NAAG Urges Black Box Warning for Opioids for Women of Child-Bearing Age |
| May 17th, 2013 |
AMA (5/15/13): In response to growing concerns about Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome, the National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) sent a letter to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) urging that the FDA include a “black box warning” on prescriptions for opioid analgesics. Forty-one state attorneys general signed the letter. To read the letter, click here. |
| Posted in Content |
Doctors Should Ask and Counsel Adult Patients About Drinking, Report Advises |
| May 14th, 2013 |
Join Together (5/14/13): Primary care physicians should ask their adult patients about their drinking habits, and counsel those whose alcohol use is risky, according to a new report. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force made their recommendation based on a review of studies. They found there is sufficient evidence to conclude screening can accurately detect alcohol misuse, and counseling can reduce heavy drinking in adults, Reuters reports. The task force is an independent panel of experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine. To read more, click here. |
| Posted in Content |
Legal Interventions to Reduce Overdose Mortality: Naloxone Access and Overdose Good Samaritan Laws |
| May 14th, 2013 |
AT Forum (5/13/13): “Opioid overdose is typically reversible through the timely administration of the drug naloxone and the provision of emergency care. However, access to naloxone and other emergency treatment is often limited by laws and that pre-date the overdose epidemic. In an attempt to reverse this unprecedented increase in preventable overdose deaths, a number of states have recently amended those laws to increase access to emergency care and treatment for opiate overdose.” The Network for Public Health Law has published an update on access to naloxone by state and Good Samaritan laws. To read more, click here. |
| Posted in Content |
Upcoming Trainings: A Guide to Rational Opioid Prescribing for Chronic Pain |
| May 14th, 2013 |
| Posted in Content |
FDA Denies Request from Opana ER Maker to Block Generic Forms of the Drug |
| May 13th, 2013 |
Join Together (5/13/13): The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday denied a request from the maker of the painkiller Opana ER to block generic forms of the drug. The decision came as a surprise, Reuters reports. The drug’s manufacturer, Endo Health Solutions, argued its newer tamper-resistant formula was more difficult to abuse than the original version of the drug, and asked that the agency not approve generic forms of the earlier version. The FDA decided that since the original Opana had not been withdrawn for reasons of safety or effectiveness, generic forms of the painkiller could continue to be approved and marketed. To read more, click here. |
| Posted in Content |
Pregnant Teens in Substance Abuse Treatment Face Many Challenges |
| May 10th, 2013 |
Join Together (5/10/13): Pregnant teens, who are more likely than pregnant adults to face medical issues, face a host of additional challenges if they are also being treated for substance abuse, a new government report finds. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) found pregnant teens being treated for substance abuse were three times more likely than other female teens in treatment to receive public assistance as their main source of income—15 percent versus 5.3 percent). The report also found 74 percent of non-pregnant female teens in treatment who were not working were students, compared with just 44.2 percent of pregnant teens treated for substance abuse. To read more, click here. |
| Posted in Content |
New Poll Ranks Chronic Pain Well Below Drug Addiction As A Major Health Problem |
| May 8th, 2013 |
AT Forum (5/6/13): “A new national public opinion poll commissioned by Research!America shows only 18% of respondents believe chronic pain is a major health problem, even though a majority of Americans (63%) say they know someone who experienced pain so severe that they sought prescription medicines to treat it. Chronic pain conditions affect about 100 million U.S. adults at a cost of approximately $600 billion annually in direct medical treatment costs and lost productivity. To read more, click here. |
| Posted in Content |
Funded wholly or in part by the federal Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant Fund (CFDA #93.959) as a project of the NC Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities & Substance Abuse Services.