Of the $1 billion in federal grants going out to states in 2017 and 2018 to respond to the opioid epidemic, 80% must go to treatment. The grant money comes from the 21st Century Cures Act, signed by President Obama last December. Checks for the first year of the State Targeted Response to the Opioid Crisis grants (STR), administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health … [Read more...] about Expect Opioid STR Grant Money to Be Scrutinized After One Year
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Community Medical Services in Arizona: Working with Corrections, Drug Courts
It has become clear that many people with opioid use disorders (OUDs) end up in jails and prisons. Immediately cut off from their source, they go into opioid withdrawal. Some of these inmates become severely dehydrated. Some who do will die if their dehydration is left untreated. Opioid treatment programs (OTPs)—programs that offer methadone or buprenorphine—are the ideal … [Read more...] about Community Medical Services in Arizona: Working with Corrections, Drug Courts
Policies Limiting Rx Opioids Aren’t Working; It’s Time to Expand MAT and Evaluate Other Options
Prescription opioids are still getting much of the blame for the current opioid overdose crisis, yet heroin and synthetic opioids—fentanyl, carfentanil, and tramadol—have become the leading causes of opioid overdose deaths. The death rate from heroin and synthetic opioids other than methadone rose by more than 72% from 2014 to 2015, while overdose deaths linked to prescription … [Read more...] about Policies Limiting Rx Opioids Aren’t Working; It’s Time to Expand MAT and Evaluate Other Options
Aegis Telehealth Makes Buprenorphine Treatment More Convenient for Patients
Imagine opioid treatment program (OTP) patients being able to get counseling and prescriptions from their own smartphone, while sitting in the comfort of their home. This is now reality for two OTPs operated by California-based Aegis Treatment Centers. “We’ve been practicing telemedicine for three years in our Fresno and Delano clinics,” said Alex Dodd, Aegis CEO and … [Read more...] about Aegis Telehealth Makes Buprenorphine Treatment More Convenient for Patients
Buprenorphine Reimbursement in OTPs Advances in California
Opioid treatment programs (OTPs) still use methadone as their main medication, especially in states where there is no reimbursement for the far more costly buprenorphine. New York was the first state to set up reimbursement for buprenorphine in OTPs, but California is now well on its way. Federal Medicaid Waiver Payments Jason Kletter, PhD, president of California Opioid … [Read more...] about Buprenorphine Reimbursement in OTPs Advances in California
