Ten ERs In Colorado Tried To Curtail Opioids And Did Better Than Expected
The collaboration known as ALTO, Alternatives to Opioids, set out to reduce opioid doses in the emergency room by 15 percent. It managed a 36 percent reduction instead.
Substance Misuse
301 - 320 of 392 Results
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California To Drug Users: We’ll Pay For You To Test Your Dope
Fentanyl, a significant cause of overdoses and deaths across the country, has begun showing up in California street drugs. State health officials have responded with a bold but controversial policy: paying for test strips so users can check their stash.
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Opioid Crisis Hits Home: Uncle’s Overdose Spurs Medicaid Official To Change Course
Andrey Ostrovsky, who until last month was chief medical officer for Medicaid, quit his job so he could more directly fight the stigma of drug addiction.
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What’s Next For ‘Safe Injection’ Sites In Philadelphia?
Philadelphia officials gave the OK to establishing safe-injection sites for drug users. But it's unclear where the sites would be located and who would fund and operate them.
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Hospital Honchos Hone New Message In Wake Of Opioid Epidemic: Expect Pain
"We really do have a lot of responsibility and culpability," says one hospital official who is part of a working group trying to address the opioid epidemic. Patients have to expect more pain after surgery and understand the risk of addiction, says another doctor.
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An Opioid Remedy That Works: Treat Pain And Addiction At The Same Time
Studies show promising results for a treatment approach that tackles chronic pain and addiction together, but obstacles stand in the way of this integrated care.
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Drug Overdose Deaths Soar Nationally But Plateau In Some Western States
Fatalities are climbing in states that have been flooded by the deadly opioid fentanyl, but are remaining flat — or even falling — in many Western states, where the drug has not yet been as common as other parts of the country.
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Maine Voters Chose Medicaid Expansion. Why Is Their Governor Resisting?
Even though voters in Maine decided to expand Medicaid through a ballot measure, the law's fate is still unclear. Gov. Paul LePage says the Legislature must find funds for it without raising taxes. Advocates say the law is on their side and expansion must be implemented.
By Sarah Varney -
Pharmacists Slow To Dispense Lifesaving Overdose Drug
Laws in California and most other states allow pharmacists to provide naloxone to patients or their friends without a doctor’s prescription. But many don’t do so, citing lack of demand and awareness among patients, their own fears of insufficient compensation and the challenges of treating opioid users.
By Anna Gorman -
Arizona Declares Opioid Emergency, But Signals Are Mixed Over Best Response
Arizona is one of a few states that have declared the opioid epidemic a public health emergency. There's no uniformity in what that means from state to state, though, and even within Arizona, there's a wide divergence of opinion on how best to tackle the problem.
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Telemedicine For Addiction Treatment? Picture Remains Fuzzy
One Indiana addiction specialist doesn't shy away from telemedicine, but he still requires in-person visits to begin and maintain his patients' Suboxone prescriptions.
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Stopping Opioid Addiction At One Key Source: The Hospital
Based on research conducted at the University of Michigan’s medical center, a group of surgeons developed a strategy to help post-surgical patients from misusing or abusing their prescription painkillers.
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If Your Insurer Covers Few Therapists, Is That Really Mental Health Parity?
Behavioral care was four times more likely to be out-of-network than medical or surgical care, an analysis by Milliman shows.
By Jenny Gold -
Doctor’s Rx For A Stiff Knee: A Prescription For 90 Percocet Pills
Following minor surgery, KHN’s consumer columnist sees how easily doctors offer pain pills, fueling epidemic of opioid addiction.
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Taking A Page From Pharma’s Playbook To Fight The Opioid Crisis
Doctors and pharmacists in Northern California are emulating drug company sales reps with a fresh purpose in mind: They visit medical offices in the hardest-hit counties to change their peers' prescribing habits and curtail the use of painkillers.
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Despite GOP Efforts To Corral Medicaid Spending, States Expand Benefits
States are adding a variety of services, including expansions of mental health and substance abuse treatments and dental care, according to a 50-state survey from the Kaiser Family Foundation.
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For Low-Income Drug Users, Medi-Cal Offers A Fresh Start
Under a five-year agreement with the federal government, California is using Medicaid dollars to expand drug treatment, including more inpatient care and a broader range of medications.
By Anna Gorman -
Dying At Home In An Opioid Crisis: Hospices Grapple With Stolen Meds
As more patients receive hospice care at home, some of the powerful, addictive drugs they’re prescribed are ending up in the wrong hands.
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Opioid Crisis Strains Foster Care System; Programs Aim To Keep Kids With Mom
One Kentucky program is eyed by other jurisdictions as a way to get addicted parents into recovery and help them care for their children at home.
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A Long And Winding Road: Kicking Heroin In An Opioid ‘Treatment Desert’ Â
Heather Menzel thought returning to her rural California hometown was the answer to her addiction problems. Then she discovered the town had no medical treatment options for her — but plenty of heroin.
By Brian Rinker