Outside of very rural areas, I've often scratched my head when advocates express concern about access to buprenorphine. I mean, there are a lot of prescribers in most areas. I had a conversation yesterday that prompted a google search that led me to this. (OBT refers to office-based treatment with buprenorphine.) Access to OBT in … Continue reading Cash only
Author: Jason Schwartz
I have been an addiction professional and social worker since 1994. I started blogging in 2005 as the Clinical Director at Dawn Farm. I currently serve as the Director of Social Work and Spiritual Care for a healthcare system. I've also served as the Director of Behavioral Health at another hospital. I'm also a lecturer at Eastern Michigan University’s School of Social Work.
Views expressed here are my own.
Keep in mind that the field, the contexts in which the field operates, and my views have changed over time.
U.S. joins lawsuits against manufacturers over drug Suboxone
Reckitt Benckiser and Invidor, the manufacturers of Suboxone are back in the news. The Justice Department in filings last week in federal court in Abingdon, Virginia, said it was intervening in four separate whistleblower lawsuits related to the Britain-based companies’ marketing of Suboxone and the related drug Subutex. . . . Among the complaints unsealed … Continue reading U.S. joins lawsuits against manufacturers over drug Suboxone
Alternative endpoints
The FDA issued a new set of draft guidelines for pharmaceutical manufacturers the presents what has previously been referred to as "alternative endpoints." I posted about this in March. Here's that previous post. "alternative endpoints"? I caught a few minutes of the White House opioid summit yesterday and the phrase "alternative endpoints" caught my attention. … Continue reading Alternative endpoints
😜 Recovering Addict
Headlines that bother me
All three of these were in my inbox this morning from one list or another. Recovery=missed work? I don't know anything about this guy, but I doubt he's missing work because of his recovery. He may be missing work because of his addiction, or because of addiction treatment, or to get through a period of … Continue reading Headlines that bother me
Headlines that make you go, “hmmmm”
I recognize that these are from two different countries but, really.
Sentences to ponder
Food for thought from Keith Humphreys. https://twitter.com/KeithNHumphreys/status/1018861045253922816
Food for thought on the cyclical nature of drug trends
First, an historical perspective from Bill White: Most drug epidemics don't simply disappear: they transform themselves into something else. For example, periods of excessive stimulant use are often followed by periods of rising alcohol, sedative and opiate use. There are drug facilitated cycles of stimulation, introspection, intoxication, and emotional anesthesia. Repeated episodes of each drug … Continue reading Food for thought on the cyclical nature of drug trends
Recovery dialects
Variations of this infographic are making the rounds. I'll offer 2 warnings: I'd be very cautious about telling mutual aid groups what they should and shouldn't say within their communities. (Or outside them, for that matter.)It's one thing to recommend language for professionals and people who choose to become advocates, but it's another to do … Continue reading Recovery dialects
Study of Long-acting buprenorphine published–17% respond
A new JAMA study concludes, "Long-acting buprenorphine depot formulations appear to be efficacious for treatment of opioid use disorder." Keep reading. They compared the effectiveness of sublingual (oral) and long-acting injections of buprenorphine to see if the long-acting injections are as effective as the sublingual version. The study was 24 weeks. That's better than we … Continue reading Study of Long-acting buprenorphine published–17% respond
Recovery Review 