Articles on Suboxone and Opioid Dependence
(August 21, 2019) The Morning Consult reports on a recent study conducted by the Urban Institute which identifies a correlation between expanded Medicaid and an increase in buprenorphine prescriptions. Because Medicaid covers the cost of buprenorphine maintenance treatment, states that have approved Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act have been able to […]
(August 16, 2019) Recovery Centers America (RCA) has opened a new opioid treatment clinic in western New Jersey, according to Biospace. Bravo Healthcare Clinic opened in Somerdale on Aug. 13 and will give medically-assisted treatments (MATs) to its local community. This clinic will provide standalone MATs, just like RCA’s clinic in Trenton. Because […]
(August 15, 2019) New Mexico will receive new federal funding to support its opioid response, reports KUNM. The U.S. Health Resources and Service Administration has marked $2 million for opioid training and programs in the city of Espanola. Those funds are part of an $80 million federal effort to support state efforts to […]
(August 14, 2019) Montana has received $3.9 million of federal funding to support its opioid response, reports Montana Public Radio. The Health Resources and Services Administration’s funds will support new substance abuse programs in the state. About $1 million will expand rural opioid treatment programs across Montana. Another $900,000 will help train addiction […]
(August 12, 2019) Oregon opioid treatment centers will receive new federal funds, reports KTVZ. The U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services awarded a $1.5-million grant to 27 opioid treatment centers across the state. Each clinic receives $167,000 to increase access to substance abuse and mental health treatments. Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) champions […]
(August 8, 2018) New federal funding will support opioid response in Indiana communities, reports ABC157. From a $1.25 million grant, the Indiana Youth Institute will fund Big Brothers Big Sisters of Elkhart County (BBBS). BBBS mentors children one-on-one with community volunteers, and will receive up to $60,000 through 2022. Those funds will train […]
(August 7, 2019) Colorado State is training communal extension agents to give opioid education to rural areas, reports The Colorado Sun. A $1.4 million program from the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture lets CSU ready five extension agents to reach isolated towns where few opioid resources available. These agents plan to form family-based preventive […]
(August 6, 2018) Oklahoma State University has begun its weeklong opioid response conference, reports The Duncan Banner. OSU’s Center for Wellness and Health created the events to involve doctors, law enforcement, lawmakers, and the public in the state’s opioid response. Duncan Regional Hospital, along with Pathways to a Healthier You, brought the conference […]
(August 5, 2019) Univ. of North Carolina researchers will collaborate with state and local governments to improve jails’ opioid treatments. According to UNC Health Care, the new program exists within the National Institute of Health’s national initiative to reform opioid recovery in correctional environments. UNC’s School of Medicine will collaborate with the North […]
(August 1, 2018) An opioid law in North Carolina will improve treatment access and strengthen local opioid programs, reports The Wilson Times. The Opioid Epidemic Response Act, which Gov. Roy Cooper signed into law on July 22, plans to improve medically-assisted treatment options for the state. It includes three main initiatives: widening office-setting […]
(July 31, 2019) Duke Energy will give $250,000 to support Indiana’s opioid response plans, reports WBIW. The funds will support training programs and employment assistance in eleven counties. “As I visit the places we serve, I hear firsthand from our community leaders how this crisis affects their workforce and families,” Duke Energy Indiana […]
(July 30, 2019) Delaware officials have met in Dover to discuss community-based opioid responses, reports Delaware State News. The city’s Parks, Recreation and Community Enhancement Committee met with Kristan McIntosh, a senior consultant from NY-based Health Management Associates, to consider community response teams (CRTs). These teams would comprise local volunteers trained in overdose […]
(July 29, 2019) An opioid response organization in Douglas County will develop an opioid overdose plan. According to NBCNews Las Vegas, Partnership Douglas County (PDC) will write an opioid overdose model with $10,000 dollars from the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health. The model will recommend how the county reports overdoses and […]
(July 26, 2019) New York will adopt a new opioid emergency treatment which the University of Buffalo developed, reports UBNow. The university’s emergency physicians designed the program, Buffalo MATTERS, to connect emergency room opioid victims to more treatment options. When victims of opioid overdose arrive in emergency rooms, doctors have the brief chance […]
(July 25, 2019) University researchers in Massachusetts will receive grants to join a national study of opioid treatment in criminal justice settings, reports Eurekalert! Dr. Elizabeth Evans, assistant professor of public health at the Univ. of Massachusetts Amherst, and Dr. Peter Friedman, associate dean of research at the Univ. of Massachusetts Medical School, […]
(July 24, 2019) 23 cities in Indiana will receive new opioid response funding, according to Fox59. The Rx Abuse Leadership Initiative (RALI) has given $35,000 to Accelerate Indiana Municipalities (Aim) for the state’s opioid treatment programs. This amount joins the $50,000 given to the Aim Drug and Opioid Abuse Program, which supplied informational […]
(July 23, 2019) A new study of opioid treatment calls 41 North Carolina counties “opioid high-risk,” reports North Carolina Health News. The study appears in the Journal of American Medical Association. Its criteria for “high-risk” have two parts: rates of fatal opioid overdose and also number of doctors giving opioid treatment. A county […]
(July 22, 2019) A weeklong opioid response conference begins today in Tulsa, Oklahoma, reports Tulsa World. Oklahoma State University’s (OSU) Center for Wellness and Recovery (CWR) will host the Opioid Epidemic Response event. Executive director Julie Croff stresses that the conference gives events for many groups, however. “There’s something for everyone at this […]
(July 18, 2019) Columbus, Ohio supports a high school for teens recovering from addiction, reports WOUB. Heartland High provides specialized treatment and schooling for teenagers recovering from drug and alcohol addiction. For recovering high schoolers, returning to old friend groups can threaten relapse. Paige Stewart, head of the school, says, “When you go […]
(July 17, 2019) Illinois will receive federal funding to help those impacted by the opioid crisis. According to the Jacksonville Journal-Courier, the U.S. Dept. of Labor gave the Dislocated Worker Grant to the Illinois Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to provide relief employment around the state. The grant begins with $1.8 million, […]
(July 16, 2019) Colorado has extended its rural opioid treatment program, says KUNC. The state had previously only passed the Medication-assisted Treatment Pilot Program in 2017 as a two-year trial run. It funded community opioid treatment clinics in both Pueblo and Routt counties, where fatal overdose rates had been high in 2016. Since […]
(July 15, 2019) Maine is hosting its first-ever Opioid Response Summit in Augusta, reports Public News Service. Governor Janet Mills will lead the daylong event to support the state’s ongoing response to the opioid crisis. She’s joined by Barbara L. Macaneny, the current president of the American Medical Association, Michael Botticelli, former director […]
(July 12, 2019) The University of Montana will begin developing an anti-opioid vaccine, reports ABCFox Montana. With $3.3 million from the National Institutes of Health, the university will start its research under Dr. Jay Evans, Director of the Center of Translational Medicine. He and his team have ambitious plans to negate opioid cravings. […]
(July 11, 2019) Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College has new grant funding for opioid prevention efforts. According to The Joplin Globe, the school has received the $54,000 State Opioid Response Higher Education Community Outreach Grant. This will train faculty and students to respond to their communities’ opioid use through a team: a project coordinator, […]
(July 10, 2019) Schools in Montgomery, Maryland, will receive a grant to educate its students on opioid prevention in the coming year, reports My MC Media. The state grant, worth $540,000, is the Heroin and Opioid Prevention grant. The Montgomery County Public Schools have a three-part plan for it. They will purchase opioid […]
(July 9, 2019) Appalachian-area universities will begin studying opioid abuse in nearby rural areas, thanks to a new federal grant. WITF reports that researchers will begin in-depth research of opioid use because of $5.8 million from the National Institutes of Health. Three scientists from nearby universities will partner to conduct the study: Dr. […]
(July 8, 2019) Iowa has seen a large drop in opioid deaths in 2018, reports Radio Iowa. Following 206 fatal overdoses in 2017, the state then reported 137 in 2018 (a 33% decrease). Though Iowa already enjoys one of the lowest opioid death rates in the country, Opioid Initiatives director Kevin Gabbert credits […]
(July 5, 2019) Arizona’s Medicaid organization will add more opioid treatment options, reports the Arizona Capitol Times. The organization, called the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), will expand its opioid drug list. Now, a buprenorphine tablet and injectable will join the film option and methadone as opioid treatments. The organization’s plan […]
(June 4, 2019) Connecticut jails will use new funding to increase medically-assisted treatment for inmates, says the The Middletown Press. Governor Ned Lamont approved $8 million of funding through 2021. Now, the state’s Department of Correction can grow its opioid treatment from only six jails currently. These inmate MAT programs provide methadone and […]
(July 3, 2019) Minnesota has passed a law to fund opioid recovery through fees on prescription opioid producers, according to the Star Tribune. Gov. Bill Walz signed the bill into law and called it “a visionary piece of legislation,” as it makes Minnesota the first state to create a separate fund for opioid […]
(July 2, 2019) The Capital Gazette reports that a new opioid center in Annapolis will address opioid users’ mental needs. The Pascal Crisis Stabilization Center opened June 8 thanks to $225,000 of state funding. Center officials plan to make the facility a new follow-up to emergency opioid treatment. First responders will continue giving […]
(July 1, 2019) Connecticut is adopting new strategies to combat fentanyl, reports the CT Mirror. Already, the state has seen 45 overdoses by June 10, nearly double the amount of the same period last year. In 2017, 1,1017 people died of overdoses, and 75% of those cases involved fentanyl. State lawmakers are strengthening […]
(June 28, 2019) Medical associations are urging Delaware lawmakers to support more access to medically-assisted treatments (MATs), reports The Delaware Business Times. There are three organizations asking lawmakers to approve House Bill 220: the Medical Society of Delaware (MSD), the American Psychiatric Association, and the American Medical Association. The groups support the bill […]
(June 27, 2019) Researchers at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) have a vaccine which combats fentanyl, reports WVTF. Led by Assistant Professor Matthew Banks, PhD., VCU researchers have developed a vaccine that could curb a patient’s interest in addictive opioids. Fentanyl, a synthetic opioid fifty times stronger than heroin, is one of the most […]
(June 26, 2019) Paramedics in New Jersey will soon begin to provide buprenorphine to victims of opioid overdoses, reports Stat News. The state’s health commissioner, Dr. Shereef Elnahal, has authorized paramedics to give overdose victims Suboxone at the scene of the overdose. The 1,900 eligible paramedics still need to receive permission from their […]
(June 25, 2019) Hamilton County Jail in southwest Ohio has begun treating the opioid addiction of some of its inmates, reports Cincinnati.com. NaphCare, the jail’s healthcare provider, began giving buprenorphine treatments in May, and has treated fifty-two inmates so far. Inmates had already received buprenorphine for withdrawal symptoms last year, but the new […]
(June 24, 2019) Patients showing signs of opioid addiction will receive help to begin opioid treatment in some Vermont hospitals, reports the VT Digger. A $1.5 million grant from SAMHSA to the University of Vermont’s Medical Center will launch immediate medical assistance in the emergency departments of the UVM Medical Center and Central […]
(June 21, 2019) I Love Recovery Editor-In-Chief Nicola O’Hanlon recently shared a piece on the consequences of people-pleasing—an important behavior to recognize particularly in addiction recovery. She identifies self-neglect, anger and resentment, being present but disengaged, anxiety and depression, and being taken advantage of as some of the consequences of engaging in people-pleasing […]
(June 20, 2019) Two large naloxone suppliers in Minnesota will not receive enough state funding to continue giving out Narcan kits in their communities, according to The Twin Cities Pioneer Press. Since 2017, Valhalla Place and the Steve Rummler HOPE (SRH) Network have provided free naloxone kits and opioid overdose training to anyone […]
(June 19, 2019) Health researchers at the University of Indiana have joined the Franciscan Alliance health system to improve opioid treatment access in local hospitals, reports the Indiana University News. The researchers work at Prevention Insights (PI), an addiction research center based at IU, and with the help of a three-year, $1.57 million […]
An Ohio board of health has received a new grant from the state to continue its treatment of opioid addiction, reports The Record Herald. The Alcohol, Drug, and Mental Health (ADAMH) Board was awarded a State Opioid Response grant worth $148,732 to use among relevant health organizations in Fayette, Highland, Pickaway, and Pike […]
Thanks to the two U.S. senators for Illinois, five health organizations in central Illinois will receive $1 million to support treatment of opioid addiction, reports centralillinoisproud.com. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) secured the fund through the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration, in particular […]
The first opioid treatment clinic in Kalkaska County has opened to help rural residents begin recovery, reports 9&10 News. Adam C. DeVaney, LCSW, has overseen making this clinic available to the rural community of Kalkaska, which has much less access to opioid than neighboring Traverse City. The opioid crisis “is affecting rural communities […]
The Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville has unveiled a part-time opioid clinic to accompany its emergency room, reports Nashville Public Radio. This addition to Nashville’s largest hospital will operate one day a week, and the hospital’s emergency doctors will begin prescribing buprenorphine treatments on July 1. Previously, those suffering from opioid addiction […]
Addiction Professional reports that a New Jersey hotline which connects callers to opioid treatment resources reached 15,000 calls in late May 2019. NJ Connect for Recovery, a confidential hotline at 855-652-3737, was established by the Mental Health Association in 2015 as a way to help those suffering from opioid addiction in the state. […]
A federal inmate has won her lawsuit against the Federal Bureau of Prisons and will be allowed to continue her methadone treatment while in prison. WGBH in Boston reports that the woman, Stephanie DiPierro, will begin her prescribed medically-assisted treatment immediately once she is incarcerated. No federal inmate had ever been allowed access […]
A new opioid recovery clinic will open in Port Angeles, Washington, before the end of summer 2019. The Peninsula Daily News reports that BayMark Health Services has leased a location in the area for a clinic to help patients overcome opioid addiction, planning to treat 200 patients within the next five years. However, […]
The My Time Recovery opioid rehabilitation clinic has been certified with the LegitScript recognition, reports the Capital Gazette. A LegitScript certification recognizes rehab centers for their stellar treatment and effective services, once the centers have undergone a review process that considers their treatments, facilities, and patient testimonies. If a rehab center receives this […]
Paramedics in Philadelphia are pairing up with the city’s social service workers to better respond to reported opioid overdoses, according to NBC Philadelphia. The paramedic-caseworker duos will arrive to advise those who survive overdoses but refuse transport to the hospital, in hopes to get them into opioid addiction treatment. Working out of Kensington, […]
Massachusetts legislators will advocate for reform in treatment of opioid addictions in the coming debates on the state’s spending, reports WBUR. The proposed reform would cost $5 million and contains initiatives of a new strategy emphasizing safer use of opioids rather than total prevention. It is smaller facet of the larger $48 million […]
The S’Kallam Tribe has nearly completed purchase of 19.5 acres of land for development of an opioid treatment center in Sequim, Washington. Per the Sequim Gazette, the acquisition will enable the tribe to join the Olympic Medical Center and Jefferson Healthcare hospital in plans to complete both a medically-assisted treatment center and inpatient […]
The use of buprenorphine by California patients increased greatly between 2014 and 2018, reports Kaiser Health News. Use of this opioid treatment medication has nearly quadrupled in that timespan, though the opioid medication methadone has consistently remained more common in the same period. The increased availability of buprenorphine is likely due to the […]
The National Institute on Drug Abuse has agreed to fund the addiction treatment project of the Yale School of Medicine for the next four years, as reported by Yale News. The EMergency Department-Initiated BuprenorphinE for Opioid Use Disorder (EMBED), formed last year by Drs. Ted Melnick, Gail D’Onofrio, and others, means to electronically […]
Arizona State University (ASU) is launching an Addiction and Substance-Use Related Disorders online training program in August, according to an update released by ASU Now. The program aims to teach students about evidence-based treatments for substance abuse in an attempt to prepare the certified graduates for combatting the nationwide opioid crisis. The article […]
The Partnership for Drug-Free Kids + Center on Addiction has partnered with Facebook to build a public awareness campaign titled Stop Opioid Silence (SOS), with the goal of inspiring people to speak openly about opioid use disorder and to get help when needed. The campaign features a series of stories from those affected […]
Boston’s WBUR had MassINC Polling Group conduct a survey of 660 Massachusetts residents this month to gauge perceptions on opioid addiction in the state. The results of this poll reveal that 53% of participants identify the severity of “addiction to heroin and other opiates such as prescription painkillers in Massachusetts” as “a crisis.” […]
The Boston Globe reports on the findings of the quarterly report on opioid-related deaths that was recently released by the Department of Public Health (DPH), narrowing in on the areas of Massachusetts that saw the greatest increases and sharpest declines in overdose deaths. The news release highlights the death toll in Springfield: Among […]
WFPL News Louisville published a story this week regarding the rising occurrence of grandparents raising their grandchildren in Kentucky, often as a result of opioid abuse on the parent’s behalf. According to the article, six percent of children across the state of Kentucky are under the primary care of their grandparents. The author […]
Xtelligent Healthcare Media, LLC published an article on the efforts and initiatives being taken in Mississippi and Iowa to address the opioid crisis, describing resulting improvements in patient care. In Mississippi, the amount of opioids prescribed has significantly lowered over the course of the last few year, more physicians have become certified to […]
An update from Bethesda Beat indicates that while the death rate from opioid-related overdoses has almost quadrupled across Maryland in the last decade, deaths in Montgomery Country declined in 2018. Raymond Crowel, chief of Behavioral Health and Crisis Services for Montgomery County’s Department of Health and Human Services, credits an increase in the […]
The Pratt Tribune recently published a story about an alternative to prescription opioids for mothers who undergo C-sections—the ON-Q Pain Relief System. Nicknamed “the pain ball,” this elastomeric pump releases a nonaddictive anesthetic to help ease post-surgery pain. Dr. Anita Somani, gynecologist and obstetrician, speaks on the use of opioids for pain management: […]
Inmates with opioid use disorder at a Louisiana prison are receiving surgical implants intended to help prevent opiate effects and reduce drug cravings, according to a recent story published by The Advocate. The implant releases the commonly known drug naltrexone over a span of three to four months, varying from the standard method of […]
Pittsburgh’s NPR News Station 90.5 WESA reports on the research of Saadyah Averick, a chemist at Allegheny General Hospital, who is in the process of developing a longer-lasting type of naloxone. This longer-acting naloxone is intended to be gentler and work longer, to prevent the rare occurrence in which naloxone doesn’t last long enough […]
The University of Buffalo (UB) is joining forces with the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in the Action Collaborative on Countering the U.S. Opioid Epidemic, according to a recent announcement, as covered by UBNow. UB issued a statement affirming their commitment: We commit to the goals of the Opioid Action Collaborative of the […]
Minnesota biotech firm Stemonix has joined the federal HEAL (Helping to End Addiction Long-term) Initiative of the National Institutes of Health to assess how human brain cells respond to opioids, according to a recent article from the Star Tribune. Stemonix co-founder and CEO Ping Yeh speaks on the initative: NCATS’ goal “is to find […]
University of Kentucky News recently shared an update regarding a new opioid stewardship program intended to provide Kentucky hospitals with the resources needed to assure safe opioid use. The program, formed by a partnership between the Kentucky Hospital Association (KHA) and the Cabinet for Health and Family Services as part of the Kentucky Opioid […]
Pinnacle Treatment Centers opened another treatment center in South Jersey this March, aiming to meet the increasing need for opioid addiction treatment in the community. Vineland Daily Journal captures commentary from the Executive Director of Vineland Treatment Services, Stephanie Lamancusa, who speaks to the need for a treatment center in the area: “There’s no treatment […]
Modern Healthcare reports that health service company Cigna is partnering with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to help improve care for veterans in an effort to reduce opioid misuse. The article shares a quote from Cinga’s CEO, David Cordani: “Public-private partnerships are critical to address the opioid epidemic in the U.S.,” said […]
Cities across the United States offered prescription drug collection sites this past weekend as part of the 17th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day,an initiative intended to encourage proper disposal of unused prescription medications. By encouraging people to take part, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) aims to prevent drug addiction and overdose deaths.Since […]
A revamped version of Reach NJ, an addiction taskforce initiated by former Governor Chris Christie, has received significant investment from the Murphy administration, according to NJ Spotlight. The campaign will include a series of print and online advertisements with a hotline number. The program aims to target Atlantic, Camden, Essex, Middlesex, Monmouth and Ocean […]
Rochester Drug Co-Operative and two of its chief executives were charged this week for conspiracy and suspicious pharmaceutical orders, as reported on by RochesterFirst.com. The pharmaceutical company agreed to a $20 million settlement to be paid over five years, with three years of compliance monitoring. The article includes commentary from U.S. Attorney Geoffrey S. […]
Insider NJ reports on the newly announced efforts that the Office of the New Jersey Coordinator for Addiction Responses and Enforcement Strategies (“NJ CARES”) intends to implement to combat the opioid crisis. Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced these three actions, according to the article: The statewide expansion of “Operation Helping Hand,” a groundbreaking […]
Mark Tyndall, public health expert and researcher at British Columbia’s CDC, has a solution for offering a safer supply of opioids to those who need medically assisted treatment: an opioid vending machine. Wired covers the story, providing details about the vending machine: The machine, designed in partnership with a Canadian tech company, would allow preapproved […]
Nassau County in New York is expanding its medically assisted treatment programs with a new pilot program, Newsday reports. While the article could not fully predict how many people would be helped by the program, it did go into some detail on how the program would work: While the patients are in detox, Maryhaven employees […]
I Love Recovery has released a series of articles recently covering a variety of recovery-related topics, including stories from the perspective of an adult child of alcoholics, and anecdotes reminding us to breathe and avoid falling into self-destructive behavior. In the article Days in The Life of an Adult Child – Movies, author Sherry Hawn […]
The Odessa American carried an article from the Associated Press covering an interview with the CEO of American Addiction Centers, Michael Cartwright, who discusses the use of medically assisted treatment. The following excerpts are from Cartwright: We give very little formal education to physicians, nurses in school or in college getting their degrees, on the […]
The Telegram from Worchester, Massachusetts recently presented an in-depth piece on the opioid crisis, discussing the role of medically assisted treatment in combatting the epidemic. The article, by Susannah Sudborough, tracks the history to the crisis back to 1990 with the introduction of OxyContin by Purdue Pharmaceuticals. Sudborough brings us from then to […]
Philadelphia Mayor James Kenney, former Vice President Joe Biden, and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush spoke on a panel regarding the opioid epidemic on Thursday at the University of Pennsylvania, as covered by the Philadelphia Inquirer. Kenney voiced support for a supervised injection site in Philadelphia despite opposition from residents of Kensington: “It’s very, […]
Rhode Island Senate President Dominick Ruggerio just proposed a bill that would require all drug manufacturers that sell or distribute opioids in the state of Rhode Island to pay an opioid tax, according to a news update from the Providence Journal. The goal of this tax is to generate funding to buy naloxone to […]
San Antonio Express-News just published a comprehensive story on medically assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction, noting a lack of providers in the area and the stigmas around MAT. The article begins with an anecdote about Jennifer Ramirez, who experienced substance use disorder beginning in her teenage years, and her path from taking methadone, […]
Approximately 100 protesters and activists gathered around the Department of Health and Human Services building in Washington D.C. on Friday, April 5, 2019 in an effort to push the FDA to more thoroughly address the impacts of opioid crisis. The protesters brought along a giant sculpture of a spoon used to cook heroin, […]
Shatterproof, a non-profit organization focused on addiction awareness and advocacy, has started a campaign called Hope Stems, with the goal of generating awareness around opioid addiction and the stigmas that often accompany it. The campaign uses a flower arrangement depicting how opioids alter the brain, with celosia forming the brain shape and black poppies […]
Pain specialists at the University of Arizona and Banner – University Medicine recently conducted research on chronic pain treatment that doesn’t involve opioid use, determining that pain clinics could be beneficial in reducing opioid usage, according to a press release from the University of Arizona. The primary objective of the study was to “evaluate […]
The Pew Charitable Trust recommends more resources for Medically Assisted Treatment to the Delaware government, according to a news update from The Beacon. The Pew Trust started with the Delaware program in July of 2018, conducting a comprehensive needs assessment including interviewing stakeholders. The article from the Milford Beacon states: “Delaware has made great […]
The Oklahoma State University Center for Wellness and Recovery will be receiving the majority of the funds from the settlement with Purdue Pharma in the Oklahoma opioid lawsuit, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). The center, which opened in October 2017, hopes to become “the premier addiction research center […]
NPR reports that beginning on May 1, 2019, China will institute regulations to treat all fentanyl-related drugs as controlled substances—an effort intended to cut the supply of a drug that significantly contributes to the opioid crisis in the United States. NPR’s news update explains the issue: “Authorities in China already regulate 25 variants of […]
Governor Ron DeSantis has announced that Florida will be re-establishing its office of drug control with the intent of reducing substance abuse in the state, according to an update from NBC 6 South Florida. DeSantis has appointed Attorney General Ashley Moody to lead the task force. Moody recently spoke at a Florida Association of […]
Judge Torresen of the United States District Court for the District of Maine has ruled in favor of Brenda Smith receiving buprenorphine treatment during her 40-day jail sentence, as reported by WGME CBS 13 News. Smith has been in recovery from opioid use disorder for nearly ten years, with medically assisted treatment aiding in […]
The New York Times just published an opinion piece on the opioid crisis and the inaccessibility of medically assisted treatment (MAT). The article references a recent consensus study report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, sharing a striking statistic: More than 80 percent of the roughly two million people struggling with […]
Purdue Pharma, the maker of OxyContin, has agreed to a $270 million settlement in a lawsuit brought by the Oklahoma attorney general, according to CNN. The New York Times reports that this settlement is considerably higher than those of earlier lawsuits in different states, including a settlement between Purdue Pharma and Kentucky of $24 million in […]
The NC Council of Churches recently held a summit in Raleigh, North Carolina focusing on the opioid crisis and the importance of Medicaid coverage for patient treatment, according to an article by North Carolina Health News. Advocates in the faith-based group urge for Medicaid expansion to include health insurance for substance abuse treatment as […]
The governor of Virginia approved a bill this month permitting staff members of Virginia schools to administer naloxone in opioid-related emergencies, according to a recent article from The Breeze. This preventative measure is rooted in the rise in deaths caused by opioid overdose in Virginia over the past year, and the concern of waiting […]
An increasing number of pharmaceutical companies are launching generic versions of Suboxone in the United States since the court ruling that opened the market to competition, according to Bloomberg’s recent update on the topic. In February, after over two years of legal disputes regarding the potential infringement on Indivior’s Suboxone patent, the U.S. Supreme Court […]
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently issued a warning to Nutra Pharma Corp. for illegally marketing multiple products with fraudulent claims, as detailed in a news release published on the FDA website. These products were portrayed as being able to treat addiction, chronic pain, and a series of other conditions. FDA Commissioner Scott […]
Governor Janet Mills of Maine is making access to medically assisted treatment (MAT) a priority in fighting the opioid crisis in her state. According to Fosters.com, the proposed initiatives include removing limits on Medicaid-funded methadone, buprenorphine, and naloxone, as well as making MAT available in Maine’s prisons. Fosters.com quotes Kirsten Figeuroa, Mills’ finance […]
Investigative journalist Katie Wedell of Dayton Daily News recently composed an article about her takeaways from covering the opioid crisis in Ohio, sharing just how much she learned about addiction and recovery throughout the process. Wedell summarizes what she learned in three points, the first relating to varying paths of recovery: “No two […]
Coverage on the new media campaign revolving around buprenorphine availability in Philadelphia continues, bringing the opioid crisis in the city to the forefront of public attention. The Inquirer Editorial Board of Philly.com highlights the surplus of vacant spots in medically assisted treatment (MAT) programs and discusses the controversy around MAT: “Because of ill-conceived notions that […]
The Marietta Times recently published an article on the evolving medically assisted treatment (MAT) options available to people in its community, in which the drug treatment court in Washington County can approve MAT upon the recommendation of a clinician. The court aims to institute treatment plans most suitable for each individual, following the […]
“I am living proof that bupe works”, proclaims signs around the city of Philadelphia, sharing the message of a new media campaign aimed towards building awareness around the availability of medically assisted treatment. The PhillyVoice covers the news around this new campaign, quoting David Jones, Commissioner of the Department of Behavioral Health and […]
According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 3.7 million Americans have used heroin at least once in their lives and there are anywhere between 121,000-164,00 new users each year. Heroin is classified as an opioid and is made from morphine, a substance found naturally in poppy seeds. The drug is very addictive and has the […]
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