Illustration: Gabriella Turrisi/Axios Just 1 in 5 adults who had opioid use disorder in 2021 received medication to treat it, new federal data show. Why it matters: The finding speaks to the role that expanded telehealth access played in connecting people to drug treatment during the pandemic. What they’re saying: “More than 80,000[Read More…]
Treatment
Buprenorphine Cost a Potential Barrier for Opioid-Addicted Youth, Adults
— Opioid use disorder medication remains underused, and cost appears to contribute, studies show. by Jennifer Henderson | Enterprise & Investigative Writer, MedPage Today | August 7, 2023 For young people with opioid use disorder (OUD), buprenorphine costs have declined overall but with drastic variation by payer type, researchers found. Examining buprenorphine[Read More…]
Addiction Recovery Care’s unique approach to addiction treatment
Amelia Ickes | Wednesday, July 26th, 2023 Kentucky recently ranked first in adult access to mental health, but fourth in drug overdose rates across the United States. Among the organizations addressing this disparity is Addiction Recovery Care, which offers the full continuum of addiction treatment across its 19 residential centers and 11 outpatient centers. Its first[Read More…]
Health: Providers still hesitate to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction, despite ‘X-waiver’ removal
By Lev Facher | July 21, 2023 Significant challenges remain before most American clinicians feel comfortable treating patients with buprenorphine, according to a new study. While the federal government’s recent moves to deregulate buprenorphine have led to a bump in new prescribers, it didn’t lead to a significant bump in overall prescribing volume. Many[Read More…]
Monthly Buprenorphine Initiation Rates Remain Flat, Despite Policy Changes
Jul 19, 2023 Killian Meara Only 1 in 5 patients who initiated buprenorphine were retained in therapy for at least 180 days. Despite several policy changes that aimed to increase access to buprenorphine during the COVID-19 pandemic, monthly initiation rates of buprenorphine therapy have remained flat, according to research results.1[Read More…]
Mountain State Spotlight explains: West Virginia’s opioid settlement foundation will soon have board members. Here’s how they’re picked.
By Allen Siegler for Mountain State Spotlight Local governments have been selecting their representatives for the West Virginia First Foundation. Here’s the process and what impact they’ll have on the state’s efforts to abate the opioid crisis. In the coming days, local government leaders across West Virginia are set to[Read More…]
Better Than Drugs? Scientists Use Hugs To Treat Opioid-Exposed Newborns
A clinical trial conducted by UNM has identified the best care practices for newborns exposed to opioids. According to recent research by the University of New Mexico, hugging and swaddling newborns exposed to opioids can decrease their hospitalization period by nearly a week, in contrast to traditional drug-oriented treatments. Over the[Read More…]
‘Support them on their path to recovery’: Jackson County Jail announces new program to treat substance use
The Jackson County Jail now joins 34 other Indiana counties in offering treatment for incarcerated individuals with opioid use disorder. JACKSON COUNTY, Ind. — Jackson County Jail leaders announced a new program to treat substance use and reduce recidivism Wednesday. Jackson County, Indiana Sheriff Rick Meyer said the Medication Assisted Treatment[Read More…]
Less Than 60% of US Pharmacies Stock Buprenorphine for SUD, Creating Multiple Treatment Deserts
Only 57.9% of pharmacies in the U.S. stock buprenorphine, a prescription used for medication-assisted treatment (MAT). That’s according to new research published in JAMA highlighting a potential access issue for patients in substance use disorder (SUD) treatment. The cross-sectional study was based on data from virtual MAT provider Bicycle Health and included[Read More…]
Xylazine Crisis: 6 Things Treatment Providers Should Know
Recently, Rahul Gupta, MD, MPH, FACP, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), declared xylazine—a powerful livestock tranquilizer that’s mixed into fentanyl for IV drug users—an “emerging threat,” forcing the government to develop a federal plan to address the crisis. While Congress considers a bill to classify the[Read More…]