AMERSA, Author at AMERSA

SAj Flashback: Research priorities for expanding access to methadone treatment for opioid use disorder in the United States: A National Institute on Drug Abuse Center for Clinical Trials Network Task Force report

Oct 11, 2022 by AMERSA

In this SAj Flashback, we look back to “A National Institute on Drug Abuse Center for Clinical Trials Network Task Force report” from SAj Volume 42, Issue 3. This commentary comes from authors Paul J. Joudrey, MD, MPH; Gavin Bart, MD, PhD; Robert K. Brooner, PhD; Lawrence Brown, MD, MPH; Julie Dickson-Gomez, PhD; Adam Gordon, MD, MPH; Sarah S. Kawasaki, MD; Jane M. Liebschutz, MD MPH; Edward Nunes, MD; Dennis McCarty, PhD; Robert P. Schwartz, MD; José Szapocnik, PhD; Madhukar Trivedi, MD; Judith I. Tsui, MD MPH; Arthur Williams, MD; Li-Tzy Wu, DSc; and David A. Fiellin, MD.

In the US, methadone treatment can only be provided to patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) through federal and state-regulated opioid treatment programs (OTPs). There is a shortage of OTPs, and racial and geographic inequities exist in access to methadone treatment. The National Institute on Drug Abuse Clinical Trials Network convened the Methadone Access Research Task Force to develop a research agenda to expand and create more equitable access to methadone treatment for OUD. This research agenda included mechanisms that are available within and outside the current regulations. The task force identified 6 areas where research is needed: (1) access to methadone in general medical and other outpatient settings; (2) the impact of methadone treatment setting on patient outcomes; (3) impact of treatment structure on outcomes in patients receiving methadone; (4) comparative effectiveness of different medications to treat OUD; (5) optimal educational and support structure for provision of methadone by medical providers; and (6) benefits and harms of expanded methadone access. In addition to outlining these research priorities, the task force identified important cross-cutting issues, including the impact of patient characteristics, treatment, and treatment system characteristics such as methadone formulation and dose, concurrent behavioral treatment, frequency of dispensing, urine or oral fluid testing, and methods of measuring clinical outcomes. Together, the research priorities and cross-cutting issues represent a compelling research agenda to expand access to methadone in the US.

Read this commentary now in SAj Volume 42, Issue 3 or online.

New in SAj: Substance use–related continuing education course objectives: Alignment with professional competencies

Oct 10, 2022 by AMERSA

Novel educational efforts are needed to prepare the current and future interprofessional health care workforce to address the range of substance use–related health problems. A 6-module massive open online course (MOOC) was developed to provide education to health professionals of various disciplines on the fundamentals of substance use–related treatment. The purpose of this project was to match course objectives to substance use–related competencies for 5 disciplines: nurses, pharmacists, physicians, physician assistants (PA), and social workers.

This Original Research article comes from authors Deborah S. Finnell, PhD, RN, CARN-AP, FAAN; Victoria Soltis-Jarrett, PhD, PMHNP-BC, FAANP, FAAN; Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, FAPhA; Andrew Muzyk, PharmD, MHPE; Yifei Liu, BS Pharm, PhD; Ellen Edens, MD, MPE; J. Paul Seale, MD; Jill Mattingly, DHSc, PA-C; Kristen Schnurman, MSHS, PA-C; Victoria Osborne-Leute, PhD, MSW; Allen Zweben, MSW, PhD; Ann Cary, PhD, MPH, RN, FNAP, FAAN; and Brent A. Moore, PhD.

This article is brand new to SAj, published September 12, 2022. Read it now in SAj Volume 43, Issue 1 or online.

The Authors’ Own Words: National trauma and substance use disorders: A slippery slope in Lebanon

Oct 9, 2022 by AMERSA

Lebanon, a small middle-income nation in western Asia, has been crippled by decades of political turmoil and armed conflict. A “quadruple crisis” hit the country over the past years, starting with the protracted humanitarian Syrian refugee crisis, followed by a severe socioeconomic collapse, the global COVID-19 pandemic, and lastly the Beirut port catastrophic blast. With the exposure to repetitive traumatic events and associated organic brain injury, the Lebanese population has become at a higher risk of addiction, among other psychiatric comorbidities. With the scarce statistics about the topic and limited addiction services in the country, collaborative local efforts and international help are urgently needed to fight the upcoming substance use epidemic. Raising awareness, providing adequate training, and securing resources for the management of both addiction and trauma are of utmost importance.

Authors Maya Bizri, MD, MPH; Samer El Hayek , MD; Hadi Beaini, BS; Firas Kobeissy, PhD; and Farid Talih, MD share, “in this letter, we discuss the potential exacerbation of substance use disorders in Lebanon in the context of the country’s quadruple crises. The limitations of addiction treatment services in Lebanon are highlighted and we discuss the need for a multidisciplinary comprehensive national plan to improve services and outcomes. Lessons from the Lebanese crisis may help other countries develop mental health contingency plans that can be implemented in times of national crisis and trauma.”

You can read this Letter to the Editor now in SAj Volume 42, Issue 3 or online.

SAj Flashback: Addiction Medicine in the Time of COVID-19: An Overview of the 2020 Joint Scientific Annual Conference of the International Society of Addiction Medicine and Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine

Oct 8, 2022 by AMERSA

This editorial looks back at the events of the International Society of Addiction Medicine and Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine 2020 conference, the third to be held in conjunction with the Canadian Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM) and the first virtual conference. The conference was attended by over 800 participants and covered a wide range of topics, including addiction medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges of not being able to meet physically in Victoria, British Columbia as had been planned, the virtual event provided an opportunity to share current information in order to help advance prevention, treatment, policy and public health efforts relating to addressing addictions and helping those impacted by these often devastating conditions.

This editorial comes from authors Marc N. Potenza, MD, PhD and Nady el-Guebaly, MD, DPsych, DPH and can be found in SAj Volume 43, Issue 3 or online.

New in SAj: Barriers and facilitators to changing drinking and receiving alcohol-related care: Interviews with Veterans Health Administration primary care patients who indicated interest but did not enroll in an alcohol care management intervention trial

Jul 10, 2022 by AMERSA

Most people with alcohol use disorder do not receive treatment, and primary care (PC)-based management of alcohol use disorder is a key strategy to close this gap. Understanding PC patients’ perspectives on changing drinking and receiving alcohol-related care is important for this goal, particularly among those who decline alcohol-related care. This study examined perspectives on barriers and facilitators to changing drinking and receiving alcohol-related care among Veterans Health Administration (VA) PC patients who indicated interest but did not enroll in the Choosing Healthier drinking Options In primary CarE trial (CHOICE), which tested a PC-based alcohol care management intervention.

This original research paper comes from authors Madeline C. Frost, MPH,Theresa E. Matson, MPH, Julie E. Richards, PhD MPH, Amy K. Lee, MPH, Carol E. Achtmeyer, MN ARNP, Katharine A. Bradley, MD MPH, and Emily C. Williams, PhD MPH.

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