Addiction Treatment Forum reports on substance use news of interest to opioid treatment programs and patients in medication-assisted treatment.
Why OTPs Need To Stay In The Mix: The Shatterproof Yelp-like Pilot
When Shatterproof launched its new ATLAS (Addiction Treatment Locator, Assessment, and Standards Platform) project, funded largely by insurance companies, as a pilot in six states, opioid treatment programs (OTPs) of New York State said yes, they want to participate. The reason is not because OTPs are interested in having disgruntled patients post complaints in a…
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New OTPs In Tennessee, Where Medicaid Now Covers Methadone/OTP
This summer, the Tennessee Health Services and Development Agency (HSDA) granted a Certificate of Need (CON) for the establishment of a new opioid treatment program (OTP) in Maryville, Blount County, Tennessee. Owned by The Patricia Hall Talbott Legacy Centers, LLC, a company named after the founder’s mother, and doing business as TLC Maryville, the Maryville…
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COVID-19 Resources
https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/programs_campaigns/medication_assisted/telemedicine-dea-guidance.pdf https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment/statutes-regulations-guidelines/covid-19-guidance-otp https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/otp-guidance-20200316.pdf https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/sample-otp-covid-19-faqs.pdf https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/noras-blog/2020/03/covid-19-potential-implications-individuals-substance-use-disorders https://www.samhsa.gov/sites/default/files/tips-social-distancing-quarantine-isolation-031620.pdf https://www.appropriations.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/032520%20Title-By-Title%20Summary%20FINAL.pdf
AT Forum Newsletter – August 2020
Pinnacle Ceo On Aegis Acquisition 2 Months Before Covid Hit
When Pinnacle Treatment Centers acquired California-based Aegis Treatment Centers this year, it gained 10,000 patients and 36 opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in its expansion. This move meant Pinnacle, based in New Jersey, now had a presence on the West Coast. Unbeknownst to staff and patients, of course, was that the transition would be accompanied by…
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Can Jail-Based MMT Lower Costs and Help Prevent Recidivism?
Jail-based methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) sounds great in theory, but it’s rarely implemented. Yet opioid use disorders are common, with about 23% of state prisoners and 18% of federal prisoners reporting a history of opioid use. Tragically, once prisoners are released, loss of tolerance and the increased availability of potent synthetic opioids puts them at…
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News & Updates – August 2020
Nation’s Drug Overdose Epidemic Requires New Policy Focus
The nation’s focus is understandably set on the deadly COVID-19 pandemic, yet nearly 72,000 Americans died from an unintentional drug overdose last year. A new report from the AMA Opioid Task Force details actions physicians have taken, recognizes the evolving nature of…
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To Stop Deadly Overdoses, ‘The Opioid Fix’ Urges Better Use Of Tools We Already Have
“The coronavirus pandemic is, unfortunately, expected to worsen the opioid overdose crisis,” says Barbara Andraka-Christou, an assistant professor of health management and informatics at the University of Central Florida. “Many individuals are experiencing triggers, such as family- or job-related stress, that…
New Peak Of 71k Us Overdose Deaths In 2019 Dashes Hopes
Nearly 71,000 Americans died of drug overdoses last year, a new record that predates the COVID-19 crisis, which the White House and many experts believe will drive such deaths even higher. Preliminary numbers released Wednesday by the Centers for Disease…
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SAMHSA Rule-Change Strips SUD Patients’ Privacy, Invites Police Intrusion
The long-awaited final rule revising 42 CFR Part 2—the confidentiality regulation applying to substance use disorder (SUD) treatment records—is out. The 54-page rule was published in the Federal Register on July 15, and takes effect on August 14. It follows along with the proposal,…
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Telehealth Can Be a Lifeline for Patients With Addictions. Is It Enough?
Although telemedicine has improved treatment access for some patients with substance use disorders during the pandemic, it doesn’t meet all of the needs of an already vulnerable population, specialists told MedPage Today. Regulatory agencies have loosened restrictions on treatments like buprenorphine,…
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