Friday, November 30, 2012
Number of NFL Players Testing Positive for Amphetamines Has Increased
By Join Together Staff | November 29, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Prescription Drugs
The number of NFL players who are testing positive for amphetamines such as Adderall has increased, according to the Associated Press. More than 10 players suspended for failing drug tests since the start of last season have blamed Adderall.
NFL Senior Vice President Adolpho Birch told the AP the number of positive tests for amphetamines has increased. The league does not identify what substance a player tested positive for when he is penalized, the article notes. This means players can blame Adderall even if they tested positive for steroids or another stimulant.
Birch said that because many college students use Adderall as a study aid, players are used to relying on the pills as a stimulant. “It’s not a secret that it’s a societal trend,” he noted. “I think we’re starting to see some of the effects of that trend.”
Football players who are diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder can apply for an exemption that allows them to use Adderall. Several players who tested positive for the drug said they had a prescription, but did not receive an exemption.
Adderall “would absolutely give you a competitive advantage. Fatigue, focus, concentration, maybe aggression,” said Dr. Michael Joyner, a sports physiologist and anesthesiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. “And if they were using it during training, the ability to train harder, longer, the ability to have fewer bad days.”
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Canada Allows Six Generic Drug Makers to Produce Oxycodone
By Join Together Staff | November 28, 2012 | 1 Comment | Filed in Government & Prescription Drugs
The Canadian government has given approval to six generic drug companies to manufacture oxycodone products. The Canadian health minister had been under pressure to forbid the generic version of OxyContin because of concerns about widespread abuse of the painkiller, CBC reports.
Canadian Health Minister Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq said the drug is safe and effective when used as prescribed, the article notes. Last week, she announced drug manufacturers and pharmacists will be required to report spikes in sales, or changes in distribution patterns, in an effort to curb prescription drug abuse. The government also is requiring drug companies that manufacture oxycodone products to provide better education for healthcare professionals and the public about the potential risks of the drug.
The Associated Press reports Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock sent a letter to Aglukkaq asking the Canadian government to reconsider its decision, which he said will make oxycodone easier to abuse.
Bullock pointed out features that OxyContin’s manufacturer, Purdue Pharma, had included to make the drug harder to abuse will not be included in generic versions.
“Studies have shown that the tamper-resistant changes OxyContin manufacturers have made to the drug have resulted in less abuse among addicts,” Bullock wrote. “I have concerns that allowing easier-to-abuse oxycodone in Canada could undo some of the work that both Canadian and U.S. government and community leaders have accomplished in combating this epidemic.”
The AP notes officials in Canada’s provinces and aboriginal communities are also concerned about abuse, particularly in rural areas.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Expanding Your Recovery Toolkit” Workshop Dec. 18 in Doylestown
CALENDAR LISTING:
“Expanding Your Recovery Toolkit” Workshop Dec. 18 in Doylestown
Free monthly workshop series for individuals and families with a current or pastdrug/alcohol addiction issue. Next session meets Tues., Dec. 18, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, Inc., 252 W. Swamp Rd., Unit 12, Doylestown, Pa. Topics include using yoga and meditation to battle drug addiction; how addiction differs from other diseases; and a group participation period on a day in the life of a heroin addict. Refreshments. To register, call 215-345-6644 or email JSchwartz@councilsepa.org.
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Commentary: Research on Recovery Residences is Critical
By TRI_Amy A. Mericle PhD_Jennifer Miles BA_John Cacciola PhD | November 27, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Community Related, Recovery & Research
For many in recovery, hard-fought gains are often jeopardized by precarious living arrangements or untenable housing. Recovery residences, like recovery homes, sober living houses, and Oxford HousesTM represent an important component in the continuum of care for substance use disorders. Unfortunately, recovery residences, particularly recovery homes, are understudied in scientific literature and are often regarded with skepticism by community members. Without published research, licensed professionals, policymakers and potential funders will continue to question the legitimacy of recovery residences and peer-based recovery.
With funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Health, scientists at the Treatment Research Institute seek to fill this critical gap in the literature by studying recovery homes in Philadelphia. The city is ideal to study recovery homes because it has a high concentration: more than 250 privately funded recovery homes, 18 homes that receive funding from Philadelphia’s Office of Addiction Services (OAS), and several others that receive funding through SAMHSA’s Access to Recovery program.
Although data collection has been underway for only a few months, several important themes have emerged:
1. Recovery home operators are willing to participate in research. Despite the unpredictable nature of their busy schedules, site contacts have been extremely accommodating and have graciously welcomed research staff into their homes. They understand the necessity of research data in promoting the legitimacy of recovery homes and peer-based recovery.
2. Although site contacts have been welcoming and supportive of this research, we have encountered barriers because there is no central registry of recovery homes, and the recovery home landscape in Philadelphia changes frequently with homes closing and opening, or changing names, ownership or target population.
3. Despite not being considered formal “treatment providers,” recovery homes operate in a highly structured and therapeutically oriented manner. These homes have a number of rules and expectations for residents, and provide basic as well as a variety of recovery-oriented services, all at a modest cost to residents. All of the homes interviewed performed drug testing, and over half mandated involvement in AA/NA and/or substance abuse treatment. Residents had curfews, were expected to do chores and typically lived in shared sleeping quarters.
4. Although site contacts were stoic in discussing the challenges they face, many cited stigma from the community as a hindrance to home operation. To counter this stigma, many of the homes participated in community engagement activities, (e.g., litter abatement), which they felt fostered good neighbor practices and positively affected the attitudes of surrounding neighbors. Financial hardship was also cited as an impediment, but most operators found ways to overcome these obstacles, and remained hopeful in continuing to run their homes.
5. Finally, recovery home operators do what they do to help others in recovery, which often comes from a very personal place. Although they had varying levels of education and came from diverse professional backgrounds, nearly all were in recovery themselves. Often having come through the home they now operate, site contacts mentioned a sense of dedication to the program, stating “[t]his place saved my life.”
The findings from this study are preliminary, but we hope this work will raise awareness about the potentially critical role of recovery homes in meeting the needs of those in recovery and lead to future research. It is important to learn how these residences promote recovery and where they fit in the continuum of care for substance use disorders, and to identify factors that contribute to their sustainability. Data on the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness may allow us to say more about the essential services and value these homes provide to supporting those in recovery.
Amy A. Mericle, PhD, Jennifer Miles, BA, & John Cacciola, PhD
The writers are researchers in the Center on the Continuum of Care at the Philadelphia-based Treatment Research Institute (TRI), an independent, non-profit research and development organization dedicated to developing evidence-based solutions to the problems of substance use affecting families, schools, businesses, courts and healthcare.
Tuesday, November 27, 2012
Detox Center Can Be As Good As Emergency Room for Some Drunk Patients
By Join Together Staff | November 26, 2012 | Leave a comment | Filed in Alcohol, Research & Treatment
Some inebriated people picked up by emergency medical service ambulance crews can be treated effectively at a detoxification center, instead of an emergency room (ER), according to a new study. Increasing the use of such centers could reduce costs and lessen crowding of emergency rooms, the researchers note.
“Widespread use of this type of protocol has the potential to provide significant financial savings for the U.S. health care system,” lead author David Ross said in a news release. “This population is very frequently transported to the ER by EMS or police, consuming a disproportionate share of resources and contributing to ER overcrowding. A detoxification center is a good alternative to the ER for certain intoxicated patients who just need an appropriately staffed facility to ‘dry out.’ Our research suggests that EMS personnel can identify patients who are safe for this alternative destination.”
The researchers estimate that in 2004, ER visits by people whose only medical issue was inebriation cost about $900 million, Reuters reports.
Ross and colleagues created a checklist with 29 yes-or-no questions for ambulance crews. These questions included whether the patient is cooperating with the ambulance worker’s exam, and if the patient is willing to go to the detox center. If the ambulance worker checked “no” on any question, the patient was sent to the ER.
The researchers evaluated the outcome of 718 inebriated patients transported by ambulance workers who used the checklist.
The workers brought 138 to detox centers, and the rest went to the local ER. The detox center had a 24-hour nurse and technicians, who could consult by phone with a physician’s assistant and a psychiatrist. They found four patients at the detox center were taken to the ER because of minor complications, but no serious complications were reported.
The findings are published in Annals of Emergency Medicine.
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