National Alliance for Medication Assisted Recovery - NAMA Recovery

From the May 27, 2024 issue of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Weekly (ADAW):
“We are not head of cattle. No one treatment system or type of program owns us.”
-Anita Kennedy upon accepting the 2024 Richard Lane & Robert Holden Patient Advocacy Award from AATOD

Congratulations to Anita Kennedy, the 2024 Recipient of AATOD’s Richard Lane & Robert Holden Advocacy Award!

Non-medication-based treatments for opioid use disorder may be more harmful than no treatment at all, a new Yale study finds.

Treating opioid disorder without meds more harmful than no treatment at all

About one-third of Medicaid enrollees with opioid use disorder (OUD) in 2021 did not receive treatment that included one of the 3 FDA-approved medications for OUD.

Report Shows Discrepancies in MOUD Utilization Among Medicaid Enrollees About one-third of Medicaid enrollees with opioid use disorder in 2021 did not receive treatment, and certain demographic groups were disproportionately impacted, according to a recent HHS report. Medication Treatments News

DEA Explains MATE Act Training Requirements for ALL Prescribers with a DEA Registration

MATE Act Training Requirements (June 2023) As Congressionally-mandated, medical practitioners have a new role to help patients fighting to sustain recovery and prevent opioid overdoses. All medial reg...

Could loosening restrictions around prescribing improve treatment for patients with substance use disorder?

Addiction Doc Urges Lawmakers to Rethink Methadone Prescribing Restrictions Su***de prevention in traumatic brain injury survivors also on the docket during hearing

“NAMA Recovery appreciates Senators Markey and Paul and Representatives Norcross and Bacon for prioritizing the diverse experiences and perspectives of patients who take methadone for opioid use disorder (OUD) in their legislation. Patients deserve options beyond an opioid treatment program (OTP). We must streamline access to methadone, without compromising patient safety, especially in areas where OTPs do not exist. The intent of the M-OTAA is consistent with NAMA Recovery’s long-held position that all patients with OUD deserve access to knowledgeable clinicians. Under the M-OTAA, only OTP clinicians and/or physicians who are board certified in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry would have authority to prescribe methadone for OUD, and we trust that SAMHSA and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) will consider all nuances carefully in rulemaking or other guidance that would follow the M-OTAA’s enactment.”

PRESS RELEASE: https://namarecovery.org/asam-and-nama-recovery-applaud-introduction-of-m-otaa/

ASAM and NAMA Recovery Applaud Introduction of the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act The bipartisan, bicameral legislation would expand access to methadone for the treatment of opioid use disorder.

Public Comments on the Proposed Revised Federal Rules for Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs), and thus regulatory methadone reform, are due by 11:59pm Eastern on Tuesday, 02/14/23!

COMMENTING GUIDE: https://namarecovery.org/public-comments-on-new-methadone-regulations/

Call for Public Comments on new Federal Regulations for MOUD NAMA Recovery provides a commenting guide and calls on stakeholders to file comments in the federal register on proposed revisions to methadone regulations.

Patient privacy rights pertaining to substance use disorder ( ) information help open the door to life-saving addiction treatment, helping to promote trust and better outcomes. Don’t believe the hype that insurance companies know better than patients about who needs access to their private health information! Learn why SUD is such a crucial issue in NAMA Recovery's public comments to HHS on proposed revisions to SUD protections here:
https://namarecovery.org/public-comments-on-confidentiality-proposed-rule/

NAMA Recovery submits public comments to HHS on confidentiality. Aligning 42 CFR Part 2 (the federal regulations governing SUD treatment records) with HIPAA will not only discourage people from entering life-saving addiction treatment, but it will also put patients at risk of arrest, prosecution, incarceration, and discrimination based on their past substance use...

SAMHSA Applauds Expansion of Access to MOUD

SAMHSA Applauds Expansion of Access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) applauds provisions included in the 2023 Consolidated Appropriations Act (P.L. 117-328) that will significantly expand access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD). The act, signed into law by President Biden on Dec. 29, 2...

Supporters claim the powerfully hallucinogenic tree-bark derivative can break the cycle of and eliminate .

Ibogaine: I Tried the Psychedelic Anti-Addiction Drug Supporters claim the powerfully hallucinogenic tree-bark derivative can break the cycle of addiction and eliminate withdrawal.

Addiction Treatment Forum highlights the Awards at the recent AATOD Conference, including the Richard Lane/Robert Holden MOUD Patient Advocacy Award

Awards at AATOD: Patient Advocacy and More - Addiction Treatment Forum The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) recognized contributions to treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) with nine awards to individuals nominated and selected by their peers. The Nyswander/Dole award, named for the doctors who created methadone as a treatment for....

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New CDC opioid guidelines emphasize flexibility in treating pain — STAT New CDC guidelines on opioid prescribing say that people with pain need individualized care, and that prescribers need to calibrate opioid doses and timeframes to meet a patient’s needs.

Congratulations on an Award well deserved, Sara Gefvert!

Read more: https://namarecovery.org/2022-lane-holden-award-winner/

Congratulations, Sara!!!

Congratulations to Sara Gefvert, the 2022 Lane/Holden Award Winner! - NAMA Recovery The 2022 Richard Lane/Robert Holden Patient Advocacy Award has been awarded to Sara E. Gefvert of Pennsylvania.

Registration is open for the 2022 Certified MAT Advocate (CMA) Training course! This year's training course will be held on Sunday 10/30/2022 in Baltimore, MD!

Register for the 2022 Certified MAT Advocate Training Course! The 2022 Certified MAT Advocate training course will be held on Sunday, October 30, 2022, in Baltimore!

September is National Recovery Month.

NAMA Recovery observes International Overdose Awareness Day today, and we pledge to continue our efforts to expand access to quality, comprehensive and treatment until every individual with OUD has access to treatment on demand.

Higher doses of methadone, buprenorphine, and naloxone called for in fentanyl era - Addiction Treatment Forum An August 7 story by NBC news entitled “Once feared, illicit fentanyl is now a drug of choice for many opioid users,” focused on the need for higher doses of opioid agonists to treat these patients, as well as higher doses of naloxone to reverse overdoses. Fentanyl is a very potent opioid, and i...

CODAC’s Mobile Medical Unit is First to be Approved Under New DEA Regulations

➡️ https://lnkd.in/gdXM8WNH 🎉

“Access to care is more important than ever amid our soaring overdose rates,” stated Linda Hurley, President/CEO of CODAC. “This mobile medical unit will allow us to face that challenge, both geographically and demographically. It will allow us to bring treatment to individuals struggling with addiction and literally meet them where they are -- in the places where that treatment is most needed.”

CODAC Announces Mobile Medical Unit Able to Dispense Methadone as Part of Full MAT CRANSTON, R.I. (PRWEB) July 18, 2022 -- CODAC’s Mobile Medical Unit is First to be Approved Under New DEA Regulations

In a collaborative effort, researchers at NIDA & the CDC found that despite expanded access to take home doses to treat opioid use disorder at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the percentage of methadone-involved overdose deaths relative to all drug deaths declined from January 2019 to August 2021. The findings, published in JAMA Psychiatry, indicate that broader access to treatment was not associated with harms.

Read more: https://loom.ly/woI5rNs

Percentage of overdose deaths involving methadone declined between January 2019 and August 2021 | National Institute on Drug Abuse National data indicate COVID-era treatment expansion was not associated with harms

There’s only a week and a day left for nominations for the 2022 Lane-Holden Advocacy Award!

Nominations Open for the 2022 Richard Lane/Robert Holden Advocacy Award! - NAMA Recovery The Lane-Holden Award recognizes extraordinary achievements in methadone and buprenorphine patient advocacy.

This is why we need the Opioid Treatment Access Act ( ), spearheaded by Rep. Donald Norcross, Senator Rand Paul, & Senator Edward J. Markey!

Faces & Voices of Recovery, American Society of Addiction Medicine - ASAM, Young People in Recovery, Shatterproof, The Kennedy Forum, American Medical Association

Read more: https://www.healio.com/news/primary-care/20220524/medication-for-opioid-use-disorder-less-accessible-in-rural-counties

Mental health and addiction care is a medical necessity, but over 16 million US adults don’t receive the treatment they need. Holding insurers accountable will help to change that. Wit v. United Behavioral Health must be reheard!

Equal mental health insurance coverage elusive despite legal guarantee Unequal insurance coverage is widely considered one of the major causes of the mental health crisis facing the United States.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), is announcing a State Opioid Response (SOR) grant funding opportunity that will provide nearly $1.5 billion to states and territories to help address the Nation’s opioid addiction and overdose epidemic.

Biden Administration Announces $1.5 Billion Funding Opportunity for State Opioid Response Grant Program Funding for States and Territories Will Help Address the Nation’s Overdose Epidemic

ONDCP Releases Plan to Address Health and Safety Concerns

ONDCP Releases Plan to Address Methamphetamine Health and Safety Concerns | The White House During Trip to San Diego, Dr. Gupta Announces New Plan Outlining Evidence-Based Public Health and Safety Actions to Reduce Supply and Save Lives SAN

The U.S. has surpassed 1 million overdose deaths. Join with NAMA Recovery, American Society of Addiction Medicine - ASAM, Shatterproof, Faces & Voices of Recovery, Young People in Recovery, The Kennedy Forum, and numerous other medical and recovery groups in calling on Congress to pass the bi-partisan, bi-cameral Opioid Treatment Access Act!

‘Completely devastating’: US passes 1m overdose deaths since records began — The Guardian 2021 was a record year for overdose deaths with an estimated 107,622, CDC says, an increase of 15% from the previous year

DOJ publishes guidance on Opioid Use Disorder and the Americans with Disabilities Act

DOJ publishes guidance on Opioid Use Disorder and the Americans with Disabilities Act - NAMA Recovery DOJ issues guidance providing information about how the ADA can protect individuals with OUD from discrimination—an important part of combating the opioid epidemic across American communities.

Denying a Nurse licensure because he/she/they happen to be an individual who takes a FDA-approved medication for OUD violates federal law! Many thanks to United States Department of Justice for their efforts to ensure Title II of the ADA holds firm!

Justice Department Finds that Indiana State Nursing Board Discriminates Against People with Opioid Use Disorder Department of Justice U.S. Attorney’s Office Southern District of Indiana FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, March 25, 2022 Justice Department Finds that Indiana State Nursing Board Discriminates Against People with Opioid Use Disorder INDIANAPOLIS – Today, the Justice Department found that the India...

“The research found that, overwhelmingly, methadone was associated with the lowest risk of treatment discontinuation, followed by buprenorphine, then naltrexone.”

Study: Methadone most effective drug in medication-assisted treatment for opioid-use disorder Medications for opioid-use disorder (OUD) are associated with lower death rates and improved quality of life for people in recovery. But which of the