Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly articles from May 2011

Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly archives from May 2011

Column promoting Suboxone film, criticizing methadone, angers field.
May 30, 2011... A column published in the Boston Globe by Lawrence Harmon this month pitting buprenorphine against methadone enraged addiction providers throughout the state as well as state officials, who stressed that both medications are necessary in the...

Center takes proactive approach on integrated care, research efforts.(Treatment Program Profile)
May 30, 2011... Maintaining a comprehensive continuum of addiction services amid lagging funding support has posed a significant challenge for operators of the 36-year-old Haymarket Center serving some of Chicago's neediest communities. Administrators...

States encouraging providers to enroll in Medicaid.
May 30, 2011... This year for the first time, states have been asked to report on the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) block grant application about whether their funded providers are enrolled in Medicaid. In adding this requirement, the...

Legal action to enforce parity contemplated, Ramstad tells ADAW.(Brief article)
May 30, 2011... Former congressman Jim Ramstad, senior policy advisor to the Hazelden Foundation, told ADAW last week that legal action may be necessary to force health plans to comply with the parity law--and to force the federal government to enforce the law....

Journalist in recovery describes her experience in MAT.
May 30, 2011... From the editor: We are talking to more people in recovery about their experience with the treatment system as an occasional recurring department. Earlier this month we talked to Nic Sheff, who went through multiple treatment episodes. This week...

FDA issues warning letters about online tobacco sales.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 30, 2011... The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) last week announced that it issued 11 warning letters last week to online retailers for illegally marketing tobacco products saying they can reduce the harm of tobacco related disease. "There is no known...

Increase in robberies traced to drug addiction in Maine.(IN THE STATES)(Brief article)
May 30, 2011... Maine had a 3.9 percent increase in crime from 2009 to 2010, according to figures released by Public Safety Commissioner John Morris last week, the Portland Press Herald reported. "Even though Maine continues to be one of the safest states in...

Medmark acquires two more OTPs.(BUSINESS)(Brief article)
May 30, 2011... Last week MedMark Services, based in Lewisville, Tex, announced it had acquired two opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in Texas: Brentwood Clinic South in Fort Worth, and Brentwood New Beginnings in Waco. The two clinics serve over 400 patients,...

Senate Hearing Focuses on Prescription Drug Abuse
May 30, 2011... Last week prescription drugs were again the topic of a congressional hearing, with the focus on enforcement. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on crime and terrorism, said there was no...

Youth in recovery.(RESOURCES)
May 30, 2011... A study of how young people enter recovery--a topic about which little is known--is published in the current issue of The Prevention Researcher. The article, by Johnd de Miranda and Greg Williams, reviews different types of recovery support...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
May 30, 2011... The annual meeting of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors will be held June 7-10 in Indianapolis. For more information, go to http://nasadad.org/annual-meeting. The annual meeting of the College on Problems of...

In case you haven't heard ...
May 30, 2011... The Hangover Part II is seen as a marketing opportunity by at least one company to promote their nutritional anti-hangover remedies. "Function by Functional Supplements" says its product is "an effective way to avoid the dreaded hangover."...

DSM-5 explained by NIDA official: no more abuse or dependence.(diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders)(national institute on drug abuse)
May 23, 2011... This month, just before its annual meeting last week in Honolulu, the American Psychiatric Association (APA) released the current draft of the fifth edition of its diagnostic "bible," the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders...

Hazelden seeing stronger recovery through free post-treatment support.
May 23, 2011... Five years into its initiative offering 18 months of free recovery support services to all patients exiting its primary treatment program, Minnesota-based Hazelden says it is finding a relationship between higher levels of engagement in the...

What providers must do to integrate with health care: TRI forum.(Treatment Research Institute)
May 23, 2011... Last week the Treatment Research Institute (TRI) released a white paper on integration that sums up its second Forum on Integration, focusing on reimbursement for substance use disorder treatment services that are integrated with medical care....

Parity sign-on letters get weak response from feds so far.
May 23, 2011... Last week a letter from Reps. Paul D. Tonko (D-N.Y.) and John Sullivan (R-Okla.) and signed by 38 additional representatives was sent to the three federal agencies responsible for implementing the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act...

Secondhand smoke may lead to nicotine addiction: study.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Report)(Brief article)
May 23, 2011... Exposure to secondhand smoke evokes cravings in smokers, according to a study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and published this month in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Using positron emission tomography (PET),...

Phoenix house, university of Pa. announce collaboration.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 23, 2011... Phoenix House and the Center for Substance Abuse Solutions at the University of Pennsylvania announced a collaboration this month to work with selected school districts to develop tests that would identify student drug and alcohol use. The...

Ohio funding fights Rx drug abuse.(IN THE STATES)(Brief article)
May 23, 2011... Last month Gov. John R. Kasich of Ohio announced that he would make available $36 million in new funds to help fight prescription drug abuse. The new funds are the the result of a new partnership between the Ohio Department of Alcohol and Drug...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
May 23, 2011... The annual meeting of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors will be held June 7-10 in Indianapolis. For more information, go to http://nasadad.org/annual-meeting. The annual meeting of the College on Problems of...

In case you haven't heard ...
May 23, 2011... Chuck E. Cheese is being sued by a woman who says the games in the fast-food-and-fun spots promote gambling addiction. Debbie Keller, San Diego mother of a 3- and 5-year-old, is suing the Irving, Texas-based company for $5 million. Chuck E....

Patient-author explains how treatment programs could change to reduce relapse.
May 16, 2011... Nic Sheff has been promoting his book, We All Fall Down, about his relapses, and the national tour has been extraordinary for bringing into the spotlight the fact that people go into treatment over and over again. Last week, Sheff, who is in...

Recovery definition and measures still under development at SAMHSA.(substance abuse and mental health services administration)
May 16, 2011... Recovery advocates are emerging to be a political force, with grassroots support. However, as described in last week's issue (see ADAW, May 9), despite many definite opinions, a research-based consensus on who is in recovery and how they got...

Provider sees major growth through outpatient care continuum.(Treatment Program Profile)(Preventive Medicine Associates, Inc)(Company overview)
May 16, 2011... Starting with a one-room office in the fall of 1996, Preventive Medicine Associates, Inc. has become Massachusetts' largest outpatient addiction treatment provider, serving about 700 new patients every month from about 50 locations. Its founder...

Caron acquires Hanley Center.(Breaking News)(Brief article)
May 16, 2011... Caron Treatment Centers and the Hanley Center announced last week that Caron will acquire the Hanley Center, effective July 1. Both will retain their respective names "for the foreseeable future." Both will also provide a treatment to a range...

Update: FDA and NIDA statements on Vivitrol letter.(national institute on drug abuse)
May 16, 2011... Last week we covered a controversial letter in The Lancet criticizing the clinical trials in Russia that led to the approval of Vivitrol (long-acting naltrexone) for the treatment of opioid dependence (see ADAW, May 9). The letter, from the Open...

Legislators ask administration to issue guidelines on parity enforcement.
May 16, 2011... Three federal legislators and dozens of their colleagues have asked the administration to issue further guidance on the parity law (the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act--MHPAEA). Representatives Paul D. Tonko (D-N.Y.) and John...

Betty Ford center to be WebMD content providers.(BRIEFLY NOTED)(Brief article)
May 16, 2011... The Betty Ford Center will provide the expert panelists for substance abuse on the WebMD website, the Rancho Mirage, California program announced last week. WebMD reaches about 86 million visitors a month. John Schwarzlose, Betty Ford Center...

Alkermes relocates to Ireland.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief article)
May 16, 2011... Alkermes, maker of Vivitrol, is merging with Elan Corp. of Dublin, Ireland, where it will move its headquarters. Elan will receive $500 million in cash and a 25-percent interest in the Dublin-based Alkermes PLC, which will be worth $460 million....

In case you haven't heard ...
May 16, 2011... Last week in Montana, where medical marijuana is legal, two medical marijuana providers sued the federal government for civil rights violation after federal agents raided their businesses, the Associated Press reported last week. The lawsuit was...

Definition of recovery is vague, measures elusive, even as taxpayers fund services.
May 9, 2011... Recovery has become the focus of substance abuse services in the federal government, even as researchers are still struggling to define who is in recovery--and therefore, who qualifies for services. Faces & Voices of Recovery is...

Center sees clinical and business case for comprehensive alumni programs.(Treatment Program Profile)(Author abstract)
May 9, 2011... Reflecting a growing emphasis nationally on the need to serve patients after their treatment stay, the western North Carolina treatment center Pavillon has established a menu of alumni programming that is building a strong recovery support...

SAGE commission consolidation in New York may affect OASAS.
May 9, 2011... Last month New York Gov. Andrew M. Cuoma named the members of the Spending and Government Efficiency (SAGE) Commission that will, for the first time since 1927, redesign the state's government. The plan is on a fast track: Governor Cuomo...

Annual GAO ONDCP audit says agencies need budget guidance sooner.(Brief article)
May 9, 2011... The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the implementation of national drug policy, is audited every year by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). This year's report came out last...

Furor erupts over Lancet letter on Vivitrol.
May 9, 2011... Last month The Lancet published the phase 3 clinical trials study of Vivitrol, the pivotal study that was used by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to approve the medication for the treatment of opioid dependence last fall (see ADAW, Sept....

No cuts to Florida treatment services.(IN THE STATES)(Brief article)
May 9, 2011... "We won," Mark Fontaine, executive director of the Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association (FADAA), told ADAW last week. All funding for adult treatment would was slated for elimination (see ADAW, April 4). But on May 3 at 4:00 in the...

SAMHSA TCE grants for helping older adults with Rx drug misuse.(FUNDING OPPORTUNITY)(Brief article)
May 9, 2011... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is accepting applications for the $3.56 million Older Adults Targeted Capacity Expansion (TCE) grant program, which will expand the previously funded programs to include a...

In case you haven't heard ...(Brief article)
May 9, 2011... Actress Katie Holmes, 32, has won a settlement against Star Magazine for suggesting she was addicted to drugs, Injury News reported last week. Holmes, who is married to actor Tom Cruise, filed a $50 million lawsuit against Star Magazine after...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
May 9, 2011... The annual meeting of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors will be held June 7-10 in Indianapolis. For more information, go to http://nasadad.org/annual-meeting. The College on Problems of Drug Dependence will...

Kerlikowske may leave ONDCP for Chicago police post.(Office of National Drug Control Policy)
May 2, 2011... Gil Kerlikowske, director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), may be going to Chicago as superintendent of the police department--at least, that is what he would like to do. As of press time April 28 he was one of three...

Sober-living center broadens reach by offering testing to community.(Treatment Program Profile)
May 2, 2011... Fielding requests from both its departing residents and the larger community around Long Beach, Calif., the transitional sober living organization Serene Center has launched an expansion of a drug testing service that it refers to as "abstinence...

ONDCP releases plan to reduce prescription opioid overdoses.
May 2, 2011... Last month the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released a plan culminating six months of collaboration across many different federal agencies that requires every state to monitor and track prescription opioids. The plan, announced...

West Virginia cost of drug and alcohol abuse: $1.6 billion a year.(Brief article)
May 2, 2011... A report released last month from the WV Partnership to Promote Community Well-Being and the WV Prevention Resource Center (WVPRC) said it costs the state more than $1.6 billion a year. These costs could rise to more than $2.3 billion by 2017...

Agencies in South Carolina May Merge, If Senate Approves
May 2, 2011... The South Carolina legislature is moving toward merging the Department of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Services (DAODAS), a cabinet-level agency, with Department of Mental Health, a non-cabinet-level agency. Last month, the bill passed in the...

First ABAM-accredited training fellowship goes to AINY.(American Board of Addiction Medicine)(Addiction Institute of New York)(Brief article)
May 2, 2011... The Addiction Institute of New York (AINY) at St. Luke's-Roosevelt Hospital in New York City received the first training program accreditation from the American Board of Addiction Medicine (ABAM) for its Fellowship in Addiction Medicine Program....

Correction.(Correction notice)
May 2, 2011... In an article on the American Society of Addiction Medicine in the April 18 issue, the amount of the funding from the National Institute on Drug Abuse should have been $100,000. We regret the error.

Illinois law requires health plans to include MH, SA coverage.(STATE NEWS)(mental health)(substance abuse)(Brief article)
May 2, 2011... Last month the Illinois House of Representatives approved a plan that would mandate private health insurance plans to include mental health and substance abuse coverage. The law would also require that this coverage be on par with medical...

Remoxy passes abuse liability test.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief article)
May 2, 2011... Remoxy, an investigational pain relief drug, showed lower liking compared with oxycodone, according to Pain Therapeutics. Pfizer is Pain Therapeutics' commercial partner for Remoxy, which has a New Drug Application under regulatory review with...

New web service helps porn addicts avoid internet porn.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Brief article)
May 2, 2011... A new self-help "service" called RemoteWebGuard is designed to allow pornography addicts to use the internet within limits. "It's no secret online addictions, particularly pornography-related, are becoming a real issue in today's world," said...

Drinking and driving at college.(BUSINESS NEWS)(Report)
May 2, 2011... Almost half of underage college students drove after drinking, and twenty percent drive while intoxicated, according to the College Life Study, a longitudinal study of undergraduate students. Once these students turn 21, this increases to 63...

$50 million from SAMHSA for SBIRT.(FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES)(screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment)(substance abuse and mental health services administration)
May 2, 2011... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced the availability of $50 million in funding for Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT). Grant applications should be for expanding the...

SAMHSA grants to expand residential treatment to pregnant/postpartum women and children.(FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES)
May 2, 2011... The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration is accepting applications for grants that will expand the availability of comprehensive, residential substance abuse treatment, prevention, and recovery support services for pregnant...

David Wilkerson.(OBITUARY)(Obituary)(Brief article)
May 2, 2011... David Wilkerson, founder of Teen Challenge--a favorite drug prevention charity of former President George W. Bush--died April 27 in an automobile accident in Texas, the Georgetown Times of South Carolina reported last week. Wilkerson founded...

Coming up ...(Calendar)
May 2, 2011... The National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers (NAATP) will hold its annual meeting May 14-17 in Chandler, Arizona. Go to www.naatp.org for more information. The annual meeting of the American Psychiatric Association will be held...

In case you haven't heard ...
May 2, 2011... Colorado just received clarification from the federal government on state-legalized medical marijuana, and in what amounts to a warning, U.S Attorney John Walsh told state Attorney General John Suthers, in effect, to watch out. "It is well...