Last year, California was the first state to receive approval from the Biden administration to include sobriety payments in Medicaid, helping pave the way for contingency management (CM) programs for people with stimulant use disorder. The program was piloted as part of an extensive healthcare initiative led by Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom. This initiative aims
AvertD, a genetic test designed to detect which people are at heightened risk of opioid use disorder (OUD), has sparked controversy within medical circles. Despite its recent approval by the FDA, a coalition of 31 healthcare professionals and researchers is urging a reconsideration of its validity and potential implications. They say the test causes false
Tianeptine, also called gas station heroin, is an unapproved antidepressant masquerading as a dietary supplement in the U.S., posing significant risks, including addiction, severe withdrawal symptoms, and potentially fatal outcomes. Marketed as a dietary aid for energy and focus, this substance carries risks far beyond its promises. What Is Tianeptine? Tianeptine was originally an antidepressant
Nifoxipam is a benzodiazepine that has made its way to social media and other venues that sell drugs. It's a chemical relative of flunitrazepam, a "designer" benzo drug often sold online as a research chemical. (Flunitrazepam is also called the "date rape drug" and is legally prescribed as Rohypnol.) Nifoxipam is a powerful hypnotic that
Far too few people are getting the benefit of Medication-Assisted Treatment in America, even though the FDA considers it the gold standard for people with opioid use disorder. While stigma still creates barriers within the medical system, pharmacists may play a unique role in helping access life-changing medications such as Suboxone, also known as buprenorphine.
Scientists have been working on a partial solution to the opioid crisis, experimenting with ways to reduce addiction to medically used fentanyl. Some people addicted to it first had the drug in medical facilities for severe pain such as cancer or spinal injuries. Theoretically, people who are exposed to fentanyl, which has fewer addictive properties,
Many people experiment with new street drugs. In the past several months, however, labs across the country have come across a new threat to the health of people who use drugs. Xylazine, a drug that originally was used to drug large animals like cows, is showing up in the blood of overdose cases. People with
Eutylone, a new drug that authorities in Florida describe as a synthetic psychoactive bath salt, has begun to spread across the state. The drug has caused overdose deaths in Maryland’s Eastern Shore and Florida. The overdose deaths linked to eutylone usually involve an adulterant such as fentanyl or cocaine. Eutylone As A Bait-And-Switch Drug Eutylone
You can get a COVID or flu shot from your pharmacist, so why not offer more medications at the local counter? For example, in Missouri, a law that is being considered would offer dramatically more access to naltrexone hydrochloride, brand name Vivitrol. What is Naltrexone Hydrochloride? Naltrexone hydrochloride is a medication approved by the Food
In 2020, over 10,000 California residents died of overdose with opioids in their system. Many more people ended up in the hospital emergency experiencing overdose. In the past, people with opioid use disorder ended up in the ER and were stabilized discharged without much of an action plan. Today, a new initiative in the state
