-
Five Areas Where “More Research” Isn’t Needed to Curb the Overdose Crisis
“…but more research is needed.” That’s often the refrain in science, and it includes addiction research. As the addiction epidemic and overdose crisis continue to claim an unprecedented number of lives and to fray communities, science is an essential part of the solution. In the...
-
Harm Reduction in Treatment: A Simplified Overview
In the past, harm reduction was mainly associated with distributing clean needles to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2022), there were over 100,000 deaths related to drug overdoses in 2022. Treatment has evolved to...
-
The Long History and Bright Future of Harm Reduction in New York State
For the past year, the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS) has implemented a new division among its pillars of prevention, treatment, and recovery services. The newly formed Division of Harm Reduction seeks to bring both the harm reduction philosophy and its practical...
-
The NYSPA Report: Overdose Prevention Centers Keep Our People Alive
People with opioid use disorder (OUD) have a high prevalence of a serious mental illness (SMI). Nearly 27% of people with an OUD had a co-occurring SMI (Jones and McCance-Katz 2019), which complicates care when access to dual diagnosis treatment is limited. Overdose deaths have steadily increased...
-
NY State Department of Health Warns the Public in Central New York About Alarming Increase In Opioid Overdoses
Providers and Public Encouraged to Take Advantage of New Standing Order, Allowing New Yorkers to Get Naloxone Without a Prescription On August 26, 2022, The New York State Department of Health has been made aware of a rapid increase in opioid-related overdoses in the Central New York region....
-
The NYSPA Report: Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder – Effective but Still Underutilized
As our society continues to struggle with opioid use disorders and diversion of opioid pain medication, several strategies here in New York State have proven helpful. The duty to consult the online Prescription Monitoring Program prior to prescribing controlled substances has resulted in a 90% drop...
-
Veterans Heroic Battle with the Opioid Epidemic
How can we ever fully thank our veterans for their service? As a group of health care professionals, we have an obligation to provide outstanding clinical care to this heroic population. Every Veterans Day we celebrate the service of all U.S. Military Veterans. We know that this courageous group...
-
Mental Health Services and Opioid Use and Dependence: A Non-Sequitur?
What does mental health have to do with mitigating the opioid epidemic? Isn’t it a problem for substance disorder programs, or addiction doctors? Well not really, if you consider the rates of opioid use and opioid use disorder (OUD) in patients seen in the community-based, non-profits in NYS...
-
Integration: Some Progress and a Need for More
Every contact with a medical provider is an opportunity to help someone address their addiction. And so, it is important for everyone who works in a healthcare setting to recognize addiction, understand the neurobiology, know the standard treatments and be familiar with the resources available...
