Daryl W. Kade, MA, has been appointed acting director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). H. Westley Clark, MD, former director, retired suddenly, effective October 3. Ms. Kade will be acting director until a permanent director is found. Ms. Kade was director of SAMHSA’s Office of … [Read more...] about Kade Appointed Acting Director of CSAT in Wake of Clark’s Retiring
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Increasing the Buprenorphine Patient Cap: Threat to Patient Care
Over the summer, steps have been taken to increase the “cap”—the number of patients a physician can treat—with buprenorphine/naloxone. The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD), opioid treatment programs (OTPs), and other national organizations watched the proceedings with concern, because there is no validation of whether most office-based … [Read more...] about Increasing the Buprenorphine Patient Cap: Threat to Patient Care
“The Talk”—When Patients Want to Switch from Methadone to Buprenorphine
Most advocates in the field oppose the idea of a stable patient who is doing well on methadone switching to buprenorphine provided by an office-based physician. If treatment in an opioid treatment program (OTP) is working well, and the patient is in successful recovery, why jeopardize this by switching to office-based opioid treatment (OBOT), they reason. “It shouldn’t be OBOT … [Read more...] about “The Talk”—When Patients Want to Switch from Methadone to Buprenorphine
Research: Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Addiction: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies
Buprenorphine/naloxone has been available in the U.S. for both opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) since 2003. While OBOT physicians can prescribe the medication, OTPs must dispense it. Costs and reimbursement problems have been the main barriers to its use in OTPs. Although more than 15,000 physicians are certified to prescribe … [Read more...] about Research: Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Addiction: Opportunities, Challenges, and Strategies
Primary Care Clinic Next to Opioid Treatment Program Provides Stigma-free Care
In Texas, people in the uninsured and indigent population die on average 29 years sooner because they don’t have access to primary care, says Allison Greer, BBA, vice president with the Center for Health Care Services (CHCS). A San Antonio-based community mental health center that runs an opioid treatment program (OTP), and an outpatient mental health center in a different … [Read more...] about Primary Care Clinic Next to Opioid Treatment Program Provides Stigma-free Care
