Spectrum News published a segment the week of 1/14/2019 on the recent reduction in Guilford County deaths by opioid overdose. In the piece, Spectrum interviewed Clinical Supervisor Les Quagliano of Alcohol and Drug Services to gain more information on the role that medication plays in the treatment process. Narcan and buprenorphine were highlighted. While deaths

WSOC-TV has published a segment on NC Attorney General Josh Stein who is aiming for additional funding to address the ongoing opioid crisis. Mr. Stein indicates that there are simply not enough treatment centers across the state of North Carolina to adequately meet the needs of those addicted to opioids. The Hope Act is a

The New Yorker has published a fascinating, in-depth article on how the Sackler family (owners of Perdue Pharmaceutical) made billions of dollars selling Oxycontin throughout America. While effective pain management was, and is, a very important medical consideration, scores of people were introduced to a drug that was heralded as relatively “safe”, but which opened

Finally, it seems there is growing momentum for the utilization of medications in treating opioid addiction. The commissioner of the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), Scott Gottlieb, has expressed an intent for the FDA to leverage the use of medications to treat opioid addiction in America. The list of medications include methadone, buprenorphine, and

An overview: Methadone and Suboxone are the two leading medications used in the treatment of opioid addiction. Methadone has been utilized in opioid treatment in the United States since the late 1960’s. Suboxone was introduced in 2002. Methadone and suboxone are in widespread use around the world due to their proven benefit in the treatment

Celebrate Life By Coming Together is a free family event open to the public. This event will remember, celebrate, empower, and encourage the loved ones of those impacted by overdose; support those who are in recovery from substance use; and give hope to the community. This event will have food, bounce houses, games, resource tables,

North Carolina has an informative website which addresses the rising opioid problem. The address is GovernorsInstitute.org and this site highlights the issue of opioid use and misuse in the United States. Mentioned there is that 998 North Carolinians died of opioid overdose in 2015. The Governors Institute offers guidelines on opioid prescribing and also focuses

Like most every place in the United States, the state of Colorado is also experiencing a local opioid crisis. In Denver, many people are in search of opioid treatment. In the video linked here, Denver Health is profiled as an area methadone clinic that is presently treating 600 patients who had developed severe opioid addiction.

Last month, the President and CEO of Partnership for Drug-Free Kids sent President Trump a letter requesting special funding to address the national opioid addiction & overdose crisis. Marcia Lee Taylor asked that the Trump Administration make this problem a priority and work with educators, healthcare providers, and governmental officials to draft policy solutions that

The Pew Charitable Trusts published a video overview on medication-assisted therapy for opioid use disorder. The clip is less than 2 minutes (shown below), and offers a quick summary of the medications often used in treating opioid addiction. Opioid use disorder is highlighted as a complex brain disease. Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) combines medication + behavioral