Beny Primm, MD, a leader in the treatment of opioid addiction and AIDS, died October 16 at the age of 87 after a long battle with kidney disease. He left a legacy of care for patients in the earliest days of HIV/AIDS, before physicians even had a name for the symptoms they were seeing in these patients. Dr. Primm was passionate about treating heroin addicts, many of whom … [Read more...] about Beny Primm Leaves Legacy of Wisdom and Compassion in Methadone Treatment and HIV/AIDS
2015
Dr. Jana Burson Blog – Injecting Buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subutex)
“I know why addicts inject buprenorphine (Subutex): they think it saves them money. Over the long run, however, I doubt that’s true, given the hidden costs of addiction. Buprenorphine has a relatively low bioavailability, at around 30%, when taken sublingually (under the tongue). This means only 30% of the total dose reaches the blood stream. If the pH of the mouth is … [Read more...] about Dr. Jana Burson Blog – Injecting Buprenorphine (Suboxone, Subutex)
ASAM, Federal Officials Join to Promote MAT for Opioid Use Disorders
On September 24 the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), with the support of top federal health officials, released a mobile application and pocket guide to accompany its National Practice Guideline for the Use of Medications in the Treatment of Addiction Involving Opioid Use. The practice guideline was released last spring, but the September meeting took advantage of … [Read more...] about ASAM, Federal Officials Join to Promote MAT for Opioid Use Disorders
In The Age of Parity, Payers Still Put Up Barriers to OTP Reimbursement
Medicare, Medicaid, and commercial insurance—all three programs are putting up barriers to reimbursement for treatment in an opioid treatment program (OTP), but the situation is getting better, at least in states that expanded Medicaid. Parity doesn’t apply to Medicare, so that presents a huge problem for patients who are covered by Medicare because of age or disability. … [Read more...] about In The Age of Parity, Payers Still Put Up Barriers to OTP Reimbursement
Counties to Get the Purse Strings for SUD Services Under California Waiver: OTPs, Already In a Good Spot, Worry About Changes
A massive change in the way California Medicaid pays opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and other programs for services related to substance use disorder (SUD) was set in motion in August when the federal government approved the state’s Section 1115 waiver, allowing it to give counties control. This will shift the contracting and reimbursement from the state to each of the 58 … [Read more...] about Counties to Get the Purse Strings for SUD Services Under California Waiver: OTPs, Already In a Good Spot, Worry About Changes