Hospital emergency departments (EDs) risk legal liability by not referring patients to treatment with methadone or buprenorphine, and for not offering such treatment themselves, according to a 69-page report from the Legal Action Center. The report, released July 20, notes that due to the lethal supply of illicit fentanyl on the streets, many people who go to the ED after … [Read more...] about Legal Action Center Report Warns Hospitals of Legal Liability for Failing to Care for OUDs
ONDCP director nominated: It’s Gupta
West Virginia doesn’t have a stellar history when it comes to treating opioid use disorder. In 2018, it led the nation in opioid-related problems (https://atforum.com/2018/09/west-virginia-leads-nation-opioid-problems/). More than 10 years ago, the state instituted a moratorium against new OTPs on the mistaken belief that methadone overdoses in the state were related to OTPs; … [Read more...] about ONDCP director nominated: It’s Gupta
DEA Okays Methadone Vans if Operated by OTPs
As of July 28, licensed opioid treatment programs (OTPs) can operate vans which dispense methadone. The final rule, issued June 28 by the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), follows the March 9, 2020 Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, making it clear that the … [Read more...] about DEA Okays Methadone Vans if Operated by OTPs
When emergency departments make referrals, are they sending them to treatment?
Emergency departments have long been able to give patients methadone to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) for three days. But there are problems with that: partly that patients have to keep coming back to get it every day, and, mainly, that doctors “just haven’t been excited about doing it,” in the words of Linda Hurley, president and CEO of CODAC Behavioral Healthcare. “We … [Read more...] about When emergency departments make referrals, are they sending them to treatment?
Methadone treatment reform: A middle ground?
There are many bills and proposals which would loosen up treatment with methadone or buprenorphine. The better-known proposals to get rid of the X-waiver for buprenorphine are an important part of the story, but this story is specifically about making treatment in opioid treatment programs (OTPs) more convenient for patients. “Methadone reform” is a call to battle to many, … [Read more...] about Methadone treatment reform: A middle ground?
