Hurley award The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence, Inc. (AATOD) will present Linda E. Hurley, President and CEO of CODAC Behavioral Healthcare, with its Nyswander-Dole Award to recognize her extraordinary work and service in the opioid treatment field.   The Nyswander/Dole “Marie” Award is the highest accolade AATOD can bestow on someone in recognition for having made significant contributions in the field of opioid use disorder treatment. Dr. Vincent Dole and Dr. Marie Nyswander, two pioneers in the research of medication-assisted treatment for a ..read more

Last month AT Forum lost its longtime writer Barbara Goodheart, an accomplished medical writer, suddenly. Below is a remembrance written by her husband Clyde. I recently told colleagues that I missed her so much, but could not remember the last conversation (of many) that we had, because as in so many things in life, I didn’t know it would be the last. In addition to everything Clyde writes, I would need to add this anecdote. Barbara loved nature and wrote about it with the clear-sightedness of some of the greatest nature writers, who never let sentiment overtake the reality of life. She autog ..read more

A COMMUNITY focused on treatment and recovery; unusual for an opioid treatment program, LESC in New York City is a lot more. There is residential treatment. The below is from the intake director there, released March 28. Thanks to Valerie Walters and all at LESC for keeping stigma at bay. At LESC, we understand the fear and uncertainty that can cloud the path to recovery. That’s why Sabrina Mangual, our dedicated Intake Coordinator, guides individuals every step of the way. Sabrina isn’t just an employee at LESC’s residential recovery treatment center; with over 25 years of experience, she’s a ..read more

National Council for Mental Wellbeing to Recognize Hurley During NatCon24, April 15-17 Everyone knows Linda Hurley, a pioneer in addiction treatment; her new integrated program about to launch in Rhode Island includes methadone, primary care, mental health treatment, and many other services. Below is an announcement of an upcoming award she is receiving. ATForum extends congratulations to this icon of the OTP world. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing will present Linda E. Hurley with its Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of her distinguished career. The National Council’s Lifet ..read more

By Robert Kent If you have lost someone to drug or alcohol use, my heart aches for you!  If you have not been impacted, I hope you never experience such a loss!   I have been impacted by such loss and it is a pain that never ends, one I wish on no one! That pain is felt by so many more every year as we are losing more than 100,000 individuals to drug overdose and we are losing more than 140,000 individuals to alcohol related causes! I love this country!  I have always believed that the United States is a place with a big heart and a helping hand.  I ..read more

Treatment guidelines for methadone in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) call for a low starting dose, usually not more than 40 mg, and gradual upward titration. But ever-rising opioid death rates and the dangers posed by illicit fentanyl underscore the need to help patients reach therapeutic methadone levels as quickly and safely as possible. Achieving therapeutic dose ranges—60 mg to 100 mg daily or higher— can take weeks, given concerns about respiratory depression and overdose in unmonitored settings. In a hospital setting this results in opioid withdrawal symptoms which drive many pa ..read more

For a thorough article on the new methadone regulations from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, including comments from Allegra Schorr, Linda Hurley, and Mark Parrino, see the February 12 issue of Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly.  https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/adaw.34028 ..read more

Feb. 1, 2024: Hikma Pharmaceuticals PLC, along with its wholly owned subsidiary Hikma Pharmaceuticals USA Inc., today announced that it has reached an agreement in principle to resolve the vast majority of the opioid related cases brought against the Company by U.S. states, their subdivisions, and tribal nations. These cases relate to the manufacture and sales of prescription opioid medications. If all conditions are satisfied and depending on the number of states and local governments that elect to opt into the agreement, Hikma agrees to pay up to $115 million in cash and $35 million  in dona ..read more

On February 2, AATOD released the below. The American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD) represents over 1,300 OTPs in the United States. We commend HHS / SAMHSA in releasing their final regulations, which provide guidance to OTPs. These enlightened and thoughtful regulations have been in preparation for over one year and we appreciate the fact that these regulations have been reviewed by the Drug Enforcement Administration. These final regulations will increase access to treatment admission to OTPs by eliminating the one-year requirement of opioid use disorder history ..read more

By Rob Kent, J.D. “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievemen ..read more