A Comprehensive Federal Strategy for Addressing America’s Prescription Drug and Heroin Epidemic Ed Markey In response to the dramatic increase in prescription opiate and heroin overdose deaths, US Senator Markey has introduced a comprehensive bill Recovery Enhancement for Addiction Treatment Act (TREAT), to expand the ability of medical professionals to address this.
A Review of Buprenorphine Diversion and Misuse: The Current Evidence Base and Experiences From Around the World Journal of Addiction Medicine (free ASAM member resource) Outpatient opioid addiction treatment with sublingual buprenorphine pharmacotherapy has rapidly expanded in the United States and abroad, and, with this increase in medication availability, there have been increasing concerns about its diversion, misuse, and related harms.
NIAAA to Conduct Clinical Trial of New Medication for Alcohol Use Disorder NIAAA The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) will conduct a clinical trial of gabapentin enacarbil as a potential treatment for alcohol use disorder (AUD). NIAAA estimates that the six-month trial will begin in the first half of 2015 and will enroll approximately 350 participants.
Senator Whitehouse to Introduce Legislation to Combat Drug Addiction Providence Journal The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2014, cosponsored by Minnesota’s Democratic Sen. Amy Klobuchar and New Hampshire Republican Sen. Kelly Ayotte, would provide a series of incentives and resources designed to encourage states and local communities to pursue a full array of proven strategies to combat addiction.
Who Determines Physician Effectiveness? Journal of the American Medical Association It is a paradox. Although physicians do not control patient behavior, physician effectiveness is increasingly determined by patient behavior. There is a trend toward physician ratings being based on specific metrics related to the management of chronic illness. However, the physician contribution to changing the actual outcomes is limited.
Substance Use Disorder Among Older Adults in the United States in 2020 Addiction Due to the large population size and high substance use rate of the baby-boom cohort, the number of adults aged 50 or older with substance use disorder is projected to double from 2.8 million (annual average) in 2002–06 to 5.7 million in 2020. Increases are projected for all examined gender, race/ethnicity and age groups.
Prevalence and Predictors of Persistent Versus Remitting Mood, Anxiety, and Substance Disorders in a National Sample of Older Adults American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry This study aimed to examine the prevalence of persistent mood, anxiety, and substance disorders in older adults and to explore a range of physical and mental health predictors of disorder chronicity. At least two-thirds of mental disorders in the older adults studied were not persistent. Sociodemographic variables had little influence on chronicity, whereas a number of markers of mental disorder severity and complexity predicted persistent mood and anxiety disorders.
New York Creates Website about Opioid Addiction and Where to Find Help Combat Heroin and Prescription Drug Abuse A law signed in June requires the Office of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Services to create a public awareness and education campaign, which includes a website with information about signs of opioid abuse and addiction.
Childhood Psychological Abuse as Harmful as Sexual or Physical Abuse American Psychological Association Children who are emotionally abused and neglected face similar and sometimes worse mental health problems as children who are physically or sexually abused, yet psychological abuse is rarely addressed in prevention programs or in treating victims, according to a new study to be published by the American Psychological Association.
Born Addicted: Drug-Screening Pushed for Pregnant Women USA Today Growing support for universal screening is a sign of how big the problem has become. One drug-dependent baby is born every hour in the USA, according to the latest national statistics from a 2012 study in the Journal of the American Medical Association, which showed the numbers nearly tripled between 2000 and 2009.
A Neural Portrait of the Human Mind Ted Brain imaging pioneer Nancy Kanwisher, who uses fMRI scans to see activity in brain regions (often her own), shares what she and her colleagues have learned: The brain is made up of both highly specialized components and general-purpose “machinery.” Another surprise: There's so much left to learn.
Former ASAM President G. Douglas Talbott, MD, FASAM has Passed Away Talbott Recovery G. Douglas Talbott, MD, FASAM, the 18th President of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (1997 to 1999), passed away on Saturday, October 18, 2014 from heart failure. Dr. Talbott found his passion treating patients suffering from alcohol and other drug dependencies. As such, he created the first treatment program specifically designed to meet the treatment requirements of physicians suffering from addiction. Dr. Talbott was also instrumental in the creation of the International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM) and served as Vice President of ISAM’s founding Board of Directors. Dr. Talbott was 90 years old. He is survived by his wife, Polly, their six children and numerous grandchildren.
Vote Now! Time is Running Out! ASAM With less than two weeks left in the election, ASAM members should cast their votes now for their choice of President-Elect, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and six Directors-at-Large. Everyone should have a hand in determining their elected office, because these are the individuals who are representing our organization. Each voice and each vote makes a difference.
Richard G. Soper, MD, JD, MS, FASAM, Editor-in-Chief, ASAM Weekly
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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.