U.S. overdose deaths hit record 107,000 in 2021, CDC says

"Overdose deaths are often attributed to more than one drug. Some people take multiple drugs and inexpensive fentanyl has been increasingly cut into other drugs, often without the buyers’ knowledge, officials say."

Read More...

Survey of Barriers and Facilitators to Prescribing Buprenorphine and Clinician Perceptions on the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 Waiver

This survey study of 126 clinicians attending a GetWaiveredTX waiver training found that 61 clinicians received an X-waiver; among them, 36% were prescribing buprenorphine and 64% were not. Barriers such as perceived lack of professional support and referral networks were noted.

Addiction consultation services like DACS are designed to support clinicians in every step of the waiver process - from submitting the application to answering challenging questions about caring for patients with SUD.

Read more...

Pain, Pills, and Prejudice: Racial/Ethnic and Gender Disparities in Opioid Prescriptions

Across settings, Black Americans are 22% less likely than White Americans to receive pain medication. Closing gender and racial/ethnic disparities in pain medication requires a shift in how medical systems approach pain, prejudice, and prescriptions.

Read more...