Patterns and Quality of Buprenorphine Opioid Agonist Treatment in a Large Medicaid Program Journal of Addiction Medicine (free ASAM member resource) Use of buprenorphine – an effective treatment for opioid use disorders (OUDs) – has increased rapidly in recent years and is often financed by Medicaid. The authors investigated predictors of buprenorphine treatment, patterns of care, and quality of care in a large state Medicaid program. The potential implications and findings on quality of care are significant.
FREE Online CME/CE Tools for Motivational Interviewing
NIDA is offering 2 FREE CME opportunities for Motivational Interviewing. These online simulations guide providers of adult and adolescent patients through MI skills-building with real time testing in a clinical setting.
Medication for the Treatment of Alcohol Use Disorder: Pocket Guide Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration This SAMHSA-produced pocket reference provides guidance for the use of medication-assisted treatment for alcoholism and alcohol abuse in clinical practice. It summarizes approved medications and discusses screening and patient assessment, treatment planning, and patient monitoring.
Treating your patients just got a whole lot easier with Stratus EMR. From consolidated patient histories and robust treatment notes to e‑prescriptions with seamless authorizations, we don’t JUST save you time and money, we ensure the security and quality of care your patients deserve.
SAMHSA Announces Open Submission Period to Begin on November 23, 2015 SAMHSA’s National Registry of Evidence-based Programs & Practices NREPP is a searchable online registry of more than 350 substance abuse and mental health interventions http://nrepp.samhsa.gov/AllPrograms.aspx, and was developed to help the public learn more about evidence-based interventions that are available for implementation. The next NREPP Open Submission Period will be for 2 months, beginning on November 23, 2015, and ending on January 26, 2016.
Benzodiazepine Prescribing in Older Adults in US Ambulatory Clinics and Emergency Departments Journal of the American Geriatrics Society The National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NAMCS) and National Hospital Ambulatory Medical Care Survey (NHAMCS) were used to evaluate US ambulatory clinic and ED visits. Encounters involving individuals aged 65 and older for whom a benzodiazepine might be prescribed were analyzed. Trends in benzodiazepine use in these visits were explored, with results showing that additional measures may be needed to promote alternatives to benzodiazepines in this at risk population.
Event-Level Associations of Marijuana and Heavy Alcohol Use with Intercourse and Condom Use Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs The association that substance use has with sex and condom use among college students appears to be well documented and of clear public health significance. The findings presented in this event- level study suggest that attention to marijuana and alcohol use may be relevant to understanding young adults’ sexual behavior and preventing health-risking or nonconsensual sex, especially in light of recent changes to legislation regarding substance accessibility.
Opioid Overdoses Linked to Higher Prescription Rates in British Columbia University of British Columbia Prescription opioids appear to be overprescribed in some regions of British Columbia (B.C.), resulting in higher rates of overdose and death as compared to the remainder of Canada, according to a new study from UBC.
Psychotherapy for Military-Related PTSD - A Review of Randomized Clinical Trials Journal of the American Medical Association In military and veteran populations, trials of the first-line trauma-focused interventions CPT and prolonged exposure have shown clinically meaningful improvements for many patients with PTSD. However, nonresponse rates have been high, many patients continue to have symptoms, and trauma-focused interventions show marginally superior results compared with active control conditions. There is a need for improvement in existing PTSD treatments and for development and testing of novel evidence-based treatments, both trauma-focused and non–trauma-focused.
Health Insurance Coverage Survey 2015 National Alliance on Mental Illness NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, seeks to learn about the experience of health insurance coverage for mental health and/or substance use care for patients. Responses to this survey will help NAMI advocate for better access to services given the sweeping changes now taking place in our nation’s health care system.
Alcohol Elicits Functional and Structural Plasticity Selectively in Dopamine D1 Receptor-Expressing Neurons of the Dorsomedial Striatum The Journal of Neuroscience Addiction is thought to be a maladaptive form of learning and memory caused by drug-evoked aberrant synaptic plasticity. The authors previously showed that alcohol facilitates synaptic plasticity in the dorsomedial striatum (DMS), a brain region that drives goal-directed behaviors. This study furthers the previous research, and focuses on the neuroadaptations that may drive the pathology of alcohol addiction.
ASAM Joins Obama Administration Efforts to Combat Prescription Opioid and Heroin Addiction ASAM ASAM recently joined the Obama Administration and a number of public and private sector partners to announce new efforts to address the epidemic of prescription drug and heroin misuse, addiction and overdose deaths.
Co-Editors – Kimberly M. Brown, MD; Paul S. Chung, MD; Sarah Martin Domb, MD; Matthew Goldenberg, DO; Angela Gough, DO; Sameer Hassamal, MD; Christian Schrader, MD
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Articles included are reviewed on their merit at the discretion of ASAM Weekly’s Editor-in-Chief. Any relationship that exists with products or services advertised with content is coincidental and not an endorsement, guarantee or condemnation of said products or services. Similarly, the views and positions of any content published in ASAM Weekly are not necessarily endorsed by ASAM nor a reflection of ASAM's beliefs and policies. The features are presented as a summary of the contemporary issues being represented and expressed in scientific, governmental, commercial, and media sources across the specialty field of addiction medicine. Contact ASAM Weekly with any comments or feedback.