Predictors of induction onto extended-release naltrexone among unemployed heroin-dependent adults
Extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) blocks the effects of opioids for 4 weeks; however, starting treatment can be challenging because it requires 7 to 10 days of abstinence from all opioids. In the present study we identified patient and treatment characteristics that were associated with successful induction onto XR-NTX. Read abstract ›
Relapse to opioid use disorder after inpatient treatment: Protective effect of injection naltrexone
Opioid use disorder is often treated with short term hospitalization and medically supervised withdrawal from opioids followed by counseling alone without medication assisted treatment (MAT). More evidence is needed to confirm the expectation that the rate of relapse would be high after short term inpatient treatment and withdrawal from opioids without follow-up MAT. Read abstract […]
Open-label 24-month study of injectable extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) in healthcare professionals with opioid dependence
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Trump Administration awards grants to states to combat opioid crisis
HHS will administer grants totaling $485 million to all 50 states Secretary Price sends letter to governors: “Through a sustained focus on people, patients, and partnerships, I am confident that together we can turn the tide on this public health crisis.” Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, M.D. today announced that HHS will soon […]
Survey of Primary Care and Mental Health Prescribers’ Perspectives on Reducing Opioid and Benzodiazepine Co-Prescribing Among Veterans
Due to the involvement of opioids and benzodiazepines in rising pharmaceutical overdoses, a reduction in coprescribing of these medications is a national priority, particularly among patients with substance use disorders and other high-risk conditions. However, little is known about primary care (PC) and mental health (MH) prescribers’ perspectives on these medications and efforts being implemented […]
Harvard to offer free online class on the opioid crisis
Harvard is launching a free online course designed to educate people about the opioid epidemic in the US. Instructors will cover the medical basics, such as how opioids are used to treat pain and how pathways in the brain can play a part in addiction. They’ll also touch on the epidemic’s legal aspects — including […]
Medication-Assisted Treatment for Adolescents in Specialty Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder
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HCV Treatment Is Effective Among People with Drug Use and/or Receiving Opioid Agonist Treatment
Many insurance payers in the US restrict access to direct-acting antivirals (DAA) for chronic hepatitis C (HCV) infection if patients have illicit substance use or are receiving opioid agonist treatment (OAT). Three phase 3 multi-center trials (the “ION” trials) evaluated the efficacy and safety of ledipasvir/sofosbuvir ± ribavirin in patients with chronic genotype 1 HCV […]
Complexities of Opioid-Induced Hyperalgesia Poorly Understood
NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — Opioid-induced hyperalgesia is among the most pressing concerns in the national discussion of opioid addiction, underscored by the US Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) call for clinical trials to better understand the risks, but the issue is mired in more complexities and confusion than many may even realize, an expert says.
Applying Farr’s Law to project the drug overdose mortality epidemic in the United States
A Columbia University study predicts that the projected drug overdose mortality would peak in 2016–2017 at 16.1 deaths per 100,000 population and then decline progressively until reaching 1.9 deaths per 100,000 population in 2035.
