Putting Money Behind Addiction Treatment Programs Won’t Do Much Good Without Trained Professionals
“Until the number of people providing services increase, all you’re doing is creating a backlog,” said Andrew Kessler, who runs the behavioral health policy consulting firm Slingshot Solutions. In other news on the crisis: "Penny-a-pill" legislation faces strong opposition from drugmakers; cooking classes aim to help those in recovery; a study looks at how the epidemic affects black adults; and a look at how to survive addiction.
CQ:
Addiction Workforce Needs Remain Amid Opioid Spending Boost
The recently enacted 2018 omnibus spending bill contains billions in federal funds to address opioid abuse, including a long-sought change to a health workforce development program that has thrilled the addiction treatment community. But as the praise rolls in for the lawmakers who fought for that money, advocates say only repeated and sustained investments of this magnitude will help slow the drug overdose crisis that took more than 63,000 lives in 2016. (Siddons, 3/30)
Minnesota Public Radio:
'Penny-A-Pill' Funding Fades Under Pressure From Pharmaceutical Industry
When supporters rolled out what they called "penny-a-pill" legislation last month, they described it as a bipartisan effort to raise needed money to combat the opioid overdose epidemic that claimed hundreds of lives in Minnesota last year. But the legislation faces an uncertain future after strong opposition from pharmaceutical companies and some business interests. (Collins, 3/30)
The Associated Press:
Cooking Classes Aim To Restore Health After Addiction
At Boston Medical Center, patients recovering from addiction are getting healthier one slab, stick and cube at a time. For years, the hospital has offered cooking classes tailored to specific medical conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, and it runs a food pantry for low-income patients who are prescribed fresh food as part of their treatments. The newest class is "Cooking for Recovery" and is part of a growing trend toward taking a more comprehensive approach to treating addiction. (Ramer, 4/1)
Health News Florida:
UCF Researchers Look At Opioid Abuse In Black Adults
A new study out of the University of Central Florida finds opioid abuse equally affects whites and blacks even though it is often portrayed as a white, rural epidemic. UCF doctoral student Harvey Nicholson was searching through data on opioid abuse when he realized that he couldn’t find anything on how the epidemic was affecting black adults. (Welch, 3/30)
California Healthline:
Staying Alive: How To Fight An Opioid Addiction
Rule No. 1: Stay alive. If you or a loved one wants to beat an opioid addiction, first make sure you have a handy supply of naloxone, a medication that can reverse an overdose and save your life. “Friends and families need to keep naloxone with them,” says Dr. David Kan, an addiction medicine specialist in Walnut Creek who is president of the California Society of Addiction Medicine. “People using opioids should keep it with them, too.” (Bazar, 3/30)
