When COVID-19 forced Bronx opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to change the way they operated, the OTPs made dramatic changes and saw better outcomes in just ten weeks. In an article published in March in the Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment, the authors summarize their experiences and share what they learned.  Background  The Bronx has been…

Continue Reading Reimagining Patient Care: Bronx OTPs Share Lessons Learned During COVID-19

Community Medical Services (CMS), which opened two new opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in Wisconsin and Arizona recently, is the first program in the country to open “Opioid Treatment on Demand” centers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Reaching out to harm reduction agencies is a key focus of CMS’ work, making sure clients…

Continue Reading Community Medical Services Reaches Out To Harm Reduction

A recent study hypothesized that distribution of methadone in Ohio via Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs0and pharmacies left out so many realities facing methadone treatment in the United States. The study, based on “geospatial” research, looked specifically at how close patients are via zip code to opioid treatment programs (OTPs), FQHCs, and pharmacies. Among these…

Continue Reading Flaws In Idea Of Expanding Access To Methadone Via FQHCs And Chain Pharmacy

The Talbott Legacy Centers (TLC) announced the opening of a new opioid treatment program (OTP) in Maryville, Tennessee in April. With service delivery starting April 7, the program will include comprehensive, nonresidential treatment services.  Benjamin M. Roe, M.D. is the medical director. Many residents of Blount County, where the OTP is located, already know Dr.…

Continue Reading New OTP in Tennessee Opens

Three bills going through Congress would change the way buprenorphine treatment is delivered, mainly eliminating the x-waiver, the training required for the special Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) license allowing the dispensing of the medication for opioid use disorders (OUDs). TREATS Act The Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services (TREATS) Act, introduced in February by…

Continue Reading X-waiver Changes Progressing Through Congress Amid Some Concerns From OTPs And Patients

The Hampden County (Massachusetts) Sheriff is helping men and women with opioid use disorder (OUD) receive treatment at CODAC Behavioral Health Care, the largest outpatient OUD treatment provider in Rhode Island. Through the Sheriff’s Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) program, CODAC is providing methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone – the three medications approved by the Food and…

Continue Reading Mass. Sheriff And R.I. OTP Work Together To Provide Treatment During Pandemic

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…

Continue Reading Women with OUD Are at Risk for Poor Reproductive and Sexual Health Outcomes; OTP Staff and Providers Suggest Effective Interventions

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…

Continue Reading How to Attend AATOD

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…

Continue Reading Vaccines and PPE for OTP Patients And Staff: A Work In Progress, Still