating Care and Information Sharing in the Treatment of…
Teens Who Misuse Prescription Opioids More Likely to go on to Heroin: Link Not Necessarily Causal
Teens are more likely to use heroin if they misuse prescription opioids, a recent study of Los Angeles youth has found. The study did not make any conclusions about whether the association is causal, however. The researchers used a prospective longitudinal cohort study in 10 Los Angeles high schools. At baseline, all students had never…
Methadone Treatment and a Program for New Parents Approved for New Federal Child Welfare Law
The new clearinghouse for the Family First Prevention Services Act has approved another parent support program and a substance abuse treatment model. Methadone Maintenance Therapy (MMT) uses medically-prescribed methadone to reduce the use of heroin and other opioids by people struggling with addiction and dependency. Its inclusion on the original list of programs for review…
Orphan Drugs For Opioid Use Disorder: An Abuse Of The Orphan Drug Act
In November 2017, the drug company Indivior received Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for Sublocade, a once-monthly buprenorphine injection for patients with opioid use disorder. In December 2018, Braeburn Inc. received FDA approval for a similar product but could not sell it due to Indivior’s marketing exclusivity period. Typically, the FDA grants three years…
Continue Reading Orphan Drugs For Opioid Use Disorder: An Abuse Of The Orphan Drug Act
UMass Researchers Receive $10 Million Grant To Study Jail-based Opioid Addiction Treatment Program
Researchers at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and the University of Massachusetts Medical School-Baystate are among the scientists at a dozen institutions nationwide that will form the Justice Community Opioid Innovation Network (JCOIN), an ambitious, $155 million effort to improve opioid addiction treatment in criminal justice settings, the National Institutes of Health has announced. Source:…
Scientific Seminars Equip Judges to Counter Opioid Crisis
Soon after taking the bench in 2004, Yellowstone County District Court Judge Ingrid Gustafson noticed a troubling pattern. Many defendants passing through her criminal court in Billings, Montana, were repeat offenders with a substance use disorder that incarcerations had done little to address. Six years later, Gustafson founded the Yellowstone County Adult Drug Treatment Court…
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U.S. District Court Orders FDA to Reconsider Application for Final Approval of Brixadi (buprenorphine) Extended-Release Injection for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia (District Court) granted Braeburn’s motion for summary judgment, vacating the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) December 2018 exclusivity determination which blocked Brixadi from final approval through November 30, 2020. Braeburn’s application for final approval of Brixadi is remanded back to FDA for reconsideration “with deliberate…
As the Nation’s Opioid Crisis Grew, the Pills Got Stronger
In 2012, as the death toll from the nation’s opioid crisis mounted, drug companies shipped out enough of the powerful and addictive painkillers for every man, woman and child in the U.S. to have nearly a 20-day supply. In some counties, mostly in Appalachia, it was well over 100 days. An Associated Press analysis of…
Continue Reading As the Nation’s Opioid Crisis Grew, the Pills Got Stronger
Denial of Methadone Devastates Incarcerated People
When people who are dependent on opioids are incarcerated and denied access, they go into withdrawal—an often-painful condition with symptoms that include vomiting and diarrhea. Some incarcerated people have even died from this enforced “cold turkey.” Yet the huge majority of such people in US prisons and jails do not receive the medications that could…
Continue Reading Denial of Methadone Devastates Incarcerated People
News & Updates – July 22, 2019; Issue 319
- Standard Fixed-Schedule Methadone Taper Versus Symptom-Triggered Methadone Approach for Treatment of Neonatal Opioid Withdrawal Syndrome
- Opioid Use Decreased in Medicare Part D, While Medication-Assisted Treatment Increased
- Temporal Associations Between Medication Adherence for Patients With Schizophrenia and Opioid Dependence: A 17-Year Canadian Cohort Study
- A Peek Into Opioid Users’ Brains As They Try To Quit
- Methadone Maintenance Treatment And Mortality In People With Criminal Convictions: A Population-Based Retrospective Cohort Study From Canada
- Prescription Opioid Overdoses Drop, as Fentanyl Deaths Skyrocket
News & Updates – June 30, 2019; Issue 318
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- Characteristics of US Counties With High Opioid Overdose Mortality And Low Capacity To Deliver Medications For Opioid Use Disorder
- Fentanyl Crisis Prompts Change In Treatment Strategies
- The Next Step States Need To Take To Combat The Opioid Crisis
- State’s Plan To Increase Access To Drug Treatment Sparks Optimism
- Whistleblower Says VA Ordered Fake Appointments To Cut Waiting List
- Association Between Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs And Nonfatal And Fatal Drug Overdoses: A Systematic Review
- The US Opioid Epidemic Is Driving A Spike In Infectious Diseases
- Minnesota, Nebraska To Receive Federal Funding For Opioid Treatment
News & Updates – June 24, 2019; Issue 317
- Special Issue On STR From JSAT
- Kentucky To Expand Medicaid Drug Treatment Program In July
- Leveraging Medicaid To Combat The Opioid Epidemic: How Lead States And Health Plans Deliver Evidence-Based Treatment
- One-Year Mortality Of Patients After Emergency Department Treatment For Nonfatal Opioid Overdose
- Arizona Will Expand Drug Options For Treating Opioid Dependence
- One Possible Solution To The Opioid Crisis In The U.S. Has Been Inexplicably Ignored
- Association Between Medical Cannabis Laws And Opioid Overdose Mortality Has Reversed Over Time
- Hospitals Are A Missing Link In Easing The Opioid Crisis
- Niagara Falls Agency Opens Expanded Methadone Program
- Grand Jury: County-Funded Opioid Clinics Need More Oversight
- Heartview Expands To Meet Treatment Needs
News & Updates – June 17, 2019; Issue 316
- Woman With Opioid Addiction To Get Regular Methadone Treatment in Prison
- Improving the Use of Methadone for Drug Users With Tuberculosis To Prevent Withdrawal
- CDHS Announces Funding for Opioid Treatment in 17 County Jails
- The Van Vs. An Opioid Addiction: Taking Treatment to the Streets
- Can Medical Marijuana Help Combat the Opioid Epidemic? Maybe Not, New Study Finds.
- State Medicaid Agency Approves More Treatment Options for Opioid Addiction
- An Australian Doctor’s Dream: Curing America’s Opioid Curse
- Joint Commission: Opioid Use Better Managed With Leadership, Data Access
- Doctors Make Progress on Opioids, Call on Policymakers To Do More
- Lifesaving Naloxone Should Be Available Almost Everywhere
News & Updates – June 7, 2019; Issue 315
- Top Lawmaker Signals Support to Classify All Illicit Fentanyl Copycats Like Heroin
- She Shared Heroin With a Friend Who Fatally Overdosed. She’ll Now Spend 21 Years in Prison.
- Access to Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment in Areas With High Rates of Opioid-Related Mortality: An Audit Study
- Use Of Buprenorphine To Treat Opioid Addiction Proliferates In California
- Saskatchewan Pharmacists Temporarily Able To Prescribe Methadone
- CBD May Reduce Cravings, Anxiety In Recovering Heroin Abusers
- In Cities Where It Once Reigned, Heroin Is Disappearing
News & Updates – February 18, 2019; Issue 314
- 10 Things To Know About Fentanyl, The Potentially Deadly Drug
- How Cities Are Expanding Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- How The Americans With Disabilities Act Could Change The Way The Nation’s Jails And Prisons Treat Addiction
- Opioid Addicts Are Overdosing on Diarrhea Drug
- The Opioid Epidemic’s Disproportionate Effect On Middle-Aged Women
- Commonly Prescribed Meds for Treating Addiction Also Reduce Crime and Suicide
- What You Need To Know About Sleep Medications, Their Side Effects And Other Issues
- Struggling With Addiction? Tips On Finding Quality Treatment
- How Racial Bias Has Shaped the Opioid Epidemic
- 60% fewer insurers cover opioid addiction drugs now than in 2007 – but almost all cover the painkillers fueling the overdose epidemic, study finds
- Want a Better PDMP? Researchers, States are Working on
News & Updates – February 4, 2019; Issue 313
- Few Medical Facilities Offer Opioid Treatment Medication, Study Says
- FDA Tries to Speed OTC Naloxone Products
- Opioid Overdoses Now Claim More U.S. Lives Than Auto Accidents
- Opioid Crisis Has Caused Spike In Donor Organs Carrying Hepatitis C
- Steep Climb In Benzodiazepine Prescribing By Primary Care Doctors
- America’s Deadly New Normal
- When Going to Jail Means Giving Up The Meds That Saved Your Life
- Addressing Prescription Drug Addiction in Older Adults
- Higher Rates Of NAS Linked With Economic Conditions
- Study: Illicit Opioid Deaths To Rise By 147 Percent By 2025
- White House Prioritizes Opioid Abuse In First National Drug Control Strategy
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Sexual Minorities More Likely To Suffer Severe Substance Use Disorders – 1/14/19
- Commentary: Buprenorphine Prescribing Restrictions Threaten Progress in the Opioid Epidemic – 1/14/19
- Opioid prescriptions almost twice as likely for rural vs. urban Americans – 1/17/19
- Study confirms 1-hour discharge rule for patients given naloxone after opiate overdose – 1/22/19
- STASH, Vol.15(1) – Racial Disparities In Opioid Treatment Completion Across U.S. Cities – 1/22/19
- Perspective: Public Health Surveillance of Prenatal Opioid Exposure in Mothers and Infants – January 2019
- Young People With Opioid Addiction Face Barriers To Treatment – 2/1/19
News & Updates – January 13, 2019; Issue 312
- AATOD Releases Using Medication Assisted Treatment to Treat Opioid Use Disorder from Past Experience to Guide Policy
- AMA Calls On States To Remove Prior Authorization For Opioid Treatment
- Some Drug Users in Western U.S. Seek Out Deadly Fentanyl. Here’s Why.
- Opioids Fueled A Doubling Of Suicides And Overdoses In The US
- Opioid Crisis Roadmap Overlooks Gender
- Medicaid: What to Watch in 2019 from the Administration, Congress, and the States
- Would Heroin Vaccine Work? Experimental Drug To Be Tested In Syracuse
- Fatal Drug ODs Soaring Among Middle-Aged Women: CDC
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – January 7, 2019; Issue 311
- Pa. Supreme Court: Mother Who Used Drugs During Pregnancy Didn’t Commit Child Abuse
- Medicare For All Advocates Emboldened By Obamacare Lawsuit”
- After Naloxone, When Can Opioid Overdose Patients Be Safely Discharged?
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Year in Review: 2018 and the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders
- Fed Panel Releases Draft Report on Pain Management
- Drug Users Can Now Test If Fentanyl Is In The Drugs They Are Using, Before Injection
- Opioid Overdoses Costing U.S. Hospitals an Estimated $11 Billion Annually
- Additional Naloxone Formulation Submitted to FDA for Review
News & Updates – December 28, 2018; Issue 310
- New Resource From SAHHSA: Medicaid Coverage of Medication-Assisted Treatment for Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorders and of Medication for the Reversal of Opioid Overdose
- Nurse Denied Life Insurance Coverage Because She Specializes In Addiction Treatment
- Study Finds Increasing Use, And Misuse, Of Benzodiazepines
- Journal Article Abstract – Cost-Effectiveness of Buprenorphine–Naloxone Versus Extended-Release Naltrexone to Prevent Opioid Relapse
- US Urges Doctors To Write More Rx For Overdose Antidote
- First-Ever Analysis Of Industry-Specific Workplace Drug Testing Data
- Obamacare Is One Of The Best Tools We Have In Solving The Opioid Crisis
- Hepatitis C Cases Cluster In States Hit Hard By Opioids
- Can Methadone Lower Viral Loads?
- Few Patients Receiving Buprenorphine Taper Off; Most of Those Who Do Return to Treatment
- Links to Additional News of Interest
News & Updates – December 17, 2018; Issue 309
- It Didn’t Happen Overnight’: How The U.S. Opioid Crisis Got So Bad
- New Resource From SAMHSA: Healthy Pregnancy Healthy Baby Fact Sheet
- Surgeon General: Federal Drug Classification Needs Change
- Why You May Be Denied Life Insurance For Carrying Naloxone
- The Strongest Evidence Yet for a Highly Controversial Addiction Treatment
- Scientists Used Google Searches To Predict Heroin Overdose
- Opioids Exact Another Toll On Newborns: Smaller Head
- Top Ten Drugs Tied to Overdose Deaths
- Drug Company To Offer Cheaper Opioid Overdose Treatment After Hiking Price 600 Percent
- Generic Opioid Overdose Antidote Treatment to be Available in 2019
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – December 6, 2018; Issue 308
- Judge Rules Essex County Jail Must Give Man Methadone For Opioid Addiction
- Opioids In The Workplace: New Survey By The Hartford Shows Growing Impact And Increasing Need For Employers To Act Now
- Opioid Use Quadruples In Pregnant Americans In Just 10 Years
- Needle Exchanges Help Combat The Opioid Crisis. But Officials Keep Shutting Them Down.
- Hub And Spoke’ Growth Continues
- Why Would Anyone Cut Heroin With Fentanyl? It’s Cheap, These Researchers Say
- We Need to Talk About Benzodiazepines—Including Their Use in Drug Combinations
- Neuroscientist Thinks One Way To Fight Opioid Addiction Is To Tackle Loneliness
- Telemedicine Underused In Treating Addiction
- Opioid Rx From Dentist May Up Rates of Opioid Abuse in Youth
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – November 26, 2018; Issue 307
- Some States Add More Methadone Clinics To Fight Opioid Epidemic
- Patients Receive More Opioids Than Necessary After Surgery, Study Shows
- US Has Highest Rate Of Drug Overdoses, Study Says
- Many Drugstores Won’t Dispense Opioid Antidote As Required
- Overdose Reversing Drug Price Up 600% To $4,000
- Opioids Increasingly Tied To Deaths Of Pregnant Women
- New Website From HHS: Help, Resources and Information For the National Opioids Crisis
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – November 12, 2018; Issue 306
- Long Stigmatized, Methadone Clinics Multiply in Some States
- As Opioid Crisis Deepens, The Methadone Business Is Booming
- FDA Approves Powerful Opioid Despite Fears Of More Overdose Deaths
- DEA Releases 2018 National Drug Threat Assessment (NDTA)
- DEA Achieves Significant Milestone During 16th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day
- Over 2 Million Americans Have Hepatitis C; Opioids Help Drive Spread
- How the VA Is Battling Opioid Use Disorder
- New Resources on Building Workforce Development
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – October 29, 2018; Issue 305
- What’s Included In The Opioids Bill Signed By President Trump
- FDA Considers Requiring Co-Prescribing Overdose Antidote to Go Along With Opioids
- Feds Will Aid Infants And Mothers Affected By The Opioid Epidemic
- 50-State Survey Finds Flat Medicaid Enrollment Tied to a Stronger Economy and New Eligibility Systems
- AP Analysis: ‘Obamacare’ Shapes Opioid Grant Spending
- U.S. ‘Turning The Tide’ in the Opioid Crisis, Health Secretary Says
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Tapering Off Suboxone: Three Patients’ Success Stories
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – October 22, 2018; Issue 304
- Study Examines Certain Physicians’ Readiness to Treat OUD
- Lack Of Suboxone Access Leads Users In Need To The Black Market
- Mayors Ask for More Federal Funding for Opioids (SUPPORT Act)
- Naloxone Retail Dispensing Is Up 70 Percent
- Policy Levers That States Can Use To improve Opioid Addiction Treatment And Address The Opioid Epidemic
- American Medical Association: 10 Ways the New Opioids Bill Could Help Address the Epidemic
- Deep Systemic Change: My 10 Steps to Transform Addiction Treatment by Malia Szalavitz
- Fentanyl Test Strips Prove Useful In Preventing Overdoses
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – September 29, 2018; Issue 303
- Medicare and 42 CFR Part 2: Both Wins in Opioid Package
- HHS Awards Over $1 Billion to Combat the Opioid Crisis
- Some 129 Countries Sign Up To Trump’s Pledge At U.N. To Fight Drugs
- Study Of 600,000 Drug Deaths Since 1979 Upends What We Think About The Opioid Crisis
- HHS Makes a Pitch for Telemedicine in Substance Abuse Treatment
- HHS Supportive of MAT Prescribing by Nurse Anesthetists, Midwives
- Most Hospital ERs Won’t Treat Your Addiction. These Will.
- Reports Warn Of Growing Opioid Crisis Among Seniors
- Surgeon General Jerome Adams Calls For ‘Cultural Shift’ In Talking About Opioids
- American Medical Association: How Medicaid Programs Can Help End The Opioid Epidemic
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Drug users trying to stay ahead of deadly fentanyl – 9/17/18
- Failure of the Criminal Justice System to Accommodate Methadone Limits Addiction Recovery Among Incarcerated Individuals – 9/18/18
- How private sector can fight opioid epidemic – 9/19/18
- Researchers successfully train employees to respond to opioid overdose, administer naloxone – 9/21/18
- Blog: Embracing The Needs Of Pregnant Women And Infants In Our Nation’s Battle Against The Opioid – 9/24/18
News & Updates – September 16, 2018; Issue 302
- The GOP Says Expanding Medicaid Fueled The Opioid Crisis. This Study Shows Otherwise.
- The Success Of Medicaid Expansion, Explained In 5 Charts
- Arkansas Scraps Medicaid Coverage For Thousands Of Individuals
- Number Of New Heroin Users Drops Dramatically, But Meth, Marijuana Use Up, Survey Says
- There Are Solutions To The Opioid Epidemic. Here’s How You Convince People To Support Them.
- Young People With Opioid Addiction Not Getting Proper Treatment
- How the Smallest State (Rhode Island) is Defeating America’s Biggest Addiction Crisis
- Nearly 30 Percent Of Patients Prescribed Opioids Had No Recorded Pain Diagnoses
- One In Four Older Adults Prescribed A Benzodiazepine Goes On To Risky Long-Term Use
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Buprenorphine Prescribed in Two Settings – It Depends on the Needs of the Patient
- Highest Opioid-Related Mortality Seen In Construction Jobs
- 4 Factors That Add To Stigma Surrounding Opioid-Use Disorder
- Poorest Americans Most Likely To Have Used Prescription Opioids—And Most Users View Opioids Positively
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – August 26, 2018; Issue 301
- MAT for Opioid Abuse Increased Under Medicaid Expansion
- Trump Readies New Round of Controversial Medicaid Changes
- Opioid Abuse and Dependence Treatment: A Tapestry of Variation
- US Drug Overdose Deaths Surge Amid Fentanyl Scourge
- FDA Will Broaden How It Evaluates New Addiction Treatment Drugs
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – August 09, 2018; Issue 300
- Research Summary: Many Patients Struggle to Stop Buprenorphine Use
- Prison Inmates 40 Times More Likely to Die From Opioid Overdose Two Weeks After Release
- Antianxiety Drugs — Often More Deadly Than Opioids — Are Fueling The Next Drug Crisis In US
- Opioid Addicts Turning to Unapproved Antidepressant to Get High
- Overdose Risks During Pregnancy Examined in New Study
- Higher Buprenorphine Dose May Not Increase Severity of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
- Emergency Physicians Offer Recommendations for Identifying and Managing Opioid Use Disorder
- New Study Ignites Debate Over Cost Of ‘Medicare For All’
- The Hidden Victims of Opioid Addiction: Children in Foster Care
- Judge: Opioid Distribution Data Not for Public Consumption
- As Opioid Epidemic Rages, Painkiller Prescriptions Don’t Drop
- Some Treatment Options for Opioid Epidemic Risk Serious Unintended Consequences
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Shortage of Drug Counselors Leaves Many Opioid-Addicted People Waiting To Get Treatment – 7/18/18
- Breaking the Stigma of Addiction & Mental Illness- At Sen. King’s panel discussion on opiates – 7/19/18
- Is Forcing People With Substance Use Disorder Into Drug Treatment a Good Idea? – 7/19/18
- Featured News: Study Finds “Gender Paradox” in Opioid Overdose Rates Among Young Adults – 7/19/18
- Opinion: To tackle the opioid crisis, look to the states – 7/24/18
News & Updates – July 20, 2018; Issue 299
- The Opioid Epidemic in America: An Update From Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Study Reveals Opioid Patients Face Multiple Barriers to Treatment
- 500,000 Opioid Deaths Expected Next Decade. Why?
- Drug Use During Pregnancy Is Not Child Abuse: Experts Weigh in On Pennsylvania Court Decision
- Opioid Addiction, Criminal Justice Link Strong
- Hepatitis C Vaccine Could Dramatically Reduce Transmission in People Who Inject Drugs
- Defendants on Probation Can Be Jailed for Drug Relapse, Court Rules
- Statement by FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, M.D., On Balancing Access to Appropriate Treatment for Patients With Chronic and End-Of-Life Pain With Need to Take Steps to Stem Misuse and Abuse Of Opioids
- One In 10 Tennessee Children Prescribed Opioids For Non-Severe Conditions Over 15-Year Period, Study Finds
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEW OF INTEREST
- Reduced HIV Viral Suppression Among Methadone-Maintained Patients – 7/9/18
- Kratom Draws Support And Controversy As Opioid Addiction Treatment – 7/9/18
- To End The Opioid Crisis, Doctors Must Acknowledge We Helped Create It – 7/11/18
- Stopping The Opioid Crisis: 7 Things Only Reporters Can Do – 7/12/18
- New CDC Director, A Veteran of Fight Against HIV/AIDS, Seeks to Tackle Opioid Epidemic – 7/12/18
- Blog: Methadone and Mixed Messages – 7/13/18
- Dutch cut overdose deaths by dispensing pure heroin – 7/15/18
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Stigma and Substance Use Disorders – 7/16/18
News & Updates – July 8, 2018; Issue 298
- Federal Legislative Proposals Related to Medicaid and Opioids: What to Watch
- Opinion: It’s Time for Methadone to Be Prescribed as Part of Primary Care by Jeffrey Samet, Michael Botticelli, and Monica Bharel
- Opioid Epidemic Responses Overlook Gender
- State Prisons Fail to Offer Cure to 144,000 Inmates With Deadly Hepatitis C
- Disparities in Opioid Abuse Treatment Increased Among Medicaid Recipients, Study Finds
- Kids’ Exposure to Addiction Drug (Buprenorphine) Rose 215% In Three Years, Study Says
- A Cheaper Preservation Approach to Keep Babies Exposed to Opioids with Mom
- Research Summary: Buprenorphine Diversion Driven by Withdrawal Prevention, Abstinence Maintenance
- Chronic Pain Patients, Overlooked In Opioid Crisis, Getting New Attention From Top At FDA
- Language Matters: A Recovery Scientist Explains the Impact of Our Words
- Here’s Why We Must Continue to Study Kratom And Other Opioid-Like Drugs
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Opinion: Doctors Should Be Handing Out Addiction Meds on Demand – 6/26/18
- Opinion: A Solution To The Opioid Epidemic From The Urban And Rural America Perspective: The Care Act – 6/26/18
- How opioid addiction alters our brains to always want more – 6/27/18
- This Bill Could Give Jeff Sessions the Power to Ban Kratom – 6/27/18
- Undercount Seen in Opioid Deaths: Closer look increases toll by 70,000 during 1999-2015 – 6/27/18
- Attorney General Jeff Sessions Announces Uttam Dhillon as New Acting Administrator Of Drug Enforcement Administration – 7/2/18
News & Updates – June 26, 2018; Issue 297
- House Approves Bill Expanding Treatment for Opioid Abuse
- SAMHSA Announces $930 Million Funding Opportunity to Combat the Opioid Crisis
- Study: Methadone and Buprenorphine Reduce Risk of Death After Opioid Overdose
- The Severe Economic Costs of The US Opioid Crisis
- Opioid Overdose Responsible for Over 500,000 Years of Life Lost in Ohio
- Newborns in Opioid Withdrawal May Do Better On Methadone Than Morphine, Major Study Finds
- FDA Approves Generic Version of Opioid Treatment Drug Suboxone (Naloxone)
- CMS Pushes Medicaid’s Role in Treating Opioid Disorders
- Benzodiazepine Users Five Times More Likely to Overdose on Opioids
- Opioid Crisis Sending Thousands of Children into Foster Care
- Rural Physicians With 30-Person Buprenorphine Waiver Average 8.8 Consumers
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Kids’ Exposure to Addiction Drug (Buprenorphine) Rose 215% In Three Years, Study Says – 6/25/18
- The Trump Appointee Who’s an Addiction Specialist Dr. Elinore McCance-Kantz – 6/23/18
- Places With High Opioid Use Favored Trump in 2016, Study Says – 6/22/18
- Needle exchanges have been proved to work against opioid addiction. They’re banned in 15 states.- 6/22/18
- House passes Medicare Part D electronic prior authorization bill – 6/20/18
- Facebook to redirect users searching for opioids to federal crisis help line – 6/19/18
- Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Announces Capt.Chideha Ohuoha as the new SAMHSA Director of CSAT – 6/16/18
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: When the DEA Raids Buprenorphine Doctors – 6/12/18
- This Is Why Xanax Is Blowing Up in America – 6/11/18
- Death rate from opioid epidemic could be higher than estimated, Rutgers study find – 6/2/18
- SAMHSA Releases Updated Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit – June 2018
- Court-Mandated Substance Abuse Treatment: Exploring the Ethics and Efficacy – 5/29/18
News & Updates – June 11, 2018; Issue 296
- Bills Look at Expanding Medicare To Cover OTPs
- House Set to Vote on More Than 20 Bills to Combat Opioid Addiction
- D.C. Week: CMS Issues First State Medicaid Scorecards. Also: Medicare Trust Fund to Run Dry 3 Years Sooner Than Expected
- AMA Task Force Reports Progress on Reversing Opioid Epidemic
- A New Study Shows Stigma Is Hurting Our Response to the Opioid Epidemic
- Mobile Treatment Vans Show Promise in Fighting Opioid Epidemic
- Senators Target Medicaid in Telehealth Bills Tackling Opioid Abuse
- Hepatitis C Patients Routinely Denied Drugs In 45 States, A Penn Study Shows
- Number of Opioid Prescriptions Falls For Fifth Year In A Row
- SAMHSA And ONC Publish Two New Guidance Documents Clarifying 42 CFR Part 2
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- America’s Rich and Powerful Have Permission Slips to Get High – 5/21/18
- Vermont’s Hub-and-Spoke Approach to Opioid Treatment Catching On – 5/22/18
- Red States Find There’s No Free Pass on Medicaid Changes from Trump – 5/22/18
- Pennsylvania Becomes First State to Approve Medical Marijuana to Treat Opioid Addiction – 5/22/18
- Incarcerated Opioid Addicts Often Have to Tough Out Withdrawal. Some Jails Say They Have A Better Way – 5/23/18
- Opioid Crisis Takes A Toll On Economic Outlook For Many Americans, Fed Says – 5/23/18
- The History of Heroin (And What People Still Get Wrong) – 5/25/18
- Unseen Face Of The Opioid Epidemic: Drug Abuse Among The Elderly Grows – 5/25/18
- Most Infants Exposed to HCV Are Not Screened for Infection – 5/27/18
- Police Seize Enough Fentanyl To Kill 26 Million People – 5/29/18
- U.S. Drug Overdoses Mean More Organs For Transplantation, Harvard Study Shows – 5/30/18
News & Updates – May 21, 2018; Issue 295
- Portman, Casey Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Expand Opioid Treatment Medication for Seniors
- GAO Blog: A Multi-Front Effort on Substance Abuse
- House Panel Advances Dozens of Opioid Bills
- In A First, FDA Approves Drug Meant to Mitigate Symptoms of Opioid Withdrawal
- Pregnant Women on Opioids Shouldn’t Go ‘Cold Turkey’ to Protect Their Baby
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Medication-Assisted Treatment in An Aging Population Part I and II
- Overdose 101: New York Inmates Trained to Use Opioid Antidote Kit
- San Francisco Will Bring Anti-Addiction Medication to Users on The Streets
- The Private Sector Has A Powerful Incentive to Treat Opioid Addiction by Rob Portman, a Republican, represents Ohio in the Senate.
Links to Additional News of Interest
- The Stigma Of Addiction Treatment Medication
- Chronic pain sufferers say they are having trouble getting medicine due to opioid epidemic
- Opioid Addiction In U.S.: 7 In 10 Say It’s A Very Serious Problem – CBS News Poll
- Melania Trump’s “Be Best” Campaign Tackles Emotional Health, Opioid Abuse
- How Is The Opioid Crisis Affecting Students In The US?
- Blog: May is Hepatitis Awareness Month. 10 Things to Know About Hepatitis
- $5K settlement for nursing home that declined to admit opioid dependent patient
- Body’s ‘Natural Opioids’ Affect Brain Cells Much Differently Than Morphine
- Opioid epidemic leaving grandparents to raise grandchildren
News & Updates – May 9, 2018; Issue 294
- Access to Maintenance Medications for Opioid Addiction Is Expanding. Prisons Need to Get on Board.
- Blog: Reversing Stigma Is Key to Stemming the Opioid Epidemic
- Adding Buprenorphine Prescribers Will Save Lives
- Study Finds Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Ineffective at Curbing Overdoses
- Surgeon General Says Opioid Addiction Harming U.S. Economy
- People Are Using A $1 Test Strip to Check Their Drugs for Fentanyl
- Fentanyl Figures in Most Fatal Drug Overdoses in U.S. Researchers Say
- Benzodiazepines: America’s ‘Other Prescription Drug Problem’
- Nearly One in Four Americans Know Someone with an Opioid Problem
- New Law Makes It Easier for Kentucky to Take Babies Exposed to Drugs by Their Mothers
- Insurance Company Red Tape: A Potentially Deadly Barrier to Opioid Addiction Treatment
- Sources of Misused Opioids in Older Adults
- William White Blog: Recovery Support For People In Medication Assisted Recovery: The Context
- Hospitals Struggle to Deal With National Opioid Epidemic
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Nursing homes routinely refuse people on addiction treatment — which some experts say is illegal
- ‘Deaths of despair’ see massive spike in U.S – Isolation and growing economic anxiety exact significant toll, particularly on less-educated rural residents
- Can Dogs Help Kids Affected By The Opioid Crisis?
- The role of cannabis in the opioid crisis is focus of new expert roundtable discussion
News & Updates – April 25, 2018; Issue 293
- Opioid Treatment Gap In Medicare: Methadone Clinics
- CMS Continues to Focus Medicare Plans on Preventing Opioid Abuse
- Senate Health Committee Unanimously Passes Bipartisan Bill To Take Next Step In Helping States Fight Opioid Crisis
- On Child Welfare, an Insufficient Federal Response to the Opioid Epidemic
- The Opioid Epidemic and Medicaid’s Role in Facilitating Access to Treatment
- Opioid Prescriptions Decreasing While Addiction Therapy Drugs Double
- Despite OD Risk, Opioid-Benzo Rx Continues
- There’s A Science-Backed Treatment for Drug Addiction That Works — But It’s Nearly Impossible To Get
- 3 Barriers to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Drug Court Participants and How They Can Be Overcome
- AMA, ASAM Create Alternative Payment Model for Opioid Use Disorder
- FDA Takes New Steps to Advance the Development of Innovative Products for Treating Opioid Use Disorder
- There’s A 24-Fold Rise in Organ Transplants From Drug Overdose Donors
- Nursing Homes Routinely Refuse People on Addiction Treatment — Which Some Experts Say Is Illegal
- The Next Naloxone? Companies, Academics Search for Better Overdose-Reversal Drugs
- William White Blog: The Role of Medicine in Addiction Treatment
- NIH Launches HEAL Initiative, Doubles Funding To Accelerate Scientific Solutions To Stem National Opioid Epidemic
- Trump Administration Tells Addiction Doctors: Medicine Is Now The ‘Standard’ For Opioid Care
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Poll: Most Americans wary of those suffering from addiction, despite recognition of medical condition – 4/5/18
- Senators to Trump: what ever happened to your opioid commission’s proposals? – 4/9/18
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Opioids and Gabapentin: A Potentially Dangerous Mixture – 4/10/18
- Opioid addiction treatment with medicine works best. Why don’t more young people get it? – 4/11/18
- Opioid addiction treatment drug helps suppress HIV in former prisoners – 4/12/18
- Scientists Are Developing A Vaccine to End Addiction: 5 Things To Know – 4/16/18
- Trump builds on Obama opioid policy – 4/16/18
- Justice Department takes down multi-state heroin and fentanyl network – 4/17/18
- Prematurely Terminating Use of Vivitrol May Increase Chance of Overdose – 4/18/18
- New York Times Editorial: An Opioid Crisis Foretold – 4/21/18
News & Updates – April 6, 2018; Issue 292
- CDC: Synthetic Opioid Deaths Doubled from 2015 to 2016
- The Surgeon General Just Called For Making An Overdose-Reversing Drug Available To Everyone
- How Drug Mortality Rates Vary Across the United States
- NIDA Director: Opioid Overdose ED Patients Need Access to Tx
- Opioid Addiction Prevention and Treatment Research Federal Funding to Nearly Double
- Medicaid-Covered Opioid Abuse Treatments Skyrocket
- Trump Opioid Plan Writes in Favoritism to Single Company’s Addiction Medication
- White House Wants Americans To Share Addiction Stories On New Website
- Nearly 1 Million People Out of Workforce Due to Opioid Addiction: Study
- Poll: Most Americans Wary of Those Suffering From Addiction, Despite Recognition Of Medical Condition
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Driving on Methadone
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- You Can’t Overdose on Fentanyl by Touching It – 3/21/18
- Frequent, public drug users may be good candidates for overdose-treatment training – 3/26/18
- Dentist Group Puts Teeth in Push to Curb Opioid Painkillers – 3/26/18
- How Many Opioid Overdoses Are Suicides? – 3/28/18
- NY Expands Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to 25 States – 3/30/18
- There’s no such thing as an ‘opioid-addicted’ newborn – 4/3/18
- How Advertising Shaped the First Opioid Epidemic and What It Can Teach Us About the Second – 4/3/18
- Opioid addiction treatments are costing employers billions – 4/5/18
News & Updates – March 26, 2018; Issue 291
- Congress’s Omnibus Bill Adds $3.3 Billion To Fight the Opioid Crisis. It’s Not Enough.
- Medicaid Essential To Addressing Opioid Epidemic: 4 Report Insights
- Federal Ban on Methadone Vans Seen as Barrier to Treatment
- Women, Economic Opportunity and Opioid Addiction
- Advocates Inch Closer to A National PDMP
- Quality Improvement for NAS: A Welcome Approach to a Challenging Problem
- How America’s Prisons Are Fueling the Opioid Epidemic
- US Study Linking Opioid Overdose Treatment to Crime Asks Wrong Question
- Senate Bill Seeks to Increase Number of Opioid Treatment Professionals
- Drug Deaths Rose 8,370% In Some US Counties Over 34 Years
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Guest Dosing at Opioid Treatment Programs
- Fentanyl: Obscure Hospital Drug. Here’s How It Completely Took Over the US Illicit Drug Market.
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – March 13, 2018; Issue 290
- Opioid Overdoses Treated in Emergency Departments: CDC Vital Signs New Report
- White House Opioids Summit Highlights Plans to Fight Crisis
- Medicaid Expansion Dramatically Increased Coverage for People with Opioid-Use Disorders, Latest Data Show
- Opioid Crisis Spurs Medicaid Funds Push
- The States Taking the Opioid Epidemic Seriously (And Not), In One Map
- Opioids: House Panel Debates Mandatory Prescriber Training
- New Opioid Treatment Model Increases Efficiency
- Xanax, Valium Looking Like America’s Next Drug Crisis
- $1 Fentanyl Test Strip Could Be a Major Weapon against Opioid ODs
- Governors Ask Congress for More $$ for Opioid Epidemic
- Research Highlights Need to Test Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder for Hepatitis C
- Lawmakers Seek Information on Curbing Opioid Addiction in Medicare
Links to Additional News of Interest
- FDA to Expand Medication-Assisted Therapy for Opioid Addicts
- The Hill: What Caused the Opioid Crisis?
- Gaps in providers’ ability to prescribe buprenorphine hinder opioid treatment efforts – Free registration required.
- Opioid Crisis Affects Children and Teens Too
- Salmonella Found In Kratom Samples As Multi-State Outbreak Expands
- Inside the Secret Lives of Functioning Heroin Addicts
- Opinions: The ‘moral hazard’ of naloxone in the opioid crisis
- Pharmacotherapy Improves Criminal Justice Outcomes in Opioid Dependence With Mental Illness
News & Updates – February 22, 2018; Issue 289
- SAMHSA Publishes Guidance on Clinical Best Practices Using Medication-Assisted Treatment to Combat the Opioid Epidemic
- Opioid Treatment Advocates Get A Funding Boost, But Worry It Isn’t Enough
- Cost of U.S. Opioid Epidemic Since 2001 Is $1 Trillion And Climbing
- Which Opioid Addiction Treatments Work? White House OKs Study to Find Answers
- Treatment Behind Bars: Study Shows Addiction Treatment Program at ACI Saves Lives
- Opioid Abuse Treatment in Works Targets Fentanyl
- Why Do So Few Docs Have Buprenorphine Waivers?
- How Trump’s Medicaid Work Requirements Prevent Opioid Treatment
- ‘It’s a National Problem.’ How Hospitals Are Treating Opioid Addiction’s Youngest Sufferers
- Heroin Vaccine Blocks Lethal Overdose
- Expanding Hepatitis C Testing to All Adults Is Cost-Effective and Improves Outcomes
- Legal Action Center Webinar: 42 CFR PART 2: What Changed Under the Final Rules in 2017 and 2018
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- ASAM Announces 2018-2021 Strategic Plan – 2/20/18
- In America’s Opioid Crisis, Military Lets Drug Shipments Go By – 2/16/18
- Kratom: Is it safe for pain or a dangerous opioid? – 2/15/18
- The Trump Administration Says Proposed Heroin Injection Sites Could Face “Legal Action” – 2/14/18
- Surgeon general offers advice on fighting opioids – 2/14/18
- Amid Opioid Crisis, Cities Face Gabapentin, Too – 2/13/18
News & Updates – February 14, 2018; Issue 288
- Babies With Opioid Withdrawal Might Do Better Outside The ICU
- No Surprise: Babies Born with NAS Have Smaller Head Circumference
- New From SAMHSA – Clinical Guidance for Treating Pregnant and Parenting Women With Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants
- GAO Report: States Need U.S. Help To Protect Infants Affected By Opioids, Other Drugs
- U.S. Budget Deal Grants $1.5 Billion For Drug-Affected Babies, Families
- Senators Want Telemedicine Up Front In The Opioid Epidemic Battle
- Methadone Improves Inmate Outcomes
- Research Traces Primary Cause of Opioid Epidemic—It’s Not Despair
- Responding to Opioid Crisis, FDA Puts More Restrictions on Imodium
- Link Between Medical Marijuana and Fewer Opioid Deaths Is More Complex Than Previously Reported
- The Herbal Supplement Kratom Is an Opioid, According to a New FDA Warning
- CMS Pushing 7-Day Limit on Initial Opioid Scripts
- Attorney General Sessions Announces DEA Surge to Combat Prescription Drug Diversion
- Fentanyl In the News
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- $6 billion allotted to fight opioid epidemic — here’s how we should spend it – 2/8/18
- Would a border wall have prevented the opioid epidemic? – 2/2/18
- Ask an Expert: I’m Pregnant and on Methadone – 1/31/18
- CDC head resigns after report she traded tobacco stocks – 1/31/18
- 20.8 Million Prescription Painkillers Sent To West Virginia Town With Population Of 2,900 – 1/30/18
News & Updates – January 28, 2018; Issue 287
- DEA Announces Step to Increase Opioid Addiction Treatment – Deregulation Enables Mid-Level Practitioners to Prescribe and Dispense Buprenorphine to Addicts
- Senate Confirms Trump Health Secretary
- Trump Administration Plans to Gut Drug Prevention Office, Eliminate Budgetary Authority
- Medicaid, ObamaCare Driving Opioid Epidemic: Senate Report
- Trump Administration Extending Opioid Emergency Declaration
- Senate Report: Americans Bought Nearly $800 Million in Chinese Fentanyl Opioid Online
- Government Cracks Down on Fake Opioid Recovery Drugs Sold Online
- Congress Takes the Sting Out of Obamacare
- Study Shows Opioid Prescriptions Come From Doctor Offices, Not Emergency Rooms
- $1.4 Million An Hour: That’s How Much This Problem Costs Missouri
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Bad Weather Take Home Doses for Opioid Treatment Program Patients
- Scripps Researcher Developing Vaccine to Battle Heroin Addiction
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Native American, Rural Women Hit Hardest by Opioid Crisis, Experts Say – 1/26/18
- Why some US cities are opening safe spaces for injecting heroin – 1/25/18
- Opioid Epidemic Also Taking Toll on Babies – 1/22/18
- Lawmakers Want Better Treatment For Opioid-Addicted Teens – 1/19/18
- Elinore F. McCance-Katz: We’re Bringing New Urgency to Crisis – 1/17/18
- The Opioid Crisis Is Blurring the Legal Lines Between Victim and Perpetrator – 1/15/18
News & Updates – January 15, 2018; Issue 286
- Public Perception of The Opioid Crisis: 6 Key Findings From 7 National Polls
- House Opioid Task Force Has Big Plans for 2018
- Featured News: Need for Multiple Naloxone Doses on the Rise
- US Turns to Trump Targets – UN, China and Mexico – For Help in Opioid Crisis
- To Combat Drug Smuggling, Trump Signs Bill to Provide $9 Million For Opioid Sensors
- Opinion: A Seven-Step Plan for Ending the Opioid Crisis
- A Medicaid Work Requirement Would Be Bad Policy Without The Opioid Crisis. It’s Disastrous With It.
- Did Americans Turn to Opioids Out of Despair – or Just Because They Were There?
- SAMHSA Is Accepting Applications For Up To $76 Million In Drug Court Funding
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Increase in Opioid Overdoses Leads to Rise in Organ Donations – 1/1/18
- New From NIDA: Kappa Opioid Receptor Structure Revealed, A Potential Milestone in Medication Development – 1/4/18
- Inside the Story of America’s 19th-Century Opiate Addiction – 1/4/18
- Is Genetic Testing Part Of The Solution To The Opioid Crisis? – 1/5/18
- How Opioids Kill What happens in the body during a fatal overdose? And why is fentanyl responsible for more deaths than ever? – 1/8/18
- To Understand Why America’s Opioid Epidemic Keeps Getting Worse, Just Look at This Map – 1/10/18
- FDA Acts to Protect Kids from Serious Risks of Opioid Ingredients Contained in Some Prescription Cough and Cold Products By Revising Labeling To Limit Pediatric Use – 1/11/18
- Mapping How The Opioid Epidemic Sparked An HIV Outbreak – 1/14/18
News & Updates – January 5, 2018; Issue 285
- SAMHSA Finalizes Changes to Clarify Health Privacy Rules for People Who Seek Substance Use Disorder Treatment
- The Opioid Crisis Is Driving Down U.S. Life Expectancy, New Data Shows
- More Than Half Think Painkillers a Major Problem, But Not a National Emergency: Report
- Second Injectable Buprenorphine Product Shows Promise
- Q&A: SAMHSA’s New Chief, Elinore McCance-Katz
- Experimental Heroin Vaccine Could Help Combat Opioid Crisis
- Beware These 7 Myths of Opioid Addiction | Opinion
- Watchdog Warns Congress to Be on Lookout for Fraud In $50 Billion Psychiatric-Behavioral Market
- Slow-Release Oral Morphine Could Expand Options for Treating Opioid Abuse
- Novel Treatment Reduces Opioid Abuse
- Viewpoint: The Opioid Crisis in Correctional Facilities – How Connected Treatment Can Help
- Drug Users Are Forming Unions to Protect Their Rights and Safety
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Trump Said the Drug Epidemic Is Unlike Anything in American History. Is He Right? – 1/4/18
- ‘Farm Town Strong’ Spotlights Opioid Crisis’ Impact on Farm Communities – 1/4/18
- Inside the Story of America’s 19th-Century Opiate Addiction – 1/4/18
- We Mobilized Against Flu, Cancer and Heart Attacks. Where’s the Urgency on Opioids? – 1/4/18
- LA County Substance Abuse Medical Director Says Diversity is Strength in the Fight against the Opioid Epidemic – 1/3/18
- Federal Tax Cut Is Tiny Compared To Impact Of Opioid Crisis – 1/2/18
- What We Don’t Know About Drugs Is Killing Us – 12/29/17
News & Updates – December 20, 2017; Issue 284
- The Uncomfortable Truths Behind The Latest Numbers On Teen Drug Use
- Fentanyl Is So Potent Doctors Don’t Know How To Fight It
- Psychotherapy May Up Buprenorphine Adherence in Opioid Use Disorder
- To Survive the Opioid Addiction Crisis, Women Need More than “Just Say No” Slogans
- Digital Pills Track How Patients Use Opioids
- How Hurricane Prep Helped People With Addiction
- Prescriptions For Opioid Painkillers May Come With Another Rx, For Naloxone
- The Economic Value for Employers of Workplace Drug Testing
- Lawmakers Push Back Against The Latest Flimsy Campaign To Crack Down On Kratom
- New Vaccine Technology Shows Promise as A Tool to Combat the Opioid Crisis
- What’s the Difference Between Opiates and Opioids?
- Drug Users Are Forming Unions To Protect Their Rights And Safety
Links to Additional News of Interest
- These Pharmaceutical Companies Are Making a Killing Off the Opioid Crisis – Why Do the Manufacturers 0f Naloxone, The Life-Saving Overdose Antidote, Keep Hiking the Price? – 12/15/17
- On opioids, the White House keeps talking and planning — but not doing anything of significance – 12/14/17
- Looking ahead: Some of FDA’s major policy goals for 2018 – 12/14/17
- Opioid Crisis Strains Foster System as Kids Pried From Homes – 12/12/17
- Treating The New Hepatitis C Generation On Their Turf – 12/12/17
News & Updates – December 11, 2017; Issue 283
- FDA Approves First Once-Monthly Buprenorphine Injection, A Medication-Assisted Treatment Option for Opioid Use Disorder
- Driving on Methadone: State Laws, Medical Research Have Separate Standards of Safety, Legality
- Sessions Steps Up Enforcement Actions in Opioid Crisis
- Range of Opioid Prescribers Play Important Role in Epidemic, Study Finds
- Chronic Pain + Mental Health Disorder = Risk of Opioid Overdose
- Four Addiction Myths Shattered
- GOP Medicaid Work Rules Imperil Care For Opioid Abusers
- Opioid Crisis: Criminal Justice Referrals Miss Treatment Opportunities, Study Suggests
- Commentary: The Hidden Health Crisis Of The Opioid Epidemic
- Military Veterans Need More Accessible Addiction Treatment
- Report Finds Big Disparities in Mental Health Payments
- New Resource From SAMHSA: Preventing Opioid Overdose: Understanding Good Samaritan Laws
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Continuum of Care for Opioid Use Disorder – 12/11/17
- Methadone vs Buprenorphine During Pregnancy and Risk for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome – 12/8/17
- The Latest Opioid Apps are Hot Off the HHS Data Press – 12/8/17
- Medicare to More Closely Scrutinize Opioid Prescribing -12/8/17
- Ohio Gas station installs anti-heroin lighting in bathrooms – 12/7/17
- Understanding Overdose: the physiology of drug use and overdose – 12/4/17
- This App Warns Heroin Users When Their Drugs are Laced With Fentanyl – 12/4/17
- 4 ways that telemedicine can address the opioid crisis – 12/1/17
- In search of: Researchers explore the ocean for alternatives to opioids – 11/28/17
- Can Patients Sue Hospitals for Post-Op Opioid Addiction? – 11/27/17
News & Updates – November 29, 2017; Issue 282
- ATForum.com – 50+ New Conferences/Meetings Have Been Added to the Website
- The True Cost Of Opioid Epidemic Tops $500 Billion, White House Says
- Here’s What It Would Cost to Fix the Opioid Crisis, According to 5 Experts
- Study: Substituting Methadone for Opioids Could Save Billions
- Opioid Crisis Hitting Boomers, Millennials Hardest
- 12 Percent Of Americans Say A Family Member Is Addicted To Opioids, New Survey Shows
- New AATOD End of the Year Newsletter
- Introduction Is Different, But Top Medications For Opioid Addiction Equally Effective
- Medicaid Coverage For Methadone Improves Treatment For Opioid Use Disorder In Pregnancy
- New Group Advocates For $45B To Fight Opioid Epidemic
- The New Oxy? There’s Another Popular Prescription Drug To Watch
- Marijuana Could Be Huge for Treating HIV
- Army Lifts Ban For Some Mental Health Conditions, Addiction
- FDA Clears Nerve Stimulator To Aid Recovery From Opioids
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Study finds medical cannabis is effective at reducing opioid addiction – 11/16/17
- FDA Warns Against Using Kratom For Opioid Addiction – 11/14/17
- New SAMHSA Publication: Tips for Survivors of a Disaster or Other Traumatic Event: COPING WITH RETRAUMATIZATION
News & Updates – November 13th, 2017; Issue 281
- New Care Model Closes Significant Gap in Addiction Treatment
- Group: Fentanyl to Fuel Opioid Deaths 5 More Years
- Chemists Develop Method to Quickly Screen, Identify Fentanyl and Other Drugs of Abuse
- Fighting Overdose Epidemic, US Bans All Fentanyl-Type Drugs
- It’s Far More Than Overdoses: IV Opioid Users’ Diseases Overwhelm Hospitals
- The CDC Has Launched the First Wave of Its Awareness Campaign About Prescription Opioids
- Commentary: The Opioid Crisis Is at Its Worst in Rural Areas. Can Telemedicine Help?”
- Two Thirds of Pain Patients in a New Study Used Cannabis to Get Off Opioids
- ‘This Is Just the Beginning’: Scope of Opioid Lawsuits Widens to Include Hospital Accreditor
- CMS Policy Paves Way For Expanded Access To Opioid Treatment
- Science Suggests There’s No Such Thing as an ‘Addictive Personality’ — Here’s Why
- Alkermes Calls for Impartial National Review of Scientific Data Supporting the Use of FDA-Approved Treatment Options for Opioid Dependence
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Ending the opioid epidemic requires multi-stakeholder commitment – 11/10/17
- Health experts to Trump administration: Treat addiction like a disease – 11/9/17
- Opioid Crisis Inflaming Hep C, HIV in Hard-Hit Communities – 11/8/17
- How Urine Testing Became Big Business – 11/7/17
- Dr. Nora Volkow: Opioid Crisis Requires Multipronged Plan – 10/27/17
News & Updates – October 31st, 2017; Issue 280
- What the White House’s Opioid Emergency Declaration Means
- SAMHSA Reaffirms Efforts to Address the Public Health Emergency on the Opioid Crisis
- Opioid Epidemic Also Hitting Older Adults
- Neal Announces Legislation to Expand Access to Opioid Treatment for Medicare Beneficiaries
- Trump’s FDA is making a big push for opioid addiction medications. That’s great.
- No Evidence to Prove Medicaid Expansion Is Fueling the Opioid Crisis
- AATOD Releases Fact Sheet on Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder in the Justice System
- Why Opioid Deaths Keep Climbing, Even With A Widely Available Drug To Prevent Overdoses
- New Guide Shows States How to Address Opioid Crisis with Promising Approaches: From The National Center On Addiction And Substance Abuse
- Drug OD Rate Now Higher in Rural U.S. Than Cities
- How the DEA Changed the Overdose Numbers
- Trump’s Opioid Agency Fails to Cite Marijuana’s Benefits, Despite Mounting Evidence
- NIDA’s Nora Volkow: Addressing the Opioid Crisis Means Confronting Socioeconomic Disparities
- This Is Fentanyl: A Visual Guide
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Nearly Half of Americans Have a Family Member or Close Friend Who’s Been Addicted To Drugs – 10/26/17
- Trump opioid crisis declaration could shift money from HIV, advocates fear – 10/26/17
- Can the kratom plant help fix the opioid crisis? – 10/26/17
- What works to educate kids about the dangers of opioid use? – 10/24/17
- The problem with hospitalizing opioid addicts against their will – 10/23/17
- IACP Quick Take: Why the fight against the opioid crisis can’t stop with naloxone – 10/22/17
News & Updates – October 19th, 2017; Issue 279
- 10 Actions the Government Should Take to Address The Opioid Crisis, According to 2 Experts
- Are More People Initiating Opioid Use With Heroin?
- Opioid Addiction Is the Biggest Drug Epidemic in U.S. History. How’d We Get Here?
- What is Opioid Use Disorder?
- Opioid Epidemic Costs to Alaska Topped $1 Billion in 2015
- Hepatitis C Drug’s Lower Cost Paves Way for Medicaid, Prisons to Expand Treatment
- Comparing Treatment Programs for Opiate-Dependent Individuals
- The Real Reason Some People Become Addicted to Drugs — According to Brain Science
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Maximum Daily Dose of Buprenorphine
- FDA’s Approval Of A Cheaper Drug For Hepatitis C Will Likely Expand Treatment
- Mandatory Guidelines for Urine Testing Updated to Include Four Semi-Synthetic Opioids
- How Are Middle-Aged Women Affected By Opioids?
- Opioid Crisis Spurs Change at Medical Schools
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Trump’s drug czar nominee withdraws after his role backing opioid industry exposed – 10/17/17
- Sugar in the diet may increase risks of opioid addiction – 10/16/17
- How A Brain Gets Hooked on Opioids – 10/9/17
- Drug More Potent Than Fentanyl (Carfentanil) Hits Streets As Opioid Epidemic Rages – 10/7/17
- The Opioid Epidemic in 6 Charts – 10/5/17 Also see related response to this article The Opioid Epidemic In 6 Charts Designed To Deceive You – 10/12/17
News & Updates – September 28th, 2017; Issue 278
- FDA: Use of Buprenorphine and Methadone with Benzodiazepines Is OK
- HHS Commits $144.1 Million In Additional Funding for Opioid Crisis
- Department of Justice Awards Nearly $59 Million to Combat Opioid Epidemic, Fund Drug Courts
- Researchers Analyze Cost-Effectiveness of Opioid Treatments
- 2 Scientists Are Locked in a Race to Develop a Groundbreaking Vaccine for Heroin, But It Might Not Be a ‘Magic Bullet’
- US Heroin Deaths Jump 533% Since 2002, Report Says
- New Report From SAMHSA: Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States
- New Resource: SAMHSA Knowledge Network
- The Social Life of Opioids: New Studies Strengthen Ties Between Loss, Pain and Drug Use
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- 10% of Opioid Users Receive the Vast Majority of Prescriptions
- Long-term opioid prescription use jumps threefold over 16-year period, study suggests
- People who use drugs require prioritization, not exclusion, in HCV elimination
- The New Yorker: The Cost of the Opioid Crisis
- National Geographic: How Science Is Unlocking the Secrets of Addiction
- Drugs Are Why 1 in 5 Men Drop Out of the Labor Market
- Blame Medicaid for the opioid painkiller epidemic?
- Opinion: Most People with Opioid Addictions Don’t Get the Right Treatment: Medication-Assisted Therapy by Richard Ries and Andrew J. Saxon
- How Did Those with Addiction Fare During Hurricane Harvey?
- Hurricane Harvey: What Happens to Drug Users During a Storm?
News & Updates – September 6th, 2017; Issue 277
- The First Count of Fentanyl Deaths in 2016: Up 540% in Three Years
- New Medication Formulations Could Quickly Make a Difference for Treating Opioid Addiction (Nora Volkow Director, National Institute on Drug Abuse)
- New Vaccine Could Someday Fight the Effects of Opioid Combinations
- Revising the Language of Addiction
- Can Safe Injection Sites Calm the Opioid Crisis? Critics, Proponents Battle Over Decades-Old Issue
- Hospitals Could Do More for Survivors of Opioid Overdoses, Study Suggests
- Families Seek Involuntary Commitment Laws as Key Tool in Saving Opioid Addicts
- Women Who Inject Drugs May Be at Greater Risk of HCV Than Men
- Doctors from Lower-Tier Medical Schools Prescribe Far More Opioids
- Investigation: How Many Lives Are Lost to Opioids? No One Knows.
- Journal Article: Risk of Neonatal Drug Withdrawal After Intrauterine Co-Exposure To Opioids And Psychotropic Medications: Cohort Study
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- CDC: Trends in Deaths Involving Heroin and Synthetic Opioids Excluding Methadone, and Law Enforcement Drug Product Reports, by Census Region — United States, 2006–2015 – 9/1/17
- The Hill Opinion: America’s Opioid Crisis Calls for Rethinking Federal Marijuana Ban – 8/24/17
- The New York Times Upshot: Is the Opioid Crisis a National Emergency? No (At least not officially.) – 8/24/17
- The Hill Opinion: The Heroin Gap in Opioid Tracking Is Killing Americans – 8/24/17
- Elinore F. McCance-Katz, M.D., Ph.D. Appointed Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use
News & Updates – August 18th, 2017; Issue 276
- Trump: ‘The Opioid Crisis Is an Emergency’
- The Cost of Treating Opioid Overdose Victims is Skyrocketing
- Increasing Risk of Drug Withdrawal in Newborns as US Opioid Epidemic Accelerates
- One State Takes a Novel Approach to Opioid Addiction: Access to Treatment for All Inmates
- Why Are Doctors Underusing a Drug to Treat Opioid Addiction?
- New Study Generates More Accurate Estimates of State Opioid and Heroin Fatalities
- An Alarming Number of People Don’t Know the Signs of Prescription-Drug Abuse
- New Releases: CDC HIV Monitoring Report and the NHAS Indicators
Links to Additional News of Interest
- How to Stop the Deadliest Drug Overdose Crisis in American History
- Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Director Says Naloxone is a ‘Bandage Not a Cure
- Pregnant Women With Addiction Face Variety Of Treatment Hurdles
- Genetic Test Indicates Risk for Opioid Addiction
- Opioid overdose study from Beth Israel Deaconess researchers spotlights crushing burden on hospitals
- Doctors who attend lower-tier medical schools prescribe far more opioids, study finds
- Addressing the Nation’s Opioid Epidemic: Lessons from an Unsanctioned Supervised Injection Site in the U.S.
- Doctors Increasingly Face Charges for Patient Overdoses
- New AHRQ Report Shows Sharp Rise Among Women for Opioid-Related Hospital Stays
- Journal Article: Addressing the Nation’s Opioid Epidemic: Lessons from an Unsanctioned Supervised Injection Site in the U.S.
- People with Opioid Use Disorder 50% More Likely to Get Treatment After Implementation of ACA
- INHUMAN TRADE: How the opioid epidemic has helped fuel human trafficking – 8/9/17
News & Updates – August 2nd, 2017; Issue 275
- There’s A Highly Successful Treatment for Opioid Addiction. But Stigma Is Holding It Back
- Guidelines on Opioid Use in Pregnancy Released by ACOG
- Vaccine Being Tested to Prevent Heroin Abuse, HIV
- Neuroscience Offers Insights into the Opioid Epidemic
- Key to Opioid Progress: Make Insurers Comply on Treatment Access
- How Job Loss Can Lead to Drug Use
- Sessions Announces Takedown of a Top Dark Web Drug Market
- Fentanyl Analogues Not Resistant to Narcan® (Naloxone)
- U.S. to Crack Down on Opioid Treatment Programs: Bloomberg
- Rapid Growth in Medicaid Spending on Medications to Treat Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose
- Tricare Expands Mental Health, Substance Abuse, Opioid Treatment Options
- FDA Panel: Not Enough Data to OK “Abuse-Deterrent” Opioid
- Prescription Opioid Involvement In Fatal Car Crashes Climbs Sevenfold In Last Two Decades
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Trump’s Opioid Commission Calls for a State of Emergency – 7/31/17
- Prioritize Injection Drug Users for Hepatitis C Treatment – 7/27/17
- Number of US Counties with Drug Poisoning Deaths Involving Heroin Increases Nearly Five-Fold from 2000 to 2014 – 7/21/17
- Is Vivitrol More Effective Than Suboxone And Methadone? – 7/21/17
- State And Substate Estimates Of Nonmedical Use Of Prescription Pain Relievers – 7/13/17
News & Updates – July 17th, 2017; Issue 274
- Opioid Prescriptions Falling but Remain Too High, CDC Says
- A New Report Shows Some Patients Take Advantage of Medicare To Get a Lot of Opioids
- Goal of Nation’s First Opioid Court: Keep Users Alive
- Research Results – Buprenorphine: Being Out of Treatment Increases Risk of Death Nearly 30-Fold
- New SAMHSA Report Shows the Usage of Non-Medical Pain Relievers Across the Nation
- Spending on Opioid Addiction Medications Rose Sharply Since 2011
- Issue Brief: Medicaid and the Opioid Epidemic: Enrollment, Spending, and the Implications of Proposed Policy Changes.
- As New and Lethal Opioids Flood U.S. Streets, Crime Labs Race to Identify Them
- New Resource: SAMHSA’s Decisions in Recovery: A New Shared Decision-Making Tool for Medication-Assisted Treatment
- Another Reason for Missing Workers: Opioids
- Some Eligible Physicians Avoid Prescribing Buprenorphine
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Most People Addicted to Opioids Receive No Treatment – 7/13/17
- Trump’s opioid commission misses second deadline – 7/13/17
- Major Science Report Lays Out a Plan to Tamp Down Opioid Crisis – 7/13/17
- ASAM Releases Consensus Document Outlining Appropriate Use of Drug Testing – 7/12/17
- What Does America’s Opioid Crisis Mean for Unemployment? Not Much, Says Goldman – 7/7/17
- As Fentanyl Takes Hold, Treatment Is More Essential Than Ever – 7/5/17
- Has Medicaid Made the Opioid Epidemic Worse? – 7/5/17
- Science key to solving opioid crisis – 7/3/17
- Surgeon General Nominee Championed Policies to Curb Indiana’s Opioid Epidemic – 7/3/17
- New from the DEA – Fentanyl: A Brief Guide for First Responders (PDF) – June 2017
News & Updates – July 5th, 2017; Issue 273
- Opioid Addiction Rates Continue to Skyrocket
- The Opioid Epidemic Killed 33,000 in 2015. That Could Climb to Nearly 94,000 In 2027
- The Drug Crisis Is Pushing Nearly Half a Million Kids into Foster Care
- For Newborns Exposed to Opioids, Health Issues May Be the Least of Their Problems
- New Resource from SAMHSA – Protecting Our Infants Act: Final Strategy Now Available
- In Just One Year, Nearly 1.3 Million Americans Needed Hospital Care for Opioid-Related Issues
- Imprisoning Drug Offenders Doesn’t Affect Use, Study Says
- Women Bear Greater Burden of Opioid Epidemic
- Study: Opioid Drug Users Trying, But Failing, to Avoid Fentanyl
- Opioid Addiction FAQ: Experts’ Guide to the Hard Facts
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Special Report – The game changers: 12 bold attempts to slow the opioid epidemic – 6/27/17
- McConnell delays vote on health care bill until after July 4 recess – 6/27/17
- At First Meeting Of Opioid Commission, Healthcare Coverage Is ‘Elephant In The Room’ – 6/23/17
- UN: Treatment, Not Prison, Way to Deal With Global Drug Epidemic – 6/22/17
- Why You Shouldn’t Use the Word “Addict” – 6/21/17
News & Updates – June 19th, 2017; Issue 272
- New From SAMHSA: An Overview of the Nation’s Behavioral Health
- Scientists Are One Step Closer to A Vaccine That Could Combat Heroin Addiction
- Senate GOP Considers Adding Opioid Funding to Obamacare Repeal Bill
- AMA Delays Decision on Removing Waivers for Buprenorphine
- Tricare Expands Outpatient Mental Health Help
- Is Vivitrol The Answer to Ending Opioid Addiction?
- The Cost of Opioid Use During Pregnancy
- Do Family Members Have a Right to Know When a Loved One Overdoses on Opioids?
- Opioid Dealers Embrace the Dark Web to Send Deadly Drugs by Mail
- NJ Gov. Seeks Ease in HIPAA Regulations for Opioid Fight
- Support Grows for Civil Commitment of Opioid Users
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Doctor Who Wrote 1980 Letter On Painkillers Regrets That It Fed The Opioid Crisis – 6/16/17
- How Budget Cuts Will Turn Opioid Addiction into The Next AIDS Epidemic – 6/15/17
- Study provides further support for genetic factors underlying addictions – 6/15/17
- Opinion: To better treat the opioid crisis, call in the journalists? – 6/14/17
- FDA Move Against a Power Opioid (Opana ER (oxymorphone) Marks Progress in Addiction Fight – 6/13/17
- Why Are Young People the Fastest Growing Population for Hepatitis C Infections? – 6/13/17
- The Opioid Epidemic In 6 Essential Reads – 6/12/17
- When Opioid Addicts Find an Ally in Blue – 6/12/17
- Fentanyl & Carfentanil: Inside the Deadly World of Synthetic Opioids -6/11/17
- Two New Studies Show Ibogaine’s Promise as Treatment for Opioid Addiction – 6/7/17
News & Updates – June 13th, 2017; Issue 271
- US Drug Overdose Deaths Soar In 2016: Report
- HHS Announces Over $70 Million In Grants to Address the Opioid Crisis
- Heroin’s Use Rising, Costing Society More Than $51 Billion
- 7 Things That Will Happen If 14 Million More People Are Uninsured Next Year
- The AP Learns to Talk About Addiction. Will Other Media Follow?
- New Combo Pill Offers Hope to Hepatitis C Patients Who Fail Other Treatment
- Lawmakers Consider Tough New Penalties for Opioid Crimes, Bucking Trend
- Heart Infections Spike as Injection-Drug Abuse Climbs: CDC
- Employers Paying Heavy Price for Opioid Epidemic
- With Opioid Epidemic Raging, Calls Grow for Cheaper Access to Heroin Overdose-Reversing Drug
- Trump Opioid Commission to Hold First Meeting
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- The Drug Crisis Is Now Pushing Up Death Rates for Almost All Groups of Americans – 6/9/17
- Governor Cuomo Takes Important Steps to Protect Healthcare Coverage and Equity In New York – 6/7/17
- Too Many Cooks Threaten GOP Healthcare Bill – 6/6/17
- New consensus document for appropriate use of drug testing in clinical addiction medicine – 6/1/17
- Safe Injection Spaces Save Lives and Money, But Will They Make It in America? – 6/1/17
- Analysis: Using Data to Fight the Opioid Epidemic – June 2017
News & Updates – May 23th, 2017; Issue 270
- Trump Budget: $800 Billion in Medicaid Cuts
- Trump’s Health Secretary Isn’t a Fan of the ‘Gold Standard’ Substance-Use Treatment — Bad News for the Opioid Crisis
- How Effective Is Medication-Assisted Treatment for Addiction? Here’s the Science
- 3 Barriers to Medication-Assisted Treatment for Drug Court Participants and How They Can Be Overcome
- Opioid Crisis Becomes Central Issue in Debate Over Medicaid
- U.S. News Article Series on the Opioid Epidemic
- New Approaches Help Babies Get Through Opioid Withdrawal
- Research Results: Treatments Compared for Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
- US Hepatitis C Cases Soar on Spike in Heroin Use
- High Rates of Hepatitis C in Pregnancy Mirror Opioid Epidemic: CDC
- From Pill to Needle: Prescription Opioid Epidemic May Be Increasing Drug Injection
- Seven Countries That Beat an Overdose Crisis
Links to National News of Interest
- Opinion – Why taking drugs to treat addiction doesn’t mean you’re ‘still addicted’ – 5/18/17
- It’s often family to the rescue during opioid ODs – 5/17/17
- William White Blog: Troubling New Directions in U.S. Drug Policy – 5/16/17
- Four things Americans should know about Dr. Scott Gottlieb, the new head of the FDA – 5/10/17
Links to State News of Interest
News & Updates – May 8th, 2017; Issue 269
- House Passes ObamaCare Repeal/ GOP Senators Warn Republican Health Care Bill Could Run into Trouble in the Senate
- Study Results: Methadone Reduces Mortality in Opioid-Dependent Patients
- Editorial: Here’s the Economic Case for Supporting Addiction Treatment
- The Opioid Epidemic May Be Even Deadlier Than We Think
- Trump Administration Awards Grants to States to Combat Opioid Crisis
- Vivitrol, Suboxone and Methadone: What We Know About Medicines Used to Treat Opioid Addiction
- ‘Gray Death’ Is the Latest Opioid Street Mix Causing Worry
- CROSSROADS OF CRISIS: Businesses Have Costly Incentive to Address Drug Abuse
- When Doctors Check Drug History, Opioid Abuse Drops
- Critical Treatment Gap Seen in Effort to Stem Opioid Epidemic
- Debate Continues Over Role of Suboxone in Primary Care
- Anti-Drug Vaccines Could Be a Game-Changer for People Battling Addiction
- Death Rate for Opioid Addicts 10 Times Higher in General Healthcare Settings
- Vanderbilt Study Finds Male Infants at Increased Risk of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
- Major Medical Group Urges More Treatment, Less Jail-Time for Addicts
- Federal Agency Admits That Marijuana Could Curb Opioid Addiction
- Some Opioid Addicts are Using an Anti-Diarrhea Drug to Get Their Fix: Misuse of loperamide could prove fatal.
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Opioid Epidemic Leads Medical Examiners to Skip Some Autopsies – 5/4/17
- DEA Seeks Prosecutors To Fight Opioid Crisis; Critics Fear Return To War On Drugs – 5/4/17
- Mental illness, opioid abuse are in critical need of attention – 4/27/17
- AATOD Blog #4 – 4/27/17
- Opinion: Trump is not off to a good start with opioid addiction – 4/25/17
- Right-Wing Relapse? How the Opioid Fight Is Threatened by Healthcare Reform – 4/25/17
- Donald Trump’s Drug Czar Is Very High on Forced Rehab – 4/24/17
- Solving the Hepatitis C Epidemic Among People with Substance Abuse Disorders – 4/24/17
- Former Boston Doctor Murthy Steps Down as Surgeon General – 4/22/17
- America’s First Addiction Crisis Had Some Striking Parallels to Today – 4/19/17
- DHS: Almost as Many Americans Died of Drug Overdoses in 2015 as in ’12 Years in Vietnam’ – 4/19/17
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL STATE NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – April 18th, 2017; Issue 268
- More Study? Addiction Experts Disappointed with Trump’s Lack of Action on Opioid Crisis
- Opioid Addiction Treatment Lacking for Medicaid Enrollees in Southeast US
- Research Results: Medication Treatment Offers Hope for Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder
- Prevalence of Heroin Use Rises in Decade, Greatest Increase Among Whites
- Research Results: Cannabis Use May Increase Risk of Failing Methadone Tx in Women
- Would Legalizing Medical Marijuana Help Curb the Opioid Epidemic?
- From Opioid-Free to Long-Term User, In One Operation: Study Shows Key Role of Surgery
- Hepatitis B and C Can Be Wiped Out in The US By 2030; Here’s How
- The Billion Dollar Drug for Opioid Victims Has a Problem: It’s Addictive
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Health and Public Policy to Facilitate Effective Prevention and Treatment of Substance Use Disorders Involving Illicit and Prescription Drugs: An American College of Physicians Position Paper – 3/28/17
- CDC Report: Methadone Prescribing and Overdose and the Association with Medicaid Preferred Drug List Policies — United States, 2007–2014 – 3/31/17
- Opioid overdoses are climbing. But prescription painkillers aren’t driving them anymore. – 4/1/17
- Tom Marino set to serve as White House drug czar – 4/11/17
- How Opioid Addicts Are Using Social Media To Get Clean – 4/15/17
- Addiction drug Suboxone is popular prison contraband – 4/16/17
- CMS Rule on ACA Marketplaces Helps Insurers – 4/17/17
- Are Insurers’ Prior Authorization Rules Killing Opioid Addicts? – April 2017
News & Updates – March 29th, 2017; Issue 267
- The Memo: Winners and Losers from The Battle Over Health Care
- Executive Order Lays Out Blueprint for Trump Opioid Commission
- White House Proposes New, Sweeping Budget Cuts At NIH
- The Risk of a Single 5-Day Opioid Prescription, In One Chart
- This Prescription Drug (Benzodiazepines) Is Implicated in Almost a Third of All Opioid Overdose Deaths
- How the Opioid Epidemic Became America’s Worst Drug Crisis Ever, In 15 Maps and Charts
- Physicians’ Group: Treat Opioid Addiction as a Chronic Medical Condition
- States Consider Mandatory Treatment for Opioid Abusers
- Latest CDC Data Shows Heroin Use in Women Skyrockets 100 Percent
- This Lifesaving Opioid Addiction Treatment Drug Is Putting Kids at Risk
- New Resource from SAMHSA: Guidelines for Successful Transition of People with Mental or Substance Use Disorders from Jail and Prison: Implementation Guide
Links to Additional National News of Interest
- What are we doing about the opioid epidemic? – 3/27/17
- HIV and Hepatitis C Are No Longer the Most Serious Infectious Threats to People Who Inject Drugs – 3/25/17
- US Set to Allow Drug Testing for Unemployment Benefits – 3/23/17
- Statistics show jail time is accurate predictor of potential to suffer opioid overdose – 3/21/17
- Doctors Consider Ethics Of Costly Heart Surgery For People Addicted To Opioids – 3/21/17
- The Opioid Epidemic Is This Generation’s AIDS Crisis – 3/16/17
- New Study Links Opioid Epidemic to Childhood Emotional Abuse – 3/14/17
News & Updates – March 13th, 2017; Issue 266
- Energy and Commerce Republicans Release Legislation to Repeal and Replace Obamacare
- How Will the Trump Administration Change the War on Opioids?
- 7 in 10 U.S. Workplaces Hit by Opioid Abuse: Survey
- POLL: More People Are Taking Opioids, Even as Their Concerns Rise
- Another Reason to Fight Opioid Addiction: Economics
- State Department: US in Worst Heroin, Opioids Crisis in 60 Years
- UPDATE: Sen. Manchin Introduces 2 Bills to Help People Recover from Substance Abuse
- Why Jeff Sessions Is Worrying Drug Policy Experts
- Surgeons Were Told to Stop Prescribing So Many Painkillers. The Results Were Remarkable.
- Few Teens Receive Effective Treatment for Opioid Addiction
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Trump expected to tap Scott Gottlieb to lead FDA – March 10, 2017
- New Resource: CDC Grand Rounds: Public Health Strategies to Prevent Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome – March 10, 2017
- A new report from the Office of the Surgeon General, “Facing Addiction in America,” suggests that an overhaul of U.S. drug policy is long overdue, according to a new issue brief from a drug policy expert at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy – March 9, 2017
- Drug dealers would face manslaughter charges for opioid overdoses under proposed Florida law – March 9, 2017
- Why We Need to Destroy the Concept of What a Drug User Looks Like – March 7, 2017
- Kratom: Is the US trying to ban a drug helping heroin addicts beat their habit? – March 3, 2017
- State Medicaid Programs Fighting to Address Opioid Crisis – March 3, 2017
- Naloxone Won’t Rescue Us From The Opioid Epidemic, But It’s A Start – March 2, 2017
News & Updates – March 2nd, 2017; Issue 265
- Deadly U.S. Heroin Overdoses Quadrupled in 5 Years
- Trump Sketches ACA Replacement Plan in Speech to Congress
- Research Results: Addicts Get Opioids During, After Addiction Treatment, Study Finds
- Research Results: Patients with Opioid Addiction Benefit from Treatment Initiated In ED
- If We Want to Save People from Opioid Overdoses, A New Study Shows Naloxone Works
- Prescription-Drug Monitoring Cuts Doctor-Shopping for Painkillers
- Research Results: Majority of Parents with Children at Home Don’t Lock Up Prescribed Opioids, Study Finds
- Aetna Becomes Latest Insurer to End Prior Authorization for Opioid Treatment
- China’s Move to Ban Fentanyl Could Help Curb Drug Addiction Crisis In US
- America’s Opioid Crisis: How Children Are Casualties
Links to Additional National News of Interest
News & Updates – February 7th, 2017; Issue 264
- Trump: Obamacare Replacement Might Take a Year
- ACA Repeal Seen Thwarting State Addiction Efforts
- Delay of Final Rule on The Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Treatment Information
- $7M for Opioid Outreach Sites & $6M for Opioid Abuse Training
- New Fact Sheet: The Case for Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) from The Pews Charitable Trusts
- Yale Finding May Aid in Opioid Abuse Treatment
- Getting Patients Hooked on An Opioid Overdose Antidote, Then Raising the Price
- Social Media Linked to Rise in Prescription Drug Abuse
- Kratom: What We Know
- The US Is Opening Its First “Safe Injection Facility” For Heroin Addicts
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: U-47700 – Also Known as Pink or Pinky
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Marijuana Compound Shows Some Potential for Treating Opioid Addiction- 2/2/17
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Trump and the Opioid Grants: What Will Happen Next? – 1/31/17
- Heroin-Opioid Addiction Epidemic: Americans Need Work On Drug Abuse Awareness, Study Says – 1/25/17
- Take Back Our Cities From Opioids – Educate local leaders on how to help communities recover from the drug epidemic – 1/25/17
- New From the ATTC – Shared Decision Making and Medication-Assisted Treatment: A Supportive Approach to Initiating and Sustaining Addiction Recovery – 1/17
News & Updates – January 25th, 2017; Issue 263
- SAMHSA Issues Final Rule on The Confidentiality of Alcohol and Drug Treatment Information
- Request for Comments: SAMHSA’s Protecting Our Infants Act Report to Congress
- Effect of Executive Order on ACA Unclear, Experts Say
- Babies Born Addicted to Opiates Perform Poorly in School, Study Says
- New SAMHSA Rule Improves the Exchange of Medical Information in Ways That Protect the Privacy of People Receiving Substance Use Treatment
- New Report Examines the Non-Medical Use of Opioids Among Women of Childbearing Age
- New Document: How the Words We Use Can Support People on The Path to Recovery
- SAMHSA Webinar Series: The Power of Language and Portrayals: What We Hear, What We See
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Veterinarians Asked To Be On Lookout For Opioid Addicts Stealing From Pets – 1/19/17
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Fentanyl is the New Heroin – 1/22/17
- Reflections on Recovery: An interview with Michael Botticelli, Director of National Drug Control Policy – 1/18/17
- SAMHSA: Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity: Promises Kept – 1/17/17
- Cops Help Addicts Get Treatment in Programs Facing Uncertain Future – 1/16/17
- Medicare Takes ‘Big Brother’ Approach to Opioid Abuse – 1/12/17
News & Updates – January 11th, 2017; Issue 262
- Measuring the Impact of Opioid Policies -The CDC, FDA, HHS, and Congress all weighed in on opioids, but does it matter?
- New Resource Tool Available from SAMHSA – MATx Mobile App
- How the Opioid Epidemic Is an Infrastructure Issue – Could transitional housing help bring the crisis to a close?
- GOP Zeroes in On Changes to Medicaid
- Psychiatric Conditions Linked to Increased Risk of Long-Term Opioid Use
- What’s Behind the Rise in Cocaine-Linked Deaths? Whether intentional or not, cocaine’s mix with opioids is driving up related deaths.
- Portman Announces Funding for Drug Courts
- Scientists Say They Can Make a Vaccine Against Heroin. It’s an Uphill Battle
- Kaiser Health Tracking Poll: Health Care Priorities for 2017
- Workers Under Employers’ Watch for Opioid Abuse
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- How an ‘abuse-deterrent’ drug created the heroin epidemic – 1/10/17
- Blog: Here’s How President Trump And Incoming HHS Secretary Tom Price Can End The Nation’s Addiction Crisis – 1/7/17
- President Trump, Scrap the Wall And A Drug War And Treat The Drug Crisis – 1/6/17
- Call in the cuddlers: Volunteers step up to soothe babies born dependent on opioids – 1/6/17
- Syringe Services Programs Face an Uncertain Future in the Trump Era – 1/5/17
- How Patient Satisfaction Surveys Contribute to the Opioid Crisis – 1/2/17
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Harm Reduction versus Abstinence Only – 1/2/17
News & Updates – December 26, 2016; Issue 261
- Opioid Deaths Up, Illicit Fentanyl to Blame – Deaths from Synthetic Opioids Spiked 72% In One Year
- Why Opioid Users Don’t Always Get Treatment in the Hospital
- The Opioid Addiction Epidemic Grows in the Workplace
- NEJM Reports on Study Of Waitlisted Opioid-Dependent Adults
- The Washington Post/Kaiser Survey: 1 in 3 Long-Term Prescription Painkiller Users Think They’re Addicted or Dependent
- Addictive Cravings Still Detectable After Death
- US Senators Prod Pfizer On Price Surge of Key Drug Used to Treat Opioid Overdoses
- Teen Substance Use Shows Promising Decline
- Repeal of Obamacare Mandate Could Be Tipping Point
- Docs Divided on Trump’s HHS Pick – Nominee Tom Price, MD, medicine’s ‘favorite’ son?
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- How Obama quietly reshaped America’s war on drugs
- An Open Letter to President-Elect Trump By Percy Menzies, Guest Columnist
- Newt Gingrich Says Trump Will Make Opioid Epidemic A Priority
- Rural Opioid Use Is Driving A Spike In Babies Born With Drug Addiction
- Judicial Watch: Trump Needs to ‘Clean House’ & Fire Corrupt Officials Who Aid Mexican Drug Cartels
News & Updates – December 13, 2016; Issue 260
- Obama Signs Medical Cures Bill Into Law – $1.8 Billion Over Two Years to Fight the Opioid Epidemic
- Opioid Epidemic Is Getting Worse, Says CDC
- DEA Releases 2016 Drug Threat Assessment: Fentanyl-Related Overdose Deaths Rising at An Alarming Rate
- Medicaid Coverage for Addiction Treatment Varies Dramatically
- Trump Taps Price for HHS; Medicaid Expert to Run CMS
- Fifty Years After Landmark Methadone Discovery, Stigmas and Misunderstandings Persist
- New Methadone Program for Denver Probationers Resulting In Tears Of Relief For Participants
- Use of Needle Exchange Programs Up Dramatically In 10 Years: CDC
- Study: NAS Rates Vary Greatly Between States
- Risk for Misuse of Opioids And Stimulants: What Does Employment Status Have To Do With It?
- Counseling Gets Boost Over Drugs for Addicts
- Heroin Addicts More Likely to Be Organ Donors – And Lots Of People Want Their Organs
- Lower-Than- Recommended Methadone Doses for Opiate Addiction Are More Likely at Facilities Managed by African-American Directors, Johns Hopkins Study Shows
- ASAM Live Webinar: What the Surgeon General Report Means for the Addiction Medicine Field
ADDITIONAL LINKS TO NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Interactive map lays bare America’s devastating overdose epidemic: Analysis of 15 years of data reveals key ages, genders, regions, and drugs behind the crisis – 12/9/16
- Delivered ‘Like A Pizza’: Why Killer Drug Fentanyl Is So Hard To Stop – 12/8/16
- Capital Region native Botticelli wraps up tenure as U.S. ‘Drug Czar’ – 12/2/16
- Benefits Of Addiction Consultations In The Hospital – 12/2/16
- Will Insurance Companies Impede Surgeon General’s Plan to Treat Addiction As A Disease? – 11/30/16
- FACT SHEET: Obama Administration Marks Progress in Substance Use Disorder Prevention, Treatment, Recovery, and Research – 11/30/16
News & Updates – November 29, 2016; Issue 259
- New Legal Action Center MAT Advocacy Toolkit
- Facing Addiction in America: The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs, and Health
- National Joint Task Force on Opioid Abuse Releases Final Report
- Drug Addiction Is Overwhelming Trump’s America. What’s He Going to Do?
- Trump Push to Combat Drug Trade May Mean Starting with China, Not Mexico
- GOP Aims To Start Obamacare Repeal In January
- Study Results: Organized Prescription Drug Collection Programs May Have Minimal Impact
- Saving Heroin Users With a Nasal Spray Is an $80 Million Business
- Where Hepatitis C Rates Are Seven Times the US Average — And A Cure Is Kept Out of Reach
- Senators Try One More Time To Get Funding To Fight Opioid Epidemic
News & Updates – November 13, 2016; Issue 258
- Where President-elect Donald Trump Stands on Six Health Care Issues
- Obamacare on the Chopping Block?
- States Move to Encourage More Addiction Counseling
- Higher Dose May Increase Adherence to Buprenorphine Medication-Assisted Treatment
- Research Results: ‘Unprecedented’ Rise in Pediatric Opioid Poisoning
- Federal Parity Task Force Takes Steps to Strengthen Insurance Coverage for Mental Healthand Substance Use Disorders
- New Issue: Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Health: Current Evidence – September/October 2016
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- DEA temporarily bans synthetic opioid ‘pink’ after 46 deaths – 11/10/16
- Variety of State Regulations Take Aim at Opioid Abuse – 11/9/16
- The Hill Blog: 5 Steps To Solving America’s Prescription Opioid Problem – 11/8/16
- Have Opioid Restrictions Made Things Better Or Worse? – 11/3/16
- Washington Post Editorial: Locating blame in the opioid epidemic – 10/30/16
News & Updates – November 1, 2016; Issue 257
- New GAO Report OPIOID ADDICTION: Laws, Regulations, and Other Factors Can Affect Medication-Assisted Treatment Access
- Study Results: Opiate Painkillers Prescribed After Severe Injury Do Not Lead to Long-Term Use
- In Some States, Medicaid Rules Make It More Difficult to Treat Addiction
- Could Peer-Recovery Coaches Help Fight Drug Addiction Epidemic?
- These States Are Struggling with A Drug Addiction-Fueled Crisis in Foster Care
- ‘Watching the Ship Sink’: Why Primary Care Doctors Have Stayed Out of The Fight Against Opioids
- FDA Splits on Naloxone Dose
- Methadone Users’ Misconceptions About HCV Delay Treatment
- HHS Issues New Reporting Requirements for Practitioners Treating Opioid Addiction
- Pink: Stronger Than Heroin, But Legal In Most States
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- America’s opioid epidemic shattering women’s lives – 10/29/16
- Donald J. Trump Addresses the Drug Epidemic in the United States – 10/29/16
- What Donald Trump Gets Wrong About the Opioid Epidemic – 10/28/16
- Federal Parity Task Force Report to the President on Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Parity – 10/27/16
- John Oliver On Why It’s Time To Start Paying Attention To America’s Opioid Problem – 10/24/16
- 35 US states sue Reckitt Benckiser for anti-competitive conduct – 10/24/16
- Newt Gingrich is the new face of a controversial opioid addiction therapy – 10/24/16
- TRICARE expands mental health care, substance abuse treatments – 10/21/16
- Revisiting Hillary Clinton’s 5-Point Plan To Treat America’s Opioid Problem – 10/13/16
- The New York Times Reports on a Study: Opioids May Interfere With Parenting Instincts, Study Finds – 10/13/16
- DEA Backs Off Kratom Ban After Public Backlash – 10/12/16
News & Updates – September 30, 2016; Issue 256
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT & OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- New SAMHSA Rule Helps Finalize Move to Provide More Medication-Assisted Treatment to People with Opioid Disorders
- Funding Bill Includes $37 Million for Opioid Crisis
- Costs of US Prescription Opioid Epidemic Estimated at $78. 5 Billion
- Research Results: Widespread Use of Prescription Drugs Provides Ample Supply for Abuse
- Research Results: Physician Capacity to Treat Opioid Use Disorder With Buprenorphine-Assisted Treatment
- Exclusive: Obama Administration to Launch New Effort On Heroin Crisis
- There’s an Effort to Save the Drug Kratom from DEA Extinction
- New Research Summary: Opioid Dependence Leads to ‘Tsunami’ of Medical Services
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Opioid Addicts Get Second Chance in Denver Jail – 9/29/16
- Opioid crisis in rural areas may be tackled through telemedicine – 9/27/16
- Methadone users’ misconceptions about HCV hinders treatment – 9/26/16
- Where Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump stand on the opioid epidemic – 9/24/16
- Unused Dental Surgery Prescriptions May Help Fuel Opioid Epidemic – 9/23/16
News & Updates – September 13, 2016; Issue 255
- White House Announces New Money to Fight Opioid Epidemic
- FDA Warns 0f Fatal Risks from Mixing Opioids and Sedatives (Update)
- Blog: Parity Pales in Nation’s Opioid Crisis
- News from Maine: Methadone Clinic Sues Bangor Over Expansion Denial
- Investigation: Knoxville Police Say No Crime Spike Around Its Methadone Clinics
- Ringgold Residents Protest New Clinic as Georgia State Lawmakers Debate Methadone
- Maryland Medicaid Drug Reimbursement to Put More Focus On Counseling
- Hospitalizations for Heart Infection Related to Drug Injection Rising Across The US
- AAP: Offer Teens Medication-Assisted Tx for Opioid Addiction
- D.E.A. to Consider Opioid Substitute More Dangerous Than Drugs That Kill 14,000 Annually
- How Opioids Are Contributing to the High Maternal Death Rate in America
- DOD Expands Mental Health, Substance Abuse Services for Military, Veteran
- Insurance Data Show a Surge in Spending On Opioid Treatment and Testing
- ASAM Releases Opioid Addiction Treatment: A Guide for Patients, Families and Friends
News & Updates – August 22, 2016; Issue 254
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT & OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- Medicaid: States’ Powerful Tool to Combat the Opioid Crisis
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Methadone Overdose Deaths: First Two Weeks
- Many More People Seek Medical Help for Opioid Abuse
- Governors Tackle Prescription Drug Abuse
- America’s Opioid Epidemic Is Increasingly Harming Babies
- SAMHSA Issues Two Reports Promoting Care for Pregnant/Parenting Women with Opioid Use Disorder and Their Infants
- What’s Behind Growing Push to Punish Dealers in Fatal ODs?
- Next President Faces Possible Obamacare Meltdown
- New SAMHSA Report: Approaches in Implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act: Best Practices from the States
- Upcoming Webinar: CARA, Federal Budgets, and The Appropriations Process: What Advocates Need to Know
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Obama Administration Funds New Projects to Disrupt Prescription Opioid, Fentanyl and Heroin Trafficking – 8/17/16
- Words matter: The language of addiction and life-saving treatments – 8/15/16
- Drug Czar Botticelli Writes Cuomo Urging Use of Meds For Heroin, Opioid Abuse – 8/12/16
- SAMHSA Announces New Chief Medical Officer Anita Everett, MD – 8/10/16
- FDA Supports Greater Access to Naloxone to Help Reduce Opioid Overdose Deaths – 8/10/16
- Half of Americans Now Know an Opioid Addict: Column – 8/7/16
News & Updates – July 27, 2016; Issue 253
- Obama Signs Opioid Bill
- AATOD Releases Second Whitepaper, Focusing on “Integrated Service Delivery Models for Opioid Treatment Programs in an Era of Increasing Opioid Addiction, Health Reform and Parity”
- AATOD Releases Third Whitepaper, “Increasing Access to Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Addiction in Drug Courts and Correctional Facilities and Working Effectively with Family Courts and Child Protective Services”
- Study Examines Opioid Agonist Therapy Use in Medicare Patients
- Insurers Pushing for Changes in Substance Abuse Battle
- Getting Overdose Antidote with Painkillers May Cut ER Visits
- William L. White Blog – Calling Attention to Opioid-Affected Families and Children (William White and Dr. Dennis C. Daley)
- Programs, Policies Seek to Help Hard-To- Reach Groups of Heroin, Opioid Addicts
- Significant Pain Increases the Risk of Opioid Addiction by 41 Percent
- Opioids by Injection May Drive HIV Outbreaks
LINK TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
News & Updates – July 11, 2016; Issue 252
- House Overwhelmingly Passes Opioid Bill
- Buprenorphine Final Rule – Patient Cap Increased from 100 to 275
- White House Blog: Expanding Treatment in Correctional Facilities Can Save Lives and Reduce Recidivism
- AATOD Issues First of Three “Whitepapers” On OTP Patient Quality Care & Continuity of Services
- DEA Releases 2016 National Heroin Threat Assessment Summary
- FDA Approves First Pill to Treat All Forms of Hepatitis C
- New Legal Action Center Parity Guide Explains Right to Health Insurance Coverage for Addiction & Mental Health Care
- Prescription-Drug Monitoring Saves Lives, Could Save More
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Art Therapy as Treatment for Substance Use Disorders
- By Sharing Painkillers, Friends and Family Members Can Fuel Opioid Epidemic: Study
- Upcoming Webinar: Synthesis of Laws, Regulations, & Policies that Serve as Federal and New York Barriers & Opportunities for Justice-Involved Individuals with Substance Use & Mental Health Disorders – July 19, 2016
- New Resources: The Opiate Epidemic – Free selection of Journal Articles Available from Substance Abuse Journal
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- William White Blog: One Dependency for Another? – 7/8/16
- White House Blog: Expanding Treatment in Correctional Facilities Can Save Lives and Reduce Recidivism – 6/29/16
- Vaccines Could Counter Addictive Opioids – 6/28/16
- Programs to Thwart Prescription Drug Misuse Exist, Not Always Used – 6/28/16
- Coverage of Substance-Use Disorder Treatments in Marketplace Plans in Six Cities (Albuquerque, NM; Chicago, IL; Kansas City, MO; Los Angeles, CA; Manchester, NH; and Memphis, TN – June 2016
News & Updates – June 28, 2016; Issue 251
- Opioid Crisis Draws Failed Response From States, Group Says
- Many US Communities Vulnerable to HIV Outbreak Due to Unsafe Injecting of Prescription Opioids
- A New UN Report On Drugs Shows Heroin Use Hit A 20-Year High in The U.S.
- Huffington Post Blog: How Nursing Is Helping to Combat the Opioid Epidemic
- Tighter Opioid Laws in U.S. Haven’t Eased Misuse by Disabled Medicare Beneficiaries
- How Do Drug Courts Work? Are They Effective? A Look at the Revolution Sweeping the U.S. Legal System
- Wearable Tech for Drug Abuse: Wristband Sensors May Soon Track Opioid Addicts, Assist in Rehab
- Can Medication in the ER Commence a Path to Opioid Addiction Recovery?
- Study Finds Opioid Laws Don’t Curb Opioid Addiction in Most Vulnerable Populations
Links to Additional News of Interest
- What Addiction Science Says About Getting – And Staying – Off Opioids – 6/25/16
- Is DEA a Bad Guy in Opioid Addiction Fight – 6/23/16
- Study shows drugs prescribed after teeth removal causing rise in youth drug addiction – 6/23/16
- Drug Court Solutions Mislead the Public – 6/21/16
- Danger, Deceit, and Death: The Story of Opiates in America – 6/19/16
- Strict opioids laws hit chronic pain sufferers hard – 6/18/16
News & Updates – June 22, 2016; Issue 250
- U.S. Senator Collins Announces Appropriations Committee Approves $261 Million to Combat Opioid Abuse
- White House Releases Estimated State Opioid Treatment Funding Levels Under President’s Budget Proposal
- Geisinger Researchers Profile Overdose Patients and Predictors of Death
- AMA Delegates Vote to Add Naloxone to Opioid Rx
- Congress Eyes $1 Billion to Aid At-Risk Families
- DEA Warning to Police and Public: Fentanyl Exposure Kills
- Research Article Abstract: Buprenorphine Compared with Methadone to Treat Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Safety in The Mother, Fetus and Child
- Nearly Six in 10 Americans Have Leftover Narcotics at Home
- Fighting Obamacare, Many Red States Find Fewer Tools to Fight Opioid Addiction Epidemic
- Prescription Drug Abuse Among Older Adults Harder to Detect
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Despite Overdose Epidemic, Georgia Caps The Number Of Opioid Treatment Clinics – 6/20/16
- Treating Addiction in Court: Can drug courts help users better than medical facilities? – 6/19/16
- Addiction in America: By the Numbers – 6/17/16
- Why Is Methadone, a Proven Lifesaver, Still So Restricted and Stigmatized? – 6/16/16
- Uncovering Coverage Gaps: A Review of Addiction Benefits in ACA Plans – 6/16
- Opioid overdose antidote costs flying high – 6/11/16
- If Prince Had Lived: What are the best treatment options for those who struggle with chronic pain and opioid dependency? – 6/9/16
News & Updates – June 6, 2016; Issue 249
- Many Addicts Going Without Meds That Curb Opioid Abuse
- Senators Recommend Buprenorphine Cap Should be 500
- FDA Approves First Buprenorphine Implant for Treatment of Opioid Dependence
- Buprenorphine: Long-term Efficacy for Opioid Dependence
- The Coming ‘Economic Bonanza’ in Addiction Treatment – Buprenorphine
- Prince’s Death Highlights Fentanyl Problem, Markey Says
- Manchin, Klobuchar, Shaheen, King, Heitkamp, Baldwin Introduce Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment Act
- Experts Question Validity of Tests Predicting Opioid Addiction Risk
- New Partnership Helps 17 States Share Information to Fight Heroin Crisis
- Blog: NA and Recovery from Opioid Addiction (William White, Dr. Marc Galanter, Dr. Keith Humphreys, and Dr. John Kelly)
Links to Additional News of Interest
- Heroin, painkiller overdose antidote getting easier to buy – 6/3/16
- Tiny, Opioid-Dependent Babies a Massive Problem; How Health Care Could Save Billions – 6/3/16
- Hospitals Recruiting Volunteers to Cuddle Babies Addicted to Opioids – 6/3/16
- Details On Death Certificates Offer Layers of Clues to Opioid Epidemic – 6/1/16
- Narcotic Painkillers Prolong Pain in Rats, Says CU-Boulder Study – 5/30/16
- Med Students Take Battle Against Opioid Epidemic Into Their Own Hands – 5/23/16
News & Updates – May 25, 2016; Issue 248
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT & OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- Treating Opioid Addiction with a Drug Raises Hope and Controversy
- It’s Not Always About Getting High: People Often Abuse Prescription Drugs, Alcohol to Deal With Chronic Pain
- A Look At Rikers Island’s Legacy Of Medication-Assisted Opioid Treatment
- Post by Maia Szalavitz: The Public Scorns the Addiction Treatment Prince Was Going To Try. They Shouldn’t.
- New Resource/Website: Coalition to Stop Opioid Overdose
- SAMHSA Blog: Words Matter
- Journal Article – Buprenorphine Prescribing: To Expand or Not to Expand
- Opioid Prescriptions In The United States Have Declined By At Least 12 Percent Since 2012, But Experts Worry It Won’t Stop Americans From Overdosing On Heroin And Fentanyl.
- On The Front Lines Of The Overdose Crisis: Without A Mechanism To Connect The Overdose Patients To Addiction Services, Narcan Creates A Revolving Door In Emergency Rooms
- Insurance Companies Fight the Opioid Epidemic
- Comments Sought for MAT Model of Care for Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care Settings
- Judge Rules for House GOP in ObamaCare Suit
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Opinion Letter by Joycelyn Woods, Gramercy Park: Why methadone use isn’t time-limited – 5/23/16
- Children of Heroin Crisis Find Refuge in Grandparents’ Arms – 5/21/16
- Congress crafts opioid addiction legislation, but struggles with funding – 5/20/16
- William White Blog: Lifting The Veil of Recovery Invisibility – 5/20/16
- More ‘Pill Mill’ Doctors Prosecuted Amid Opioid Epidemic – 5/19/16
- Hiring Hurdle: Finding Workers Who Can Pass a Drug Test – 5/17/16
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Can Patients on Buprenorphine Get a Commercial Driver’s License? – 5/16/16
- Hooked: One Family’s Ordeal With Fentanyl – 5/13/16
News & Updates – May 10, 2016; Issue 247
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT & OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- One Statistic That Shows America’s Opioid Painkiller Crisis Is Truly an Epidemic
- Opioid Epidemic Fueling Hospitalizations, Hospital Costs
- In Prince’s Age Group, Risk of Opioid Overdose Climbs
- Study: One-Third of Prescribed Opioids Are Abused
- Taking The Fight Against Risky Pain Pill Use to The ER: Study Shows Promise
- Physicians Warn Mandatory Opioid Prescription Training Could Have Unintended Effects
- Parents’ Presence at Bedside Found to Decrease Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Severity
- Research Recap: Incarceration-Related Withdrawal from Methadone Leads to Aversion to Opioid Agonist Treatment
- Addicts Turning to Anti-Diarrhea Medication to Get High
- Her Fiancé Gave Her Heroin. She Overdosed. Does That Make Him a Murderer?
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Prince’s Death and the Addiction Risk of Opioids – 5/6/16
- New York Times Opinion: The Opioid Epidemic We Failed to Foresee – 5/6/16
- ‘You Want A Description Of Hell?’ Oxycontin’s 12-Hour Problem – 5/5/16
- Good Question: What’s Causing People Pain? – 5/4/16
- America’s Heroin Epidemic Is Actually Helping Those Waiting for Organ Transplants – 5/3/16
- House Energy & Commerce Committee Approves Legislation to Address Opioid and Drug Abuse Epidemic – 5/2/16
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Probuphine Implants: Impractical? – 4/29/16
- Is Obamacare Increasing Painkiller Addiction? – 4/28/16
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Buprenorphine: Current Practices – 4/25/16
News & Updates – April 21, 2016; Issue 246
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT & OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- Maine AG Joins Calls for Allowing Methadone Dispensing Data
- Some Opioid Users On Methadone Have High Risk of Relapse
- Four Takeaways from the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit
- Legal Action Center’s Report Shares Effective Strategies for Use of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) in Drug Courts
- For Inmates on Methadone, Forced Detox Can Be a Dangerous Cycle
- Legal Action Center Comments on Proposed Rule to Modernize 42 CFR Part 2
- Significant Decline in U.S. Opioid Prescribing
- News From Maine: Advocates Push to Let Patients Use Marijuana to Treat Opiate Addiction
- U.S. Surgeon General: Stop Judging Addicts
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Painkiller critics take aim at hospital surveys, procedures – 4/13/16
- Why not Vivitrol? Promising opioid high blocker gets little attention, use – 4/12/16
- Dozens of Medical Schools Join Fight Against Opioid Addiction – 4/9/16
- The stunning spread of the opioid painkiller and heroin epidemic, in one map – 4/9/16
- Blog From the Huffington Post: Should We Stop Using the Word ‘Addict’? – 4/5/16
- What it Will Take to Defeat the Opioid Addiction Epidemic – 4/4/16
News & Updates – April 6, 2016; Issue 245
- Medication Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders: Increasing the Buprenorphine Patient Limit
- Poll: Americans’ Attitudes About Prescription Painkiller Abuse
- Almost All Doctors Routinely Overprescribe Pain Pills: Survey
- Federal Officials, Advocates Both Want to Require Doctors to Use Pill-Tracking Databases to Curb Painkiller Abuse
- New from SAMHSA – Medication-Assisted Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Pocket Guide
- Why More Veterans Are Abusing Opioids – And The Push for Alternate Treatments
- AP-NORC Poll: Most Americans See Drugs as a Big Problem
- Four-Part Article Series Treating the Tiniest Opioid Patients, A Collaboration Produced by NPR’s National & Science Desks, Local Member Stations and Kaiser Health News
- People Being Treated for Alcohol or Drug Abuse Face Serious Privacy Issues
- HHS Press Release: New Report Shows Medicaid Expansion Can improve Behavioral Health Care Access
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Researchers Hope To Predict Opioid-Dependent Babies’ Trajectory – 3/28/16
- Veterans Face Greater Risks Amid Opioid Crisis – 3/28/16
- Demand surges for addiction treatment during pregnancy – 3/29/16
- HHS Releases Guidance for Syringe Services Programs – 3/30/16
- Wall Street Journal Opinion – The Accidental Deadly Drug Prescription – Many doctors are unaware that a drug like Valium or Xanax, taken with an opioid, could be fatal – 3/30/16
- Yale program finds good parenting best first step to caring for addicted newborns – 4/2/16
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog – DATA 2000: I’m Not Bitter! – 4/3/16
News & Updates – March 24, 2016; Issue 244
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT & OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- New National Pain Strategy Outlines Actions for Improving Pain Care in America
- FDA Announces Enhanced Warnings for Immediate-Release Opioid Pain Medications Related to Risks 0f Misuse, Abuse, Addiction, Overdose and Death
- Researchers Show Rising Opioid Prescriptions Following Low-Risk Surgeries
- Senate Passes Ensuring Patient Access and Effective Drug Enforcement Act
- US Senate Health Committee Passed New Measures to Treat Heroin Epidemic
- Can a Vaccine Cure Heroin Addiction?
- Feds’ Plan to Ease Privacy Rules On Addiction Treatment Spurs Debate
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Obama Administration Pledges to Help States Fight Opioid Addiction – 3/22/16
- Life Is Hell After Narcan, Heroin’s Miracle Cure – 3/21/16
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: The Disease of Addiction, Explained – 3/20/16
- Drug Epidemic Spotlights Shortage of Counselors – 3/19/16
- Heroin proposal may face hurdles in House – 3/19/16
- Rethinking The Characterization of Addiction as A “Relapsing Condition” (Bill White And Paula Davies Scimeca) – 3/18//16
News & Updates – March 17, 2016; Issue 243
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT & OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- Bill to Combat Opioid Epidemic Passes Senate
- Senate Passes Amendment to Dramatically Improve How Doctors Treat Heroin Addiction With Buprenorphine
- HHS Awards $94 Million to Health Centers to Help Treat the Prescription Opioid Abuse and Heroin Epidemic in America
- Links to ABC 20/20 David Muir’s Report, “Breaking Point: Heroin in America” Aired March 11, 2016
- American Academy of Pediatrics Blog: The Triple Aim of Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome
- How to Save Babies From The Opioid Scourge
- Public Health News From Time: Watch How the Drug Overdose Epidemic Spread in America
- Soaring Rates of Opioid Addiction Challenge Hospitalists
- Americans Have Been Addicted to Prescription Opiates Forever
- Early Release: CDC Issues Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain — United States, 2016
GENERAL DRUG ADDICTION
- Legal Action Center Opinion: SAMHSA Strikes Balance in Modernizing Confidentiality Rules
- Addiction Medicine Now Recognized as a Subspecialty: 6 Things to Know
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Could Heroin Injection Sites Revolutionize The Drug Addiction Crisis? – 3/15/16
- New York Senate Budget to Include $167 Million for Opioid Treatment, Prevention – 3/12/16
- Five Policy Questions On Addiction That Every Presidential Candidate Should Answer – 3/8/16
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Doctors with Addiction – 3/6/16
News & Updates – March 2, 2016; Issue 242
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT/OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- Opioid Treatment Bill Moves Forward in Senate
- Governors Make Recommendations to Address National Opioid Epidemic
- Yahoo News Articles Series on the Current Opioid Epidemic
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: Revoking Methadone Take home Doses
- Deaths From Anxiety Drug Overdoses Rose Fourfold In The Last Two Decades: Study
- Sen. Warren, Rep. Clark Introduce Bipartisan Opioid Prescription Bill
- New York Times Blog: Medicines to Keep Addiction Away
- Money Talks: Three Ways Heroin Addiction Hurts the Economy
- Research Abstract: Hepatitis C Virus Testing and Treatment Among Persons Receiving Buprenorphine in an Office-Based Program for Opioid Use Disorders
- New SAMHSA Short Report: Patients Who Are Privately Insured Receive Limited Follow-Up Services After Opioid-Related Hospitalizations
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT
- Senate Confirms Califf as New FDA Commissioner
- State Health Officials Petition FDA for New Warnings on Opioids, Benzodiazepines
- Federal Investigation Reveals Parity Violations
- Federal Budget Sustains HIV Funding, Requests More for PrEP
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- FDA Science Board Addresses US Opioid Epidemic – 3/1/16
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: The Kratom Craze – 2/28/16
- Addicted, U.S.A How a heroin epidemic swept Buffalo’s suburbs — and the rest of the nation – 2/25/16
- Shortage Of Addiction Counselors Further Strained By Opioid Epidemic – 2/24/16
- The racial divide in the opioid crisis – 2/24/16
- Senators push protections for opioid-dependent parents, infants – 2/23/16
- How Would the Candidates Fix the Heroin Epidemic? – 2/23/16
News & Updates – February 17, 2016; Issue 241
MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT/OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records: A Proposed Rule by the Health and Human Services Department
- Senate Committee Passes CARA
- FACT SHEET: Administration’s Drug Control Budget Represents Balanced Approach to Public Health and Public Safety
- Waiting Lists Grow for Medicine to Fight Opioid Addiction
- White and Black Americans Agree That Heroin Abuse Is a Serious Problem
- Research Results: Better Quality of Care May Reduce Mortality Risk in Patients Treated with Opioid Therapy for Pain
- NIDA Research Recap: Factors Predicting the Transition from Prescription Opioids to Heroin
- Califf, FDA Top Officials Call for Sweeping Review of Agency Opioids Policies
- Opioid Epidemic Driving Major Federal Drug Reforms?
- New Resource: FBI, DEA Release Documentary Film Addressing Heroin/Prescription Drug Abuse
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
ADDICTION & RECOVERY
News & Updates – February 5, 2016; Issue 240
MEDICATION ASSISTED TREATMENT/OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- White House to Request $1 Billion to Counter Drug Abuse Epidemic
- Violent Crime Lower Near Drug Treatment Centers Than Other Commercial Areas
- Revised Opioid Overdose Toolkit Now Available From SAMHSA
- Survey Results – Opioid Abuse and Misuse: Providers and Patients Speak Up
- Use of Psychosocial Treatments in Conjunction With Medication for Opioid Addiction—Recommended, But Research Is Sparse
- Educate Doctors, Treat Addicts to Curb Opioid Abuse, Lawmakers Told
- News From Massachusetts: Data Show Opioids’ Deadly Toll
- VA Docs Defied Opiate Rules in Treating Vets, Audit Finds
- Research Article Abstract: Drug Test Results as a Predictor of Retention among Patients Using Buprenorphine in a Comprehensive Outpatient Treatment Program
- SAMHSA Selects Kimberly A. Johnson, Ph.D., As CSAT Director
- Review Article Reinforces Support for Brain Disease Model of Addiction (NIDA)
BLOGS/OPINIONS
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Research results: The dose makes the poison: Opioid overdose study supports call for caution in Rx levels – 2/1/16
- Amid heroin crisis, GOP contenders reframe addiction as a health crisis – 2/1/16
- Congress tackles the issue of opioid abuse, echoing talk on campaign trail – 1/29/16
- Senate Response to Opioid Abuse Could Hit FDA, Drugmakers – 1/27/16
- Dr. Jana Burson Blog: After the Overdose – 1/23/16
News & Updates – January 21, 2016; Issue 239
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT & OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- Few Doctors Are Willing, Able to Prescribe Powerful Anti-Addiction Drugs
- Docs on Board With CDC Opioid Guidance
- Heroin Addiction Rare Among Painkiller Abusers
- Study: Doctors Prescribing Pain Killers Post-Overdose
- New York Times; How the Epidemic of Drug Overdose Deaths Ripples Across America
- How To Get Off Suboxone
- Opioid Use in Pregnancy Puts Infants at Risk
- New Medications For Treating Opioid Addiction Are On The Horizon
- Patients and Healthcare Professionals Concerned About Prescription Opioid Misuse and Addiction, but Survey Reveals Knowledge Gap on Minimizing Risks & Misuse
- Rising Use of Opioid Painkillers May Lead Soldiers, Vets to Heroin
- Research Results: Correlates of Overdose Risk Perception among Illicit Opioid Users
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- Think White Suburbanites Are Experiencing Heroin Addiction for The First Time? Think Again – 1/12/16
- Anatomy Of Addiction: How Heroin And Opioids Hijack The Brain – 1/12/16
- Research Gives Context To Addressing Nation’s Drug Abuse Crisis, Review Finds – 1/13/16
- Did Painkiller Crackdown Cause Heroin Epidemic? New Commentary Says No, But Others Disagree – 1/13/16
- Heroin Epidemic Is Another Reason To Move On Criminal Justice Reform: White House – 1/13/16
- Obama’s Heroin Pledge Has A Huge Obstacle, Senator Says – 1/13/16
- For Teenagers, Adult-Sized Opioid Addiction Treatment Doesn’t Fit – 1/15/16
- Here’s How the White House Plans to Address Rural America’s Struggle with Heroin – 1/15/16
- Republicans See Room To Wed Heroin Epidemic To Criminal Justice Reform – 1/16/16
News & Updates – January 13, 2016; Issue 238
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT & OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- Will Delay Weaken CDC Opioid Guidance? – Recommendations to limit supply and dosing under fire
- Heroin in Pill Form Trending Across Nation, Southern West Virginia
- West Virginia Allows Painkiller Addicts to Sue Doctors Who Got Them Hooked
- DEADLY BIAS: Why Medication Isn’t Reaching the Addicts Who Need It
- Research: Buprenorphine Found Superior to Methadone in Treating Infants Born in Drug Withdrawal
- Research Abstract: Opioid Prescribing After Nonfatal Overdose and Association With Repeated Overdose: A Cohort Study
- The March of Heroin – “Heroin is the dark, dirty secret of America today.”
- Parents’ Drug Abuse Strains Child-Welfare Agencies
- Kratom Used as Alternative to Heroin, But Can Lead to Addiction: Experts
- Round Two at FDA for Buprenorphine Implant – Reviewers cite problems with responder rate in new Probuphine study
- The Opioid Epidemic’s Toll On Pregnant Women and Their Babies
- CDC Expert Commentary – Acute Hepatitis C Infection in Young Persons Who Use Drugs
- The November/December issue of Alcohol, Other Drugs, and Health: Current Evidence is Now Available online
- Countries with the Biggest Opioid Problem
HEALTHCARE REFORM
LINKS TO ADDITIONAL NATIONAL NEWS OF INTEREST
- How the War on Drugs Came Between the U.S. and Mexico – 1/12/16
- Anatomy Of Addiction: How Heroin And Opioids Hijack The Brain – 1/11/16
- Jana Burson Blog: Purdue Pharma Settles Kentucky Lawsuit – 1/10/16
- A Doctor’s View: Can We Curb the Opioid Abuse Epidemic By Rethinking Chronic Pain? – 1/8/16
- Govs: State Programs on Criminal Justice, Opioid Abuse an Example for Congress – 1/7/16
LINKS TO PRESIDENTIAL MEDIA COVERAGE OF ADDICTION
- Why Republicans Are Changing Their Approach To Drug Addicts – 1/6/16
- Jeb Bush Releases Drug Policy, Vows to Stop ‘Pill Mills’ – 1/5/16
- GOP Candidates Call for End to Stigma Around Drug Addiction – 1/5/16
News & Updates – January 4, 2016; Issue 237
MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT & OPIOID ABUSE/ADDICTION
- Congress Investigating CDC’s Opioid Guidelines
- Drug Overdose Deaths by State, US (2013 and 2014)
- Many Continue to Receive Opioid Prescriptions After Overdose
- Non-Medical Use of Prescription Drugs Among Americans 18-25 Research Results
- Naloxone for Opioid Overdose: New Questions Arise in 2015
- Survey: Doctors, NPs, Patients Concerned About Opioid Dangers
- Medication-Assisted Addiction Treatment Faces Cost and Payment Concerns
- Opioid Addiction Treatment Argued as ‘Essential’ Insurance Benefit
- Roadblocks to Recovery: Professor Developing Vaccine for Heroin Addiction
- Vietnam, Heroin and The Lesson of Disrupting Any Addiction
- Gabapentin New Drug of Abuse?