Medication-Assisted Therapies — Tackling the Opioid-Overdose Epidemic New England Journal of Medicine
A national response to the epidemic of prescription opioid overdose deaths was outlined in the New England Journal of Medicine by leaders of agencies in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The commentary – referencing ASAM’s research on patient access to care - calls upon health care providers to expand their use of medications to treat opioid addiction and reduce overdose deaths, and describes a number of misperceptions that have limited access to these potentially life-saving medications.
Sierra Tucson, an international leader in treating co-occurring disorders, offers comprehensive neuropsychiatric treatment programs for Addictions, Eating Recovery, Mood Disorders, Pain Management, and Trauma/PTSD. A member of CRC Health Group, Sierra Tucson is dually Accredited by The Joint Commission.
Celebrating 30 years of “Compassionate Care, Clinical Excellence.”
Retention of Opioid-Dependent Adolescents and Young Adults in an Outpatient Buprenorphine/Naloxone Clinic Journal of Addiction Medicine (free ASAM member resource) Opioid abuse and dependence rates continue to rise among U.S. adolescents. Medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP/NAL) has been shown to be effective up to 12 weeks. The objective of this study was to describe 1-year retention and compliance of a specific pediatric, outpatient BUP/NAL treatment program for opioid-dependent adolescents and young adults.
Four Addiction Medicine Fellowship Programs Accredited by the ABAM Foundation American Board of Addiction Medicine The American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) Foundation recently announced the accreditation of four new addiction medicine fellowship programs, bringing the total number of accredited programs to 23.
Results from New Pew Research Center Survey about Drug Policy Pew Research Center The survey included 1,821 Americans and asked questions like, "In dealing with drug policy, should government focus more on providing treatment for people who use illegal drugs such as heroin and cocaine, or do you think it should focus more on prosecuting people who use these types of drugs?"
United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime After seven days of discussion and debate on drug policy, the 57th Session of the Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) closed recently with Member States adopting 11 resolutions. Many of the resolutions passed by Member States cover such touchstone drug policy issues as alternative development, substance use disorders, new psychoactive substances, ensuring adequate services for drug abusers and evidence-based drug use prevention.
Seeking Nominations and Applications for New Editor-in-Chief of Journal of Addiction Medicine ASAM Published bi-monthly, Journal of Addiction Medicine(JAM) is the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine. The Editor-in-Chief (EIC) is responsible for the editorial content and strategy, journal operations and staffing and promotion of JAM. Applications for this position must be received by 5:00 PM Eastern on Monday, May 26.
Georgetown University Medical Center Recruiting Patients for Study Georgetown University Georgetown University Medical Center is currently recruiting for a NIDA-funded examination of the effect of pregabalin on pain responses in prescription opioid abusers taking Suboxone who also present with chronic pain. Do you have patients who might be appropriate for this study? Learn more at http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01821430 or call 202.687.1788.
Effect of Modafinil on Impulsivity and Relapse in Alcohol Dependent Patients European Neuropsychopharmacology Poor impulse control plays an important role in the development, course and relapse of substance use disorders. Therefore, improving impulse control may represent a promising approach in the treatment of alcohol dependence. This study aimed to test the effect of modafinil on impulse control and alcohol use in alcohol dependent patients (ADP) in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
Suppression of Alcohol Dependence Using Baclofen: A 2-Year Observational Study of 100 Patients Frontiers in Psychiatry A hundred patients with alcohol dependence, resistant to usual treatments, were treated with escalating doses of baclofen (no superior limit). Alcohol consumption (in grams) and craving for alcohol were assessed before treatment and at 3, 6, 12, and 24 months. Assessments were simply based on patients’ statements. The outcome measure was the consumption of alcohol, rated according to the World Health Organization criteria for risk of chronic harm.
National Patterns of Codeine Prescriptions for Children in the Emergency Department Pediatrics Although there was a small decline in codeine prescription over 10 years, use for cough or URI did not decline after national guidelines recommending against its use.
The New Face of Heroin Rolling Stone The explosion of drugs like OxyContin has given way to a heroin epidemic ravaging the least likely corners of America - like bucolic Vermont, which has just woken up to a full-blown crisis...
ASAM Members Receive a Special Discounted Registration Rate to WCSAD 2014 WCSAD ASAM is offering a discounted registration rate of $325 to celebrate the 5th anniversary of the West Coast Symposium on Addictive Disorders, a C4 Recovery Solutions event. (May 29 – June 1, 2014, La Quinta, CA). That’s a savings of $50 to ASAM members! To take advantage of this discounted offer, select the VIP Special Rate and enter "ASAM" (all caps) when registering.
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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.