This is a reminder that May is National Hepatitis Awareness Month. An estimated 3.5–5.3 million Americans are living with chronic (lifelong) hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection. Most of them do not know that they are infected, placing them at greater risk for severe, even fatal, complications from the disease and increasing the likelihood that they will spread the virus to others. We encourage you to use Hepatitis Awareness Month to learn more about this “silent epidemic.” http://www.cdc.gov/hepatitis/HEPAwarenessMonth.htm Tue, 15 May 2012 12:00:00 EST SAMHSA Science and Service Awards for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) and office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) providers promotes excellence in the treatment of opioid addiction by honoring OTPs and OBOT providers using pharmacotherapy and other innovative approaches to enhance patient outcomes. http://blog.samhsa.gov/2012/02/23/announcing-the-winners-of-the-2012-science-to-service-awards/ Thu, 08 Mar 2012 12:00:00 EST This Special Issue of The American Journal on Addictions includes a series of 10 papers that underscore the clinical consequences of drug interactions between opioid therapies and other medications as well as with other abused substances. The issue includes a review article that summarizes the current knowledge of drug interactions between methadone or buprenorphine and other medications with a focus on studies that have been conducted in humans rather than in vitro data. This Special Issue is intended as an educational approach to improving identification and management of drug interactions in the clinical setting. http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journal/123215724/issue Wed, 03 Feb 2010 12:00:00 EST The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) is alerting medical professionals, substance abuse treatment centers and other public health authorities about the risk that substantial levels of cocaine may be adulterated with levamisole – a veterinary anti-parasitic drug. There have been approximately 20 confirmed or probable cases of agranulocytosis (a serious, sometimes fatal blood disorder), including two deaths, associated with cocaine adulterated with levamisole. The number of reported cases is expected to increase as information about cocaine adulterated with levamisole is disseminated. http://www.samhsa.gov/newsroom/advisories/090921vet5101.aspx Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST A new Substance Abuse Treatment presents information on the increase in deaths related to methadone, particularly in combination with other drugs or substances. Clinicians will find updates on methadone’s use and tips for ensuring patient safety, including educating medical staff, monitoring patient health during treatment, improving procedures for take-home medications, and reevaluating patient education procedures. http://www.samhsa.gov/samhsaNewsletter/Volume_17_Number_4/MethadoneAdvisory.aspx Fri, 18 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EST The webinar, Clinical Guidelines and Liability Prevention: An Overview will be a 2-1/2-hour interactive session conducted by experts in medication assisted treatment. Participants will be introduced to current liability trends and best practices for delivering methadone for opioid addiction and learn methods for reducing and preventing risks. The workshop, Clinical Guidelines and Liability Prevention, will be a full-day face-to-face training at the University of Illinois in Chicago. During this workshop, attendees will learn the do’s and don’ts in current methadone practice to treat opioid addiction and how to improve patient safety via developing comprehensive risk management strategies that incorporate best practices, treatment guidance, and affirmative risk management while addressing the evidence of methadone’s use as an effective opioid addiction treatment. http://dpt.samhsa.gov/providers/riskmanagement.aspx Thu, 30 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST If adopted, the proposal would remove the time in treatment dispensing requirements for buprenorphine products used to treat patients in OTPs. The dispensing restrictions would remain in effect for patients treated with methadone. The closing date for comments on this proposal is August 19, 2009. ../pdf/NPRM-06-19-2009.pdf Wed, 8 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST As authorized by Public Law 109-60 of the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005 (NASPER), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) announces the availability of Fiscal Year 2009 funds for NASPER program grants. http://www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/ContentViewer?objectId=09000064809e9755&disposition=attachment&contentType=pdf Thu, 2 Jul 2009 12:00:00 EST This notice is to request comments from interested parties regarding criteria for grants issued under NASPER (42 U.S.C. 280g-3). NASPER establishes a formula grant program for States to establish or improve State controlled substance monitoring systems (``prescription monitoring programs,'' or `` PMPs''). Under NASPER, the Secretary will award grants to qualifying States , defined in the legislation as the 50 States and the District of Columbia (42 U.S.C. 280g-3(i)(8)). This notice is required under NASPER and comments received in response to this notice will be evaluated and as appropriate, included in public announcements for grants under this law. SAMHSA will be issuing a Request for Applications (RFA) for formula grant awards under the NASPER program in Federal fiscal year (FFY) 2009. ../pdf/NASPER_FR_Notice_042909.pdf Thu, 7 May 2009 12:00:00 EST The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration's (SAMHSA) Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) launched this collaborative public awareness campaign to deliver the message to consumers that methadone is a safe and effective treatment for opioid addiction and pain management when taken as directed. ../methadonesafety/index.aspx Tue, 14 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST This GAO report examines the regulation of methadone, factors that have contributed to the increase in methadone-associated overdose deaths, and steps taken to prevent methadone-associated overdose deaths. http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d09341.pdf Wed, 1 Apr 2009 12:00:00 EST The OTP Mortality Reporting Form allows OTPs to voluntarily report mortality data on patients who, at the time of death, were receiving medication-assisted treatment (methadone or buprenorphine) at a SAMHSA-certified OTP. http://dpt.samhsa.gov/providers/OTPmortalityreportMessage.aspx Wed, 19 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST Hepatitis viral infection and infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are frequent co-occurring problems in drug users, especially intravenous drug users that also require appropriate medical management for best treatment outcomes. Infection from hepatitis A virus (HAV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), or hepatitis C virus (HCV) all can lead to acute liver disease with high potential for chronic liver disease from HBV and HCV infection. http://dpt.samhsa.gov/pdf/HEP REPORT 2007_Certified.pdf Tue, 18 Nov 2008 12:00:00 EST FDA is notifying healthcare professionals of the risk of adverse injection site reactions in patients receiving naltrexone (Vivitrol). Physicians should instruct patients to monitor the injection site and contact them if they develop pain, swelling, tenderness, induration, bruising, pruritus, or redness at the injection site that does not improve or worsens within two weeks. Physicians should promptly refer patients with worsening injection site reactions to a surgeon. http://www.fda.gov/cder/drug/InfoSheets/HCP/naltrexoneHCP.htm Wed, 13 Aug 2008 10:00:00 EST Many new and existing cases of viral hepatitis infections are related to injection drug use. Transmission of these infections can result directly from the use of injection equipment that is contaminated with blood containing the hepatitis B or C virus or through sexual contact with an infected individual. http://dpt.samhsa.gov/comor/hepandmethadone.aspx Mon, 02 Jun 2008 14:00:00 EST The purpose of this letter is to emphasize that according to 42 C.F.R. 8.12(i)(5), the take-home medication bottles should be properly labeled with the opioid treatment program’s (OTP’s) name, address, and telephone number. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) also recommends including the patient’s name, the medication name, the physician’s name, and the dispensing date. http://dpt.samhsa.gov/pdf/dearcolleague/DearColleague_BottleLabels_051408.pdf Tue, 20 May 2008 12:00:00 EST Each year, millions of patients are treated for a variety of serious medical conditions with prescription drugs whose therapeutic benefits are accompanied by psychoactive effects. This is particularly true of the management of chronic pain, which often involves potent opioid analgesics. http://dpt.samhsa.gov/providers/prescribingcourses.aspx Fri, 16 May 2008 14:00:00 EST Updates from the Division of Pharmacologic Therpaies (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) http://dpt.samhsa.gov/ Tue, 12 December 2007 14:00:00 -0500 Tue, 12 Dec 2007 14:00:00 EST This activity consists of a downloadable slide presentation with audio. This program takes approximately 1 hour to complete. http://bcbsma.medscape.com/viewprogram/9055 Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EST The sudden emergence in 2005 of fentanyl mixed with street heroin caused at least a thousand deaths and countless injuries. Fentanyl is a synthetic opiate that is approximately 50 times more potent than heroin. CSAT organized a debriefing meeting to bring together public health officials, epidemiologists, clinicians, community outreach workers, regulatory and law enforcement officials, data analysts, and policymakers to analyze the response of Federal, State, county, and local agencies to the overdose epidemic, and to identify practices that ought to be incorporated in future readiness planning. The “Consultation and Debriefing Meeting on the Response to Fentanyl-Related Overdoses and Deaths – Lessons for Dealing with Future Outbreaks” met August 28th and 29th in Washington, DC. http://dpt.samhsa.gov/pdf/dearcolleague/DearColleagueLetterSundayHolidayTH_012408.pdf Thu, 4 Apr 2008 12:00:00 EST The purpose of this letter is to restate the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) policy for unsupervised medication take-home doses when the opioid treatment program (OTP) is closed for business, including Sundays and Federal and State holidays. http://dpt.samhsa.gov/pdf/dearcolleague/DearColleagueLetterSundayHolidayTH_012408.pdf Mon, 28 Jan 2008 12:00:00 EST On December 11,2007, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) released an Advisory Notice reporting that as of January 1,2008, the distribution of methadone hydrochloride tablets, 40 mg (dispersible), will be limited to facilities authorized for detoxification and maintenance treatment of opioid addiction. This dosage formulation will no longer be distributed to retail pharmacies. (see http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/pubs/pressrel/methadoneadvisory.htm). Methadone hydrochloride tablet, 40 mg (dispersible), is also known by the tradename Disket®. http://dpt.samhsa.gov/pdf/dearcolleague/Dear Colleague_121207.pdf Fri, 14 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST U.S. Dept of Justice, Drug Intelligence Center publication. This assessment analyzes the increase in methadone-related deaths since the late 1990s, the increase in legitimately prescribed and disbursed methadone, and the thefts and increased availability of diverted methadone. http://www.usdoj.gov/ndic/pubs25/25930/index.htm Wed, 12 Dec 2007 17:00:00 EST The report presents the findings of an assessment of existing State Controlled Substance Monitoring Programs (CSMPs) and other information related to the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting Act of 2005 (NASPER; Public Law 109-60), which provides for the establishment of a CSMP in each State. http://www.dpt.samhsa.gov/doc/NASPER%2009142007.doc Fri, 14 Sep 2007 14:00:00 EST Portland, Maine: United States Attorney Paula D. Silsby today announced a civil settlement with CAP Quality Care, Inc ("CAP"), of Westbrook, Maine. As part of the settlement, CAP paid $1 million to settle the civil litigation brought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. http://www.dpt.samhsa.gov/pdf/20070905_cap_quality_care_settlement.pdf Wed, 5 Sep 2007 13:00:00 EST SAMHSA, in a collaborative process involving expert panels, field reviews, and clearances from other Federal agencies and the Office of Management and Budget, has promulgated guidelines for the accreditation of opioid treatment programs. The Guidelines for the Accreditation of Opioid Treatment Programs, first released in 1999, provide direction to accreditation organizations and opioid treatment programs on achieving conformance with the Federal Opioid Treatment Standards in Federal Regulation 42 CFR Part 8. CSAT is committed to Good Guideline Practices, and such practices include periodic review and update of guidelines as evidence and experiences associated with best practices advance. As such, CSAT announced the availability of the revised draft Guidelines for the Accreditation of Opioid Treatment Programs in the Federal Register of Monday, May 15, 2006. The notice provided information on how to obtain the draft and submit comments. A 60-day comment period concluded on July 14, 2006. CSAT completed a careful review and consideration of all of comments received, and released the final revised Guidelines for the Accreditation of Opioid Treatment Programs on the DPT Website on August 9, 2007. http://www.dpt.samhsa.gov/regulations/accreditation.aspx Thu, 9 Aug 2007 16:00:00 EST On July 20, 2007, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Center for Substance Abuse Treatment convened a meeting to reassess Methadone-associated mortality in response to the growing public health concern regarding the diversion, abuse, and deaths associated with Methadone. http://dpt.samhsa.gov/medications/methadonemortality2007/meeting.aspx Fri, 20 Jul 2007 14:00:00 EST The Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-469, ONDCPRA), has modified the restriction on the number of patients a physician authorized under the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) may treat. Under DATA 2000, physicians were restricted to treating no more than 30 patients at any one time. http://www.usability.gov/refine/UTEfactsheet.html Fri, 5 Jan 2007 16:00:00 EST