Alison Knopf

During the week of April 6, a sign-on letter circulating in the harm reduction and patient advocacy fields provoked some strong feelings. The letter focuses on mistreatment of opioid treatment program (OTP) patients during the national emergency and the COVID-19 pandemic. Three of the signatories are the National Alliance for Medication Assisted Recovery (NAMA) (a patient … [Read more...] about AATOD Concerns about Harm Reduction Initiative During Pandemic

The CARES Act revises 42 CFR Part 2 (confidentiality of substance use disorder patient records) eliminating consent, except for the first time, after which they can revoke it at any time. After almost 10 years, it looks as if confidentiality has finally met its match, in a killer pandemic. What the insurance industry, the American Society of Addiction Medicine, and the … [Read more...] about Provisions in CARES Act Affecting OTPs

Opioid treatment programs (OTPs) that dispense methadone got a fast and clear release from regulations due to the coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic. The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) issued policies that give OTPs flexibility in take-homes. This limits the frequency of contact, contributing to the … [Read more...] about OTP Regulations Loosened Due to Pandemic

Make sure you have enough medication. Follow infectious disease protocols. Protect your workforce and patients. These are some of the recommendations from the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) on how Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) should respond to coronavirus/COVID-19 in their facilities. The guidance, issued March 20, came at the end of … [Read more...] about AATOD Releases Guidance for OTPs on coronavirus/COVID-19