Born addicted: Drug-screening pushed for pregnant women

USA Today They are the tiniest victims of the nation’s opioid epidemic, born into agony — trembling, sweating and crying inconsolably from the pain of drug withdrawal. And as their numbers soar, doctors, health officials and drug-control professionals are pushing to screen all pregnant women for substance abuse. More.
Schedules of Controlled Substances: Rescheduling of Hydrocodone Combination Products From Schedule III to Schedule II

With the issuance of this final rule, the Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration reschedules hydrocodone combination products from schedule III to schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act. This scheduling action is pursuant to the Controlled Substances Act which requires that such actions be made on the record after opportunity for a hearing through […]
HIV Infection and Risk, Prevention, and Testing Behaviors Among Injecting Drug Users — National HIV Behavioral Surveillance System, 20 U.S. Cities, 2009

This report summarizes two separate analyses using unweighted data from 10,200 eligible IDUs in 20 MSAs from the second collection cycle of NHBS in 2009. Both an HIV infection analysis and a behavioral analysis were conducted. Different denominators were used in each analysis because of the order and type of exclusion criteria applied. More.
Notes from the Field: Increase in Fentanyl-Related Overdose Deaths — Rhode Island, November 2013–March 2014

During November 2013–March 2014, twice as many all-intent drug overdose deaths were reported in Rhode Island as were reported during the same period in previous years. Most deaths were among injection-drug users, and a large percentage involved fentanyl, a synthetic opioid that is 50–100 times more potent than morphine (1). More.
Medication Assisted Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

Bulletins on effective practices to identify and treat mental health and substance use disorders (SUDs) covered under Medicaid.1,2 Nearly 12 percent of Medicaid beneficiaries over 18 have a SUD, and CMCS is committed to helping States effectively serve these individuals.3 More.
Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of Tramadol Into Schedule IV

With the issuance of this final rule, the Deputy Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration places the substance 2-[(dimethylamino)methyl]-1-(3- methoxyphenyl)cyclohexanol (tramadol), including its salts, isomers, and salts of isomers, into schedule IV of the Controlled Substances Act. More.
Vital Signs: Variation Among States in Prescribing of Opioid Pain Relievers and Benzodiazepines — United States, 2012

In 2012, prescribers wrote 82.5 OPR and 37.6 benzodiazepine prescriptions per 100 persons in the United States. State rates varied 2.7-fold for OPR and 3.7-fold for benzodiazepines. For both OPR and benzodiazepines, rates were higher in the South census region, and three Southern states were two or more standard deviations above the mean. Rates for […]
New Laws and Enforcement Reverse Trends in Oxycodone Prescribing and Related Deaths in Florida

The CDC released a graph showing results of laws and enforcement in oxycodone prescribing. See graph.
NORTH CAROLINA POLICY FOR THE USE OF OPIATES FOR THE TREATMENT OF PAIN

Since the 2004 publication of the North Carolina Medical Board’s Policy for the Use of Controlled Substances for the Treatment of Pain, a considerable body of research and experience has made it evident that the Board’s 2004 Policy required revision. The updated policy presented here takes into consideration recent evidence that risk associated with opiates […]
2013 ANNUAL REPORT ARRESTEE DRUG ABUSE MONITORING PROGRAM II

The Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring II (ADAM II) survey gathers information on drug use and related issues from booked adult male arrestees within 48 hours of their arrest. In 2013, data were collected from a probability-based sample in five counties in the United States, building on prior annual data collections in those counties that extend […]