There were a couple of articles published this week about bad behavior from PHARMA. First, Vox looks into the roots of the overdose epidemic and Purdue Pharma's role in policy changes that set the stage for the explosion in opioid prescribing and addiction. (Of course, Purdue profited from these policy changes.) Andrew Kolodny and other public … Continue reading Recent reporting on the consequences of PHARMA bad behavior
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.
Supporting Research for Psychosocial Treatments + Medication is “sparse”
Yesterday, I told you about the new White House budget proposal for $1,100,000,000 for addiction treatment that places very heavy emphasis on medication assisted treatment (MAT). A recently published study in Journal of Addiction Medicine, the official journal of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM), raises questions about the rationale for that budget. That budget and … Continue reading Supporting Research for Psychosocial Treatments + Medication is “sparse”
Something to celebrate?
The White House announced $1.1 for addiction treatment in the 2017 budget proposal it just introduced. Good news, right? Some advocacy groups are pretty excited about it, "They're hearing us!" If approved, here's how the money would be spent: $920 million to support cooperative agreements with States to expand access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid … Continue reading Something to celebrate?
Dangerous Treatment and the Science of Safety
We are concerned about the dangers of addiction as never before. For good reason--the opioid epidemic has become an overdose epidemic. One undercurrent in the coverage of the issue is the implication that abstinence-based treatment contributes to overdose deaths. (There's no question maintenance drugs reduce overdose risk and short term abstinence-based treatment of opioid addiction … Continue reading Dangerous Treatment and the Science of Safety
Most popular posts of 2015 – #1 – Why so irrational about AA?
Gabrielle Glaser has gotten another AA bashing article published and it's getting a lot of attention. Of course she doesn't really offer a tangible alternative. I'm not going to write another piece rebutting it, but I'll point you to a few relevant posts. First, in New York magazine, Jesse Singal dismantles Glaser's arguments. As with any … Continue reading Most popular posts of 2015 – #1 – Why so irrational about AA?
Most popular posts of 2015 – #2 – We all wish love was enough
This article, claiming to have discovered the long suppressed cause of addiction, has been making the rounds and has been recommended by a lot of people. Like a lot of things, it contains some truth but is not the Truth. People generally bring up rat park and returning Vietnam vets to advance 2 arguments. That you … Continue reading Most popular posts of 2015 – #2 – We all wish love was enough
Most popular posts of 2015 – #3 – The treatment system is failing opiate addicts
Stories like this are getting a lot of attention lately: State Sen. Chris Eaton is planning to introduce legislation to encourage opiate treatment providers and doctors to break with an abstinence-based model and embrace evidence-based practices for treating addiction, the Minnesota Democrat told The Huffington Post. I want to make it clear that I know nothing … Continue reading Most popular posts of 2015 – #3 – The treatment system is failing opiate addicts
Most popular posts of 2015 – #4 – Hari and the truth
Johann Hari is getting a new wave of attention after a recent TED talk. I'm not surprised he's getting so much attention. He's a great story teller with a compelling narrative. However, while is narrative does contain some important truths, he's just plain wrong about the cause of addiction. Over the next few days I … Continue reading Most popular posts of 2015 – #4 – Hari and the truth
Prisons or spas?
The Huffington Post continues its longform advocacy journalism on the issue of medication assisted treatment. Jason Cherkis puts his attention on a real issue of rural access to medication assisted treatment by sharing the story of a South Dakota man who travels 350 miles to get his buprenorphine prescription. Anyone who wants access to this … Continue reading Prisons or spas?
Most popular posts of 2015 – #5 – We should re-examine policies for opioid addicted physicians?
This is interesting. A physician posted a message to an ASAM discussion board about his dissonance related to working in a treatment facility that does not use opioid maintenance treatments. Specifically, buprenorphine. ASAM turned the message board post into a magazine article and summarizes responses to the message. There's a lot that one could respond to. However, … Continue reading Most popular posts of 2015 – #5 – We should re-examine policies for opioid addicted physicians?
Recovery Review 