The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has released its budget request for fiscal year 2016, with some good news for opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Some key areas of the proposed SAMHSA budget relate specifically to opioid use disorders. We talked with Barbara Cimaglio, deputy commissioner of the Vermont Department of Health, the person in … [Read more...] about SAMHSA Proposed Budget Encourages MAT for Treating Opioid Use Disorders
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To Be Part of Integrated Health Care, You May Need an Electronic Health Record and an In-House Clinic
Electronic health records (EHRs) are needed when opioid treatment programs (OTPs) work in coordination with other health care providers─which isn’t very often. But that’s starting to change. Kenny House, LCAS, CCS, vice president of clinical services for Coastal Horizons Center, an OTP based in Wilmington, North Carolina, has been in the thick of EHRs since his program started … [Read more...] about To Be Part of Integrated Health Care, You May Need an Electronic Health Record and an In-House Clinic
Good News for Patients in Opioid Treatment Programs: Treatments for Hepatitis C Infection Are Becoming Affordable (Part II in a series)
The outlook for patients in opioid treatment programs (OTPs) who need affordable treatment for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has improved markedly since we reported two months ago, when the highly effective new medications cost $83,000 to $95,000 for a 12-week course. Under fire for high prices, and competing with each other, Gilead Sciences and AbbVie have negotiated … [Read more...] about Good News for Patients in Opioid Treatment Programs: Treatments for Hepatitis C Infection Are Becoming Affordable (Part II in a series)
Lawyers in Kentucky Drug Court Case Wants Physicians, Not Judges, to Decide on MAT
A landmark lawsuit aimed at getting Kentucky drug courts to accept medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorders was filed March 9 by Lexington-based attorney Mark Wohlander and Ned Pillersdorf of Paintsville, Kentucky. Mr. Wohlander talked to AT Forum shortly after the filing about his hopes for the lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of a patient, Stephanie … [Read more...] about Lawyers in Kentucky Drug Court Case Wants Physicians, Not Judges, to Decide on MAT
Legal Action Center Report: Medication-Assisted Treatment a Key Solution to the Opioid Epidemic
The Legal Action Center released a report in March focusing on medication-assisted treatment (MAT). The report stressed that MAT is a key solution to the opioid epidemic that is raging across the country. The report, “The Case for Expanding Access to Medication-Assisted Treatment to Address the Heroin and Opioid Epidemic,” shows that there are clear advantages to MAT. At the … [Read more...] about Legal Action Center Report: Medication-Assisted Treatment a Key Solution to the Opioid Epidemic
