ASAM Announces the Release of National Practice Guideline American Society of Addiction Medicine On June 1, 2015, ASAM’s Board of Directors approved the National Practice Guideline for the Use of Medications in the Treatment of Addiction Involving Opioid Use. This guideline is now available on ASAM’s website.
Prescription Medication Obtainment Methods and Misuse Journal of Addiction Medicine (free ASAM member resource) This study intends to help provide physicians with more knowledge about the behaviors that patients with a substance use disorder may exhibit in an effort to obtain medications. Thirty-six patients completed the survey. There was a mean of 50.2 prescriptions per person. An average of 1.2 states was utilized by the surveyed patient population. There was an average of 2.11 providers seen per patient. Data show that 78% of patients surveyed utilized more than one pharmacy...
Despite Resources from the ACA, Most States Do Little to Help Addiction Treatment Programs Implement Health Care Reform Health Affairs The Affordable Care Act (ACA) dramatically expands health insurance for addiction treatment and provides unprecedented opportunities for service growth and delivery model reform. Yet most addiction treatment programs lack the staffing and technological capabilities to respond successfully to ACA-driven system change.
The NPDB and HIPDB Have Merged National Practitioner Data Bank The National Practitioner Data Bank (NPDB) and the Healthcare Integrity and Protection Data Bank (HIPDB) merged into one Data Bank: the NPDB. The Final Rule was published in the Federal Register on April 5, 2013. The merger became effective on May 6, 2013. Essentially, there is no change to the reporting workflow or requirements, but users' query results may include reports that were not previously available to them. The HIPDB information was integrated into the NPDB, meaning that users who only queried the NPDB may receive expanded access to Data Bank information...
Call for Workshops, Papers, and Posters for AAAP's Annual Meeting and Symposium American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry AAAP will hold its Annual Meeting this December 3-6 in California. It’s currently accepting submissions for presentations, including paper and poster presentations, as well as workshops. All presenters must also register for the 26th Annual Meeting and Scientific Symposium.
Bipolar Disorder: The Assessment and Management of Bipolar Disorder in Adults, Children and Young People in Primary and Secondary Care National Collaborating Centre for Mental Health This guideline – updated in September of 2014 – targets children, young people and adults with suspected or diagnosed bipolar disorder, including bipolar I, bipolar II, mixed affective and rapid cycling disorders. There are eleven practices and interventions considered...
Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Effects on Post-Treatment Suicide Attempts in a Military Sample The American Journal of Psychiatry The authors evaluated the effectiveness of brief cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for the prevention of suicide attempts in military personnel. Brief CBT was effective in preventing follow-up suicide attempts among active-duty military service members with current suicidal ideation and/or a recent suicide attempt.
Drug-Induced Liver Injury: Interactions Between Drug Properties and Host Factors Journal of Hepatology Idiosyncratic drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a common cause for drug withdrawal from the market and although infrequent, DILI can result in serious clinical outcomes including acute liver failure and the need for liver transplantation. Eliminating the iatrogenic “harm” caused by a therapeutic intent is a priority in patient care. However, identifying culprit drugs and individuals at risk for DILI remains challenging.
WV Supreme Court Allows Patients with Addiction to Sue Doctors, Pharmacists for Addiction WOWKTV.com A West Virginia Supreme Court ruling says juries can now decide if patients can sue physicians and pharmacies for their addiction. In a 3-2 decision, the justices paved the way for people to claim damages for allegedly causing or contributing to their addictions of controlled substances - even if they broke the law by doctor shopping.
Integrated Motivational Interviewing and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for People with Psychosis and Comorbid Substance Misuse: Randomized Controlled Trial British Medical Journal The MIDAS trial of cognitive behavioral and motivational interviewing for people with schizophrenia and co-morbid substance use problems has been long awaited as a significant contribution to the UK and international evidence base for dual diagnosis interventions. Whilst, in some ways, the results are disappointing, they need to be considered within the context of the particularly challenging service user group it was targeted at.
States Lack Accurate Statistics on Widespread Heroin Use National Public Radio In Pennsylvania, it's estimated opioids like heroin killed at least 1,300 people last year. In Massachusetts, more than 1,000 have died, and in Connecticut, heroin deaths jumped more than 85 percent in two years. But figuring out the size and scope of the problem is harder than many people think.
GIRK3 Gates Activation of the Mesolimbic Dopaminergic Pathway by Ethanol Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences G protein-gated inwardly rectifying potassium (GIRK) channels regulate neuronal excitability and can be activated by ethanol. The role of GIRK channels in the behavioral effects of ethanol is poorly understood, however. This study shows that genetic ablation of GIRK3, one of four GIRK subunits, prevents ethanol from activating the mesolimbic dopaminergic pathway, a neuronal circuit subserving the motivation to seek reward (incentive salience), and enhances binge-like drinking.
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