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North Carolina needs more foster parents, as the state grapples with record numbers of children entering and staying in the already stretched foster care system, mainly due to the opioid crisis. The foster care system in North Carolina continues to experience record levels of need, the increases believed to be yet another aspect of devastation from the crisis. As of … [Read more...] about Foster Care Case Numbers Continue to Climb in NC, as Opioid Crisis Affects Families

Methadone, one of three medications approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), is effective in reducing illicit opioid use and mortality.   Despite extensive evidence of its effectiveness, methadone remains one of the most heavily regulated drugs in the United States. At a time when additional methadone treatment capacity is … [Read more...] about Methadone Barriers Persist, Despite Decades Of Evidence

About two months after Boston police arrested dozens of people in "Operation Clean Sweep," state lawmakers will consider legislation to address some of the issues that prompted the police action. The sweep occurred in an area of Boston's South End where there are many services for addiction treatment and the homeless. State Sen. Nick Collins, who represents Boston, said he's … [Read more...] about Walking The South End With A Mass. Lawmaker Proposing New Laws To Combat The Opioid Crisis

One out of three Missouri participants in Medicare’s prescription drug program were prescribed opioids last year, more than the national rate of 29%, according to a newly released government report. About 973,000 Missourians were enrolled in Medicare Part D and 321,000 of them received opioids, the report by the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services’ inspector … [Read more...] about Missourians on Medicare Use More Opioids Than the National Average