37 articles found
Congressional bill H.R. 5629 threatens to roll back SAMHSA's permanent methadone take-home flexibilities as Pew Charitable Trusts submits testimony defending COVID-era reforms that reduced travel burdens without increasing diversion or deaths.
World Health Organization updates treatment guidelines adding monthly buprenorphine injections to methadone oral medication recommendations addressing epidemic killing three-quarters million people yearly
Deal flow in substance use disorder treatment hits six-year low as investors pull back amid quality concerns, Medicaid uncertainty, and volatile federal grants—leaving safety-net providers facing potential closures.
World Health Organization adds conditional recommendation for monthly and weekly buprenorphine injections, expanding evidence-based options for 61 million people using opioids non-medically worldwide.
University of Cincinnati launches one of nation's largest trials pairing weight-loss drugs with proven addiction medication to improve treatment retention and reduce cravings.
New research from Ohio University finds primary care physicians view opioid use disorder as more treatable than diabetes, yet only 8% have ever prescribed buprenorphine, creating treatment deserts in rural America.
World Health Organization adds conditional endorsement for long-acting injectable buprenorphine to global opioid dependence treatment guidelines April 2026, alongside continued strong recommendations for methadone and oral formulations.
Senator Patty Murray announces funding for Tacoma-Pierce County mobile medical services while highlighting successful pushback against Trump administration's proposed $2 billion SAMHSA grant terminations.
Georgia county awards settlement dollars to programs ranging from peer support to residential treatment as officials confront third-highest opioid death toll in the state.
American Society of Addiction Medicine releases first comprehensive update to youth substance use disorder treatment standards in over a decade, addressing telehealth, trauma-informed care, and medication access.
Congressional oversight hearing exposes chaotic federal response to addiction crisis as $2 billion in treatment grants remain uncertain and agency staff cut by half
Swedish registry analysis of 100,000 individuals finds GLP-1 medications reduce depression by 44%, anxiety by 38%, and substance use disorders by 47%.
New Nature Mental Health study finds combining low-dose ketamine with mindfulness training improves outcomes for people receiving buprenorphine treatment, opening door to psychedelic-assisted interventions
New Wisconsin Policy Forum report reveals dramatic expansion in MOUD access across state correctional facilities from 2021 to 2025, coinciding with substantial decline in overdose deaths.
CDCR documented over 7,000 overdose reversals since 2019 and became the only U.S. state prison system allowing incarcerated individuals to carry naloxone inside facilities.
SUPPORT Act allows pharmacists to prescribe addiction medication with 8 hours training. Maryland considers state legislation as federal pathway opens treatment access.
Opioid deaths fell 12% in Washington last year while innovative programs expanded access to life-saving treatment. But new Medicaid work requirements and federal funding cuts are already disrupting care.
Survey of 212 U.S. jails, prisons, and detention centers finds stark regional and facility-type disparities in MOUD access, with post-release mortality 40 times higher than national average.
Workit Health's evidence-based virtual care model delivers 62% rural retention at three months—more than double competing programs—with peer-reviewed studies in JAMA Network Open showing perfect buprenorphine adherence among participants.
First randomized trial testing extended-release buprenorphine in pregnancy finds higher abstinence rates and fewer serious adverse events compared to standard sublingual treatment.
New federal data reveals historic decline in opioid deaths across all demographics, driven by expanded naloxone access, weaker fentanyl supply, and medication treatment—though Arizona and four other states buck the trend.
Brandeis University economic analysis shows two pharmacy-based methadone models generate positive returns of $2.64 and $3.53 per dollar spent over three years while addressing treatment deserts in 80% of U.S. counties.
Somerset County commissioners chose to protect a jail Sublocade program with zero overdose deaths over prevention services as opioid settlement funds run short.
ACLU challenges West Virginia's 2007 moratorium on methadone clinics, arguing the state's unique restriction violates disability law while forcing 54,000 residents with opioid use disorder to navigate impossible treatment logistics.
A new survey of 212 jails and prisons finds only 58% provide FDA-approved medications for opioid use disorder, with stark regional disparities and treatment gaps putting released inmates at 40-times-higher overdose risk.
Senate Bill 2185 passed committee and would mandate MAT screening and access in all Illinois prisons, funded by opioid settlements, following a Kane County program that cut overdose deaths by 89%.
NIH-funded trial finds pregnant patients receiving weekly extended-release buprenorphine injections achieved significantly higher rates of opioid abstinence with fewer serious adverse events than those on sublingual buprenorphine.
New research shows patients adherent to extended-release buprenorphine injections had $15,017 lower annual costs and fewer emergency visits than those using other opioid use disorder medications.
New study finds NET Device reduces opioid and stimulant use for 3 months post-treatment, offering hope for polysubstance addiction amid no approved medications for stimulants
VA study of 600,000 patients finds GLP-1 medications like Ozempic reduce substance use disorder risk by 15-20%, suggesting a common biological pathway underlying all addictions.
New CDC data reveals West Virginia and Virginia achieved the steepest opioid death declines in America, with drops approaching 49% and outpacing the national 44% reduction.
Weill Cornell research shows state laws eliminating insurance prior authorization for buprenorphine don't significantly improve 180-day retention rates, highlighting need for broader policy interventions.
Civil rights lawsuit alleges Missouri DOC and Centurion Health deny life-saving medication to prisoners with opioid use disorder, despite $7M in settlement funds and rampant drug availability.
Washington University analysis of 600,000+ VA patients finds GLP-1s tied to 50% reduction in drug-related deaths and lower risk across alcohol, opioid, cocaine, and nicotine use disorders.
In a landmark policy shift, the FDA announced it will approve new drugs based on a single rigorous trial plus confirmatory evidence—a change that could accelerate development of therapies for opioid use disorder, alcohol addiction, and stimulant dependence.
The Food and Drug Administration moves forward with controversial regulations to limit common painkillers, sparking national debate over balancing opioid crisis response with patient access to pain management.
New federal rules allow providers to prescribe six-month supply of buprenorphine via audio-only telehealth for opioid use disorder treatment, eliminating pandemic-era restrictions while implementing safeguards.