addiction treatment Archives

Seattle First Responders Prescribe Buprenorphine to OD Patients

Post author:Melissa
Post published:March 18, 2024
Post category:addiction treatment
Reading time:5 mins read

In Seattle, the devastating toll of drug overdoses claims hundreds of lives annually. Recent years have witnessed a troubling surge in overdose incidents, compelling city officials to take decisive action. Because of this, EMTs in the city will now be able to play a part and give Medication-Assisted Treatment via Buprenorphine as part of their treatment for people who overdose on opioids.

The upward trend of addiction calls has been staggering, with daily overdose calls escalating from 4.7 in 2021 to a staggering 15.4 in 2023, underscoring the urgency of intervention. Now, the city is putting an effort into helping people find treatment and begin recovery from substance use disorders.

Introducing a Novel Approach: Seattle Fire Department’s Health 99 Unit

In a proactive move to combat the crisis, the Seattle Fire Department has launched the Health 99 Unit. Comprising …

Fentanyl Vaccine Could Be A New Tool To Fight Epidemic

Post author:Melissa
Post published:November 30, 2022
Post category:addiction treatment
Reading time:3 mins read

New research from a team of scientists at the University of Houston aims to create a vaccine to block the powerful opioid fentanyl, which is the top cause of overdose deaths in America. The vaccine is meant for people who already struggle with opioid addiction and hope to break the cycle. For fentanyl addicts, Medication-Assisted Treatment is considered the gold standard of care. However, a “vaccine” of this type could be a game-changer for preventing relapse from opioid use disorder.

Fentanyl is now responsible for the majority of overdose deaths in America. The drug, 50 to 100 times stronger than opioids, is often added to other drugs such as cocaine or Oxy. Some users die because they have no tolerance for opioids. Nearly 150 people die a day from fentanyl overdoses.

What Would a Fentanyl Vaccine Be Able to Accomplish?

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Beware of “Alternative” Treatment Programs Like Enthusiastic Recovery

Post author:Melissa
Post published:August 27, 2021
Post category:addiction treatment
Reading time:3 mins read

Many programs and treatment centers bill themselves as a little less traditional than the standard 12-step model. Many of these programs are supervised by medical and addiction treatment professionals. Other groups, like Enthusiastic Sobriety and its subsidiaries, are run by people who were also once addicted.

Many of these people are in recovery, attend 12-step meetings and work on themselves. What sets Enthusiastic Sobriety apart from these programs is the lack of self-improvement as a goal.

What is Enthusiastic Sobriety?

Enthusiastic Sobriety is a program that first emerged in the 1970s and is run by Bob Meehan, an ex-con. For decades, parents have paid top dollar for his unconventional “drug treatment” program. For the most part, he helps teens get clean and sober off of substances. He does not, however, believe in helping them change their lifestyle or behavior. And …

Virginia Is Out Of Treatment Beds

Post author:Melissa
Post published:June 28, 2021
Post category:addiction treatment
Reading time:2 mins read

Like many parts of the country, Virginia has been battling an opioid epidemic over the past several years. During the pandemic, resources often dried up or closed down, leaving many vulnerable clients to relapse or desperately seeking shelter. Now that the pandemic’s emergency is winding down, the state still doesn’t have enough resources to help people get clean and sober.

Increasing Overdoses in Virginia, Nationwide

The pandemic brought a large number of overdoses as people began to turn to despair. In 2020, the Virginia Department of Health tallied 2,297 fatal drugs, a number that authorities say is more than all of the gun and car crash-related deaths reported in the same year.

While addiction is a pressing public health issue, there still aren’t enough services for people in the state. Inpatient beds are sorely lacking, while outpatient clinics are often …

Biden Reduces Barriers With New Opioid MAT Guidance

Post author:Melissa
Post published:May 11, 2021
Post category:addiction treatment
Reading time:2 mins read

Late last month, the Biden administration took action to significantly reduce barriers to one of the most effective opioid treatments, a Medication-Assisted Treatment known by the name Suboxone or buprenorphine. With the new guidelines, there will be significantly fewer requirements for medical professionals to help people with opioid addiction. The new policy will give more people access to safe and effective treatment to help them get sober. It will help people who live in rural areas without drug treatment centers, too.

Reduced MAT Training Requirement

Prior requirements for prescribing medication like Suboxone were stringent. A doctor had to take a 30-hour training course and become recertified every year. Doctors also had to ensure the patient went to treatment or therapy as a requirement for MAT. Some doctors felt like they were forced to be treatment counselors, a burden that made …

Research Proves Opioid Agonists Prevent OD’s and Relapse

Post author:Melissa
Post published:March 2, 2020
Post category:addiction treatment
Reading time:3 mins read

Using Medication-Assisted Treatment once carried stigma in the recovery community. However, recent research has shown how much these aspects of treatment can save lives. Opioid agonists keep people from relapse and overdose death.

Many people have a lack of understanding about why the drug is useful or how it helps people begin the path to recovery. This stigma can keep people from getting the help they need to stay clean and sober. This is a big gap in the recovery world, unfortunately. A lack of MAT options could mean the difference in recovery versus relapse. Researchers say that one group of MAT options, opioid antagonists, are especially effective when used by people new to recovery.

What Are Opioid Agonists?

Opioid agonists help people with heroin or prescription opioid use disorder abstain from those drugs. In recovery, doctors may prescribe these …

Rural Opioid Epidemic Leads to Use of Telemedicine

Post author:Melissa
Post published:January 10, 2018
Post category:addiction treatment
Reading time:3 mins read

According to a recent survey of rural farming and ranch families, nearly 45% of rural families say they have been affected by opioid addiction. When it comes to farmworkers that number goes up to 75%. Farmers agree that people can quickly get ahold of opioids, but treatment options are few and far between. There is a lot of frustration and grief in these rural communities—few people know where to turn for themselves or a loved one, and not all of them even have access to insurance that would help them get access to treatment programs.

Created and funded by the American Farm Bureau Federation and National Farmers Union, the October 2017 poll also helped resolve some of the problems people have had when seeking help for loved ones. The answers and skepticism from the local communities have helped create …