The five-year plan of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) has a goal of increasing access to care in opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Treatment “wherever it is needed”—in the United States and in the world—with the aim of patient care, is a theme running throughout the document. The first strategic five-year plan was approved in 2001, and … [Read more...] about AATOD Issues Five-Year Plan: Bottom Line Focus Is Still on Stigma
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Study: Benzodiazepines + Prescription Opioids = Caution Needed!
Benzodiazepines help patients cope with severe anxiety, panic disorder, or sleep problems; prescription opioids can help relieve severe pain. When prescribed appropriately and with sufficient monitoring, either medication is relatively safe, especially for short-term use. If a health professional decides a patient needs the benefits of dual therapy—an opioid plus a … [Read more...] about Study: Benzodiazepines + Prescription Opioids = Caution Needed!
California Will Use Cures Act $80 Million To Expand Treatment With Hub-And-Spoke System
The Cures Act, signed in December 2016 by President Obama, gave $920 million over a two-year period to states to devote to opioid use disorder treatment. States submitted their applications for funding to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and are already making plans with what to do with their money. California is getting $40 million a … [Read more...] about California Will Use Cures Act $80 Million To Expand Treatment With Hub-And-Spoke System
SAMHSA Develops MAPS Project to Determine Where OTPs Are Needed
The Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality (CBHSQ) has been hard at work determining where in each state opioid treatment programs (OTPs) are needed, due to lack of services. CBHSQ is a division of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The maps won’t be ready for public distribution until later this spring, but SAMHSA gave states … [Read more...] about SAMHSA Develops MAPS Project to Determine Where OTPs Are Needed
Buprenorphine Dispensing Problems in Virginia: Coal Country Rules
The Virginia Board of Medicine, backed by the state, has banned the use of buprenorphine with the exception of treating pregnant patients in both office based opioid treatment (OBOT) programs and in opioid treatment programs (OTPs). OTPs may use the mono-product for on-site administration but no longer may use it for take-homes. Part of a broad set of regulations aimed at … [Read more...] about Buprenorphine Dispensing Problems in Virginia: Coal Country Rules
