Part II: What OTP Patients Say They Need on Re-Entry Part I of our two-part series appeared here in May. The source study (see citation at the end of this article) discusses events during the crucial first 24 hours when prisoners with opioid use disorder (OUD) leave jail or prison. Here, in Part II, we share participants’ recommendations for improving re-entry, based on … [Read more...] about STUDY: The First 24 Hours
What Really Matters is Retention in Treatment (JAMA Letters)
When evaluating a medication, researchers sometimes overlook a key factor: retention. But how meaningful are other data, if patients drop out of treatment? A study recently published in JAMA Letters used U.S. prescription data to evaluate recent trends in buprenorphine initiation and retention. A team of … [Read more...] about What Really Matters is Retention in Treatment (JAMA Letters)
The First 24 Hours
Part I: When OTP Patients Leave Lockup They’ve served their sentences, and now it’s time to leave. Many look forward to a new start in life, but they may be woefully unprepared for the challenges they’ll face. When the lucky ones step outside, family will greet them, hug them, take them home for a good meal and a comfy bed. The less fortunate will find … [Read more...] about The First 24 Hours
Review: Hmmm… Methadone or Bupe for OUD? Or … LSD or THC?
As the tragic consequences of the opioid epidemic continue to mount, some experts are focusing on a creative new approach to treating opioid use disorder (OUD). At a planning meeting held in November 2019, experts met to consider strategies for evaluating medications that have not yet been used to treat OUD. Sponsoring the meeting was the Analgesic, Anesthetic, and Addiction … [Read more...] about Review: Hmmm… Methadone or Bupe for OUD? Or … LSD or THC?
Lived Experience: A Refreshing New Voice
There’s a refreshing new voice in the addiction field—a voice that doesn’t always sing the establishment song, and is not afraid to question widely held beliefs. The new voice is Kirsten E. Smith, PhD, postdoctoral fellow in the Intramural Research Program at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Her latest publication, “Disease and Decision,” appearing in the Journal … [Read more...] about Lived Experience: A Refreshing New Voice