HOLDING OPIOID MANUFACTURERS ACCOUNTABLE
There are currently hundreds of lawsuits against manufacturers and distributors of opioid prescription drugs ongoing in the United States. Opioids were involved in more than 42,000 overdose deaths in 2016, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Starting in the mid-1990s, opioid manufacturers began a misleading marketing campaign that downplayed the risks […]
ABUSE OF PSYCHIATRIC DRUGS
If you have struggled with drug or alcohol use in the past, you might be concerned about taking psychiatric drugs for fear of becoming addicted. The good news is that most of these medications are not addictive, at least when they are used properly. If you have a mental health disorder along with a substance […]
DETOX AND REHABILITATION FOR OPIOID ADDICTS
While much has been made of the use of prescription medications in treating opioid addiction, getting the drugs out of your system is often just the first step. The psychological effects and treatments of addiction are just as important as the physical and can be a lifelong struggle. Fortunately, there are several options available to […]
THE NON-OPIOID OPIOID WITHDRAWAL TREATMENT
In May of 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new drug proven to mitigate the symptoms associated with opioid withdrawal in adults. It’s not the first medication that can ease withdrawal symptoms, but it is special in another way. It’s the first one of these drugs that is not itself an opioid. […]
ADHD MEDICATION AND SCHOOL PERFORMANCE
Prescription stimulants like Adderall or Ritalin are prescribed to help treat attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD can make it difficult for people to focus, stay on task, keep organized, sit still, and consider the consequences of their actions. It is usually treated with stimulants because they increase production of dopamine and norepinephrine. You might […]
DOES BIG PHARMA BENEFIT FROM ADDICTION?
It was reported in the news recently that Richard Sackler, the former president of Purdue Pharma and a doctor, has been granted a patent for a reformulation of buprenorphine, an opioid (which is milder than some but still has the potential to be misused) that is used to control drug cravings. Purdue is the manufacturer […]
XANAX ABUSE AND WITHDRAWAL
You’ve probably heard someone who’s having a particularly stressful day say, “Jeez, I could really use a Xanax right about now.” We all have the vague idea that a Xanax will calm you down, that it’s something you can just pop when you need it the way you would an antacid or some ibuprofen. In […]
WHO SHOULD TAKE OPIOIDS?
Have you ever watched the news or picked up a paper and seen headline after headline about the opioid crisis and wondered – should we even have these drugs? Are there any people out there who actually need them so badly that another medication or treatment wouldn’t suffice? There are many people who refuse to […]
CALIFORNIA TO REQUIRE PHYSICIANS TO CONSULT PRESCRIPTION DATABASE
One phenomenon that we’ve seen come out of the opioid crisis is something called doctor shopping, where people visit multiple physicians (including emergency room doctors) in order to obtain multiple prescriptions for a medication. For example, someone might go to an emergency room complaining of pain – which they may or may not actually be […]
OPIOID QUOTAS
In March of 2018, President Trump announced an initiative to reduce opioid abuse, focusing on things like insufficient access to evidence-based treatment, primary prevention, and recovery support services. He proposed reducing the demand for drugs through education, awareness, and ending over-prescription, cutting off the flow of illegal drugs across the border, and expanding opportunities for […]