Addiction Treatment Forum reports on substance use news of interest to opioid treatment programs and patients in medication-assisted treatment.
Women with OUD Are at Risk for Poor Reproductive and Sexual Health Outcomes; OTP Staff and Providers Suggest Effective Interventions
Women with opioid use disorder (OUD) face many challenges, among them the risk of poor outcomes in conditions involving reproductive and sexual health (RSH). Factors contributing to risk include less use of contraceptives, a higher incidence of unintended pregnancies, and an increased chance of contracting sexually transmitted infections and passing them on. What can be…
How to Attend AATOD
AATOD’s Las Vegas conference will be virtual, but still fun. Attendees at the April conference of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) will have plenty of fun, and lots to learn, as usual. Onsite will not happen due to the pandemic. It will be virtual. What does “virtual” mean? According to…
Vaccines and PPE for OTP Patients And Staff: A Work In Progress, Still
Writing in the “Points of View” section of the New England Journal of Medicine in January, Joshua A. Barocas, M.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Boston University School of Medicine and Infectious Disorders says that people with substance use disorders (SUDs) have not only be disproportionately affected by COVID-19, but are not prioritized for…
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AT Forum Newsletter – Recent Articles
Extended Take-homes: More Good News in New York
Extended Take-homes: More Good News in New York The expansion of methadone take-homes was highlighted as a positive move in New York by Governor Andrew Cuomo in his State of the State message January 11. This is a huge accomplishment, and one that other states should pick up on. In addition, he focused in general…
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Study Report: Implementing Open Access in OTPs; A Good Idea? Counselors Share Their Thoughts and Experiences
Let’s say you’re a counselor in an opioid treatment program (OTP), and your methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program suddenly launches an open-access initiative. Within days eligible patients are enrolled—whether they can pay or not—and allowed access, whenever they want, to their choice of counseling and medical and vocational services. Good idea? Bad idea? What will…
Update on Washington and OTPs for end of 2020
End of year activities in Washington, D.C. are full of important messages for opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Among the things to watch, as we head into 2021: 42 CFR Part 2: for methadone patients, confidentiality has been key, and OTPs have the challenge of balancing regulations, which have recently been relaxed, with liability should a…
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Proposed bills would infuse opioid use disorder treatment with new funds
Two bills passed by Congress and heading to the Senate would be very helpful to opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and other treatment providers, and their patients. SOR reauthorization The State Opioid Response (SOR) grant program, administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is up for continuation thanks to a bill passed…
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To Mallinckrodt: Thank you from AT Forum
We all want to thank Mallinckrodt for almost 30 years of support. This wonderful company provided support from the beginning of the newsletter, which first came out in 1992 during the dark days for methadone and opioid treatment programs. At the time, the late Stewart B. Leavitt, Ph.D., with funding what was then called Mallinckrodt…
CODAC Works With BH Link For Behavioral Health 24/7 Urgent Care
Rhode Island supported the development of Behavioral Health Link, BH Link, a 24-7 urgent care program for addiction and mental illness. The goal is to divert patients from less effective, more expensive emergency room visits to an urgent care visit which would directly provide care. And CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, an opioid treatment program (OTP) with…
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