Increase Access to Buprenorphine, Senators Urge Federal Officials
/By Join Together Staff
June 19th, 2014/
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Two U.S. senators this week urged federal officials to expand access to buprenorphine to treat heroin and painkiller addiction.

Buprenorphine helps control drug cravings and withdrawal symptoms, but remains underused a decade after it was approved, the Associated Press reports. It can be prescribed as a take-home medicine, unlike methadone, which must be administered in a clinic. Buprenorphine has a lower risk of overdose and milder side effects, the article notes.

Federal law restricts buprenorphine prescribing, and insurance coverage of the treatment is inconsistent, according to the AP.

“We’ve heard remarkable stories of success with buprenorphine treatment, of lives saved and families rebuilt from the ravages of addiction,” Senator Carl Levin of Michigan said in a news release. “But we have also heard stories of frustration at the fact that many patients want this treatment but can’t get it, and we need to remove those hurdles.”

In 2000, Levin and Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah sponsored the Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA 2000), which made it legal for doctors to prescribe buprenorphine for up to 30 patients at a time in their offices. The Food and Drug Administration approved the drug’s use in 2002. Subsequently, the patient limit was raised to 100.

Senators Levin and Hatch hosted a forum Wednesday to examine impediments that prevent greater access to buprenorphine, and to explore changes that could help expand access. The American Society of Addiction Medicine has proposed raising the patient limit to as high as 500 for doctors who complete 40 hours of training, the article notes.

Some federal officials said they do not want to raise the patient limit because buprenorphine can be abused. Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, said buprenorphine overdoses are common in Europe, where the drug is more available. Raising the patient limit could lead to buprenorphine “pill mills,” some officials noted at the forum.

Treatments for Heroin Addiction Face Challenges, Experts Say
/By Join Together Staff
June 19th, 2014/
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A number of challenges stand in the way of successful treatment for heroin addiction, experts tell The Courier-Journal. The public must demand a better system for addiction treatment, they say.

Research-based best practices for treating addiction are not standard, as they are for other chronic illnesses, addiction expert A. Thomas McLellan told the newspaper. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, says the stigma of drug addiction has impeded development and investment in new treatments. Federal spending on addiction research was $320 million last year, about the same as 2002 when adjusted for inflation.

According to the NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, only about 10 percent of Americans who are dependent on heroin or prescription drugs receive treatment.

Traditionally, drug use was treated with group counseling and therapies, peer pressure and peer-oriented counseling, said Mady Chalk, formerly of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Treatment has often consisted of programs such as Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous, which promote abstinence. “This idea that you can go in (to treatment) and come out the other end like you come out of a washing machine and you’re squeaky clean — now abstinent for the rest of your life — it doesn’t work that way,” she said. “Success doesn’t happen for a very long time. (You need) five years of monitoring and family intervention, then let’s talk about what you mean by success.”

Melinda Campopiano, Medical Officer for the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at SAMHSA, says while abstinence is the ultimate goal, medicines to treat addiction such as methadone, Suboxone and Vivitrol can help. “Your number-one goal is to keep this person alive. The odds of them dying in their uncontrolled addiction is very high,” she said.

While research indicates medication-assisted treatment results in better recovery rates, people addicted to drugs who are in the criminal justice system often are denied such treatment, the article notes.

Safety Warnings About Antidepressants Linked With Increase in Suicide Attempts
/By Join Together Staff
June 19th, 2014/


After health officials warned antidepressant use could lead to an increased risk of suicidal thoughts among young people, there was a rise in suicide attempts in this age group, according to a new study.

Doctors may have avoided prescribing antidepressants after media reports of the warnings by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Reuters reports. This could have led to an increase in depressed children and teens who were untreated, the researchers report in BMJ.

“This study is a one of the first to directly measure a health outcome driven by the interaction of public policy and mass media,” lead author Christine Lu of Harvard Medical School said in a news release. “The FDA, the media and physicians need to find better ways to work together to ensure that patients get the medication that they need, while still being protected from potential risks.”

In 2004, the FDA required warnings about the link between antidepressants and an increased risk of suicidal thoughts and behaviors in children and teens to be printed on antidepressant drug labels. The warnings were expanded in 2007 to include young adults. Previous research indicated use of antidepressants decreased after the warnings were issued, but other treatments for depression, such as therapy, did not increase.

The new study looked at data from healthcare organizations that provide care to about 10 million people. They found after the warnings were issued, use of antidepressants fell 31 percent among teens, 24 percent among young adults and 15 percent among adults.

During the same period, there was an increase in the number of teens and young adults who received medical care for overdosing on psychiatric medications, which the researchers said indicated an increase in suicide attempts. These overdoses rose by 22 percent among teens and 34 percent among young adults. There was no change among adults, and no change in completed suicides.

FDA Wants Drug Companies to Tweet Medication Risks Along With Benefits
/By Join Together Staff
June 19th, 2014/
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has proposed social media guidelines that would require drug companies using Twitter to include the risks of their products along with benefits.

Experts said the guidelines would make it almost impossible for companies to tweet about the most commonly prescribed drugs.

All tweets would have to include the most serious risks associated with a drug, including those known to be fatal or life-threatening, according to ABC News. All side effects and warnings printed on approved product labeling would also have to be included, and the company would have to include links to more information about the drug’s risks and benefits. The guidelines, if approved, would go into effect in 90 days.

In the guidelines, the FDA offered a sample tweet for a fictional drug named NoFocus: “NoFocus (rememberine HCl) for mild to moderate memory loss-May cause seizures in patients with a seizure disorder www.nofocus.com/risk.”

Pfizer, which makes the erectile dysfunction drug Viagra, would have to include nine potentially serious side effects. The drug also has nine potentially dangerous interactions with other medications. There are at least 14 health conditions for which Viagra is not recommended for safety reasons.

“They wouldn’t be able to do it,” said Thomas Sullivan, editor of the Policy and Medicine blog for Rockpointe, a Maryland-based medical education company. “You’re not fitting that into 140 characters.” He added, “The FDA isn’t necessarily up on the realities of social media.”

JUNE 19 v 20 TWELVE STEPPING WITH POWER IN THE PROVERB
 

Listen to advice and accept discipline,
and at the end you will be counted among the wise.

STEP 10 Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

In the end how will your obituary read . Place    your name and                     on June 19 went to be with the devil .They have left behind a legacy of addiction cheating stealing lieing sorrow and suffering . The family is glad they are dead there loved one was a real  A hole and just mean too everybody .There is not a single person who will say different. Is this how you will be remembered ? The only way to find out what people will say is ask them and for those still using don't bother we already know what they will say .
 

Romans 1 :32 - Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
By Joseph Dickerson

 School Nurses Know that It’s Time for Students to Make “Smart Moves, Smart Choices”
/By Mary Louise Embrey
June 18th, 2014/
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During my many years of working in the substance abuse field, I have seen the rise and fall of many different trends. In recent years, teen prescription (Rx) drug abuse has been of significant concern. The trend towards Rx drug abuse has been supported by national data sources indicating that one in four high school students has taken a prescription medication that was not prescribed for them by a doctor, and more teens abuse prescription drugs than illegal drugs, with the exception of marijuana.

In my work with the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), I have been fortunate to assist school nurses in responding to the concern of Rx drug abuse impacting students. In 2007, NASN and Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc., teamed up to create Smart Moves, Smart Choices (SMSC). As an effort to raise national awareness, the SMSC initiative has been informing parents, teens, and educators about teen prescription drug abuse and its serious risks. Smart Moves, Smart Choices features a website and educational videos. The multi-faceted initiative also offers a tool kit that enables educators to hold school assemblies about teen prescription drug abuse in their communities.

When working on the development of SMSC materials and delving into what school nurses were seeing with regards to Rx drug abuse, I spoke with Beth Mattey, a Delaware school nurse and NASN President-Elect. She shared, “In my practice as a high school nurse, I am well aware of the choices students must make on a daily basis. The reality is that our youth face the availability of all types of substances. The presence of responsible adults with positive messages and support is critical for helping students navigate safely into adulthood.”

More and more schools and parents are recognizing that school nurses are critical prevention agents in schools. Their education and assessment skills provide them with an added advantage in addressing substance-related issues. In addition, school nurses are often considered the most trusted school professional, and they have a better than average understanding of student behaviors and culture due to their daily interactions with students outside of the classroom. Often the school nurse will be the first person to identify when a student may potentially have a problem with prescription drugs.

Having access to the free-of-charge resource of Smart Moves, Smart Choices over the last several years has made a positive impact on students and their families throughout the country. School nurses and other specialized instructional support personnel (school social workers, psychologists, counselors, etc.) have taken the lead to implement the various components of the initiative. Awareness has been raised about the serious health problem related to the misuse and abuse of prescription medication among teens; and practical resource information has been provided. The recognized myths and misconceptions about prescription drug use are now being discussed in strategic ways and students and their families are learning how the abuse of prescription drugs can impact judgment and decision making. The message is being relayed that the misuse and abuse of prescription drugs can lead to risky behaviors; and can result in addiction, serious health issues and in some cases, death. Additionally, the fact that mixing prescription drugs with alcohol can be deadly is explained through the SMSC materials.

New Additions to the Smart Moves, Smart Choices Initiative
Animated Video About Teen Prescription Drug Abuse

The video entitled “Choices” depicts the serious decisions faced by teens, including whether or not to abuse prescription drugs.
Start Smart Elementary School Tools

These materials are designed to be used by educators in the elementary school setting to raise children’s awareness of safe and proper use of medicines.

Everyone who wants to learn more about prescription drug abuse and access free-of-charge prevention materials designed to reach elementary and secondary students and their families are encouraged to go to www.SmartMovesSmartChoices.org. Without age appropriate factual information and prevention messages, young people will draw their own uninformed conclusions which often lead to negative consequences.

Going back to a practicing school nurse to determine the usefulness of Rx drug abuse prevention materials, Beth Mattey further explained, “School nurses appreciate the comprehensive resources brought to them through the work of NASN and Janssen. Many of our nurses stand ready to put them to good use. They know that the time has never been more right to encourage young people to make smart moves and smart choices!”



Mary Louise Embrey began working in the substance abuse field in 1974 at the National Institute on Drug Abuse. After her retirement from federal service, she became the first director of government affairs for the National Association of School Nurses (NASN), and currently serves as NASN’s substance abuse prevention consultant.