Addiction Medicine Updates

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) just released a new regulation temporarily extending the COVID-era flexibilities for prescribing controlled substances via telemedicine. This third extension continues the “full set” of telemedicine prescribing flexibilities, referencing the two DEA letters that authorized telemedicine waivers, with a new expiration date of December 31, 2025....

— It’s time for the medical field to reduce OUD stigma and embrace this essential medication by Sarah Wakeman, MD December 3, 2024 After years of alarming increases in opioid overdose deaths, the U.S. finally saw a 1-year declineopens in a new tab or window from 84,000 to 81,000 in 2023. While the marginal drop is encouraging, we cannot rest on this achievement or count on it to...

In 2023, in response to a set of proposed telemedicine rules, DEA received more than 38,000 comments and held two days of public listening sessions. In light of that feedback and discussion, and to give DEA time to consider a new path forward for telemedicine, DEA and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) extended current telemedicine flexibilities through the end of 2024....

A new rule posted on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) registry suggests that the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is planning an additional extension of COVID-19 flexibilities for telemedicine prescribing of controlled substances, beyond the current expiration date of December 31, 2024. A new rule posted on the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) registry suggests that...

A new study suggests that GLP-1 agonist medications like Ozempic, which are used for diabetes management and weight loss, may help reduce the risk of overdose and alcohol intoxication in people with substance use disorders. “It helps to underline another significant benefit of this class of medication,” Dr. Angela Fitch, the co-founder, and chief medical officer of...

Bill removes mandated report to law enforcement of positive drug tests in newborns By Catrina Petersen | The Center Square (The Center Square) – The legislature is ready to send a bill to Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker that removes the mandate that the Department of Children and Family Services must report newborn babies’ positive toxicology screens to law enforcement. Senate Bill 3136...

Today, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) joined the American Medical Association (AMA), American Pharmacists Association (APhA), and American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) in a joint letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Substance Abuse and the Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services...

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 19, 2024 Rockville, MD – To facilitate remission, support long-term recovery, and save more lives of those affected by addiction, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) today released a new Public Policy Statement on Government Strategies to Foster Ethical Addiction Treatment, with several recommendations for policymakers at all levels in...

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia soon will become the first state in the nation to offer medical marijuana products at independent pharmacies, state officials said. The Georgia Board of Pharmacy began accepting applications this week, and nearly 120 pharmacies have agreed to provide medication from Botanical Sciences, one of the state’s two licensed production companies, The Atlanta...

Synopsis: The importance of responsibly expanding access to methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) is crucial. Methadone, a long-lasting opioid agonist, is a well-studied and effective medical treatment for OUD, which is associated with a significantly higher risk of early death. While there is support for liberalizing access to methadone from opioid treatment programs...

New DEA Rule Extends Controlled Substance Telemedicine Prescribing Flexibilities One More Year

Hello Buprenorphine, Step Into My Practice

DEA and HHS Extend Telemedicine Flexibilities through 2025

Pending DEA Extension on Prescription of Controlled Substances via Telemedicine

GLP-1 Agonists May Help Reduce Risk of Overdose and Alcohol Intoxication

Bill Removes Mandated Report to Law Enforcement of Positive Drug Tests in Newborn

Doctors and Pharmacists Groups Send Joint Letter to DEA, HHA, ONDCP, and SAMHSA on Buprenorphine Access Issues:

ASAM Releases Public Policy Statement on Government Strategies to Foster Ethical Addiction Treatment

Georgia will be 1st state to allow pharmacies to sell medical marijuana

The Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act: A Helpful Explanation

The Georgia Society of Addiction Medicine