FDA approves first once-monthly buprenorphine injection, a medication-assisted treatment option for opioid use disorder

Opioid epidemic and drug abuse concept

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved Sublocade, the first once-monthly injectable buprenorphine product for the treatment of moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder (OUD) in adult patients who have initiated treatment with a transmucosal (absorbed through mucus membrane) buprenorphine-containing product. It is indicated for patients that have been on a stable dose of buprenorphine treatment […]

Medications for opioid use disorder: bridging the gap in care

Healthcare professional with a patient

For the past two decades, the USA has been in the throes of an opioid crisis marked by a rising number of deaths; in 2016, opioids were responsible for most of the nation’s estimated 64 000 fatal drug overdoses.1 The problem began with overprescribing of opioid analgesics in the 1990s, which exposed pain patients to the […]

Trump Administration Issues Guidance on Waivers of IMD Rule

White House, Washington

Today, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a letter to State Medicaid Directors, outlining a new waiver process to allow Medicaid payment of broad range of services for opioid and other substance use disorders (SUD), including residential treatment. The letter, issued in response to President Trump’s declaration of an opioid public health […]

Prescribing patterns of buprenorphine waivered physicians

Healthcare professional with patient

DATA 2000 enabled physicians with approved training to be waivered to prescribe buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorders (OUD) for a limited number of patients. A rule change in 2016 increased the patient limit for certain buprenorphine waivered physicians from 100 to 275. This study examines the prescribing patterns of buprenorphine prescribers by […]

Steering Committee Meets to Discuss Strategy

Steering Committee 2017

Members of the PCSS Steering Committee met last week in Washington, D.C., energized and motivated to strategize and brainstorm for the coming year. The overall goal of the meeting was to share what PCSS has accomplished in the past year, discuss proposed activities, and create a strategic plan for the future. The objective was to […]

Advanced Studies Essentials of Addiction Medicine Course – Oct 28th to 29th

Prescribing

The AOAAM will offer an Essential of Addiction Medicine Course on October 28 and 29, 2017 in Lansing, Michigan. The two-day course will cover fundamentals in addiction medicine and offer 16 hours of AOA Category 1-A CME. This course is designed to provide up-to-date data and practice techniques for basic through advanced addiction treatment, and […]