Addiction Medicine
From the Journals
Opioid-related deaths lower in counties with active cannabis dispensaries
Evidence of a negative association between legalization of medical or recreational cannabis and opioid-related mortality has been mixed.
Feature
Biden administration nixes buprenorphine waiver, docs disappointed
Many clinicians and policy experts turned to Twitter to urge an easing of buprenorphine prescribing, using the hashtag “Xthexwaiver.”
From the Journals
Naltrexone cuts hospitalization, deaths in alcohol use disorder
“Benzodiazepines should be avoided and not be administered other than for alcohol withdrawal symptoms,” Dr. Milja Heikkinen said.
From the Journals
National spike in methamphetamine overdose deaths
“While much attention is focused on the opioid crisis, a methamphetamine crisis has been quietly, but actively gaining steam,” said Dr. Nora D....
Applied Evidence
Breaking the cycle of medication overuse headache
Care of this disorder can be complex—from ruling out another secondary cause of headache to supervising detox from abortives, providing...
Feature
HHS will drop buprenorphine waiver rule for most physicians
There were more than 83,000 deaths attributed to drug overdoses in the United States in the 12 months ending in June 2020.
From the Journals
Childhood smoking and depression contribute to young adult opioid use
Tobacco use and untreated mental health issues in children may increase future vulnerability to opioids.
From the Journals
Machine learning flags key risk factors for suicide attempts
“We identified functional impairment, such as doing activities less carefully ... as a new important risk,” said Angel Garcia de la Garza.
From the Journals
Heavy drinking by teens may affect white-matter integrity
The results provide clinicians with yet another reason to ask adolescents about their alcohol use, said investigator Dr. Adolf Pfefferbaum.
Conference Coverage
Intense intervention may boost addiction program retention
The Youth Opioid Recovery Support program includes home delivery of the prescribed medication, family engagement, assertive outreach, and...
Conference Coverage
Shared medical appointments may bridge the opioid treatment gap
“By providing education and a forum for sharing, SMAs can lead to changes in behavior,” Dr. Serra Akyar said.