Medicaid coverage of medications to treat alcohol and opioid dependence.

Substance use disorders affect 12% of Medicaid beneficiaries. The prescription drug epidemic and growing need for treatment of alcohol and opioid dependence have refocused states' attention on their provision of substance use disorder treatment services, including medications. This study characterized how Medicaid programs cover these treatment medications.

Use of pharmacotherapies in the treatment of alcohol use disorders and opioid dependence in primary care.

Substance-related and addictive disorders are chronic relapsing conditions that substantially impact public health. Effective treatments for these disorders require addressing substance use/dependence comprehensively as well as other associated comorbidities. Comprehensive addressing of substance use in a medical setting involves screening for substance use, addressing substance use directly with the patient, and formulating an appropriate intervention.

Confronting the emerging epidemic of HCV infection among young injection drug users.

Hepatitis C virus infection is a significant public health problem in the United States and an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Recent reports document HCV infection increases among young injection drug users in several US regions, associated with America's prescription opioid abuse epidemic. Incident HCV infection increases among young injectors who have recently transitioned from oral opioid abuse present an important public health challenge requiring a comprehensive, community-based response.

Substance Abuse Treatment, HIV/AIDS, and the Continuum of Response for People Who Inject Drugs.

The continuum of response (CoR) to HIV/AIDS is a framework for implementation of HIV prevention, care, and treatment programs based on a national strategic plan for HIV/AIDS services. The CoR for people who inject drugs (PWID) is an important extension of the developed CoR to HIV/AIDS. The CoR-PWID employs stakeholders who together plan, develop, pilot, and provide a full range of services that address the various prevention, care/support, and treatment needs of people, families, and communities infected or affected by HIV/AIDS and injection drug use.

Research design considerations for clinical studies of abuse-deterrent opioid analgesics: IMMPACT recommendations.

Opioids are essential to the management of pain in many patients, but they also are associated with potential risks for abuse, overdose, and diversion. A number of efforts have been devoted to the development of abuse-deterrent formulations of opioids to reduce these risks. This article summarizes a consensus meeting that was organized to propose recommendations for the types of clinical studies that can be used to assess the abuse deterrence of different opioid formulations.

Improving public health through access to and utilization of medication assisted treatment.

Providing access to and utilization of medication assisted treatment (MAT) for the treatment of opioid abuse and dependence provides an important opportunity to improve public health. Access to health services comprising MAT in the community is fundamental to achieve broad service coverage. The type and placement of the health services comprising MAT and integration with primary medical care including human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention, care and treatment services are optimal for addressing both substance abuse and co-occurring infectious diseases.

A model federal collaborative to increase patient access to buprenorphine treatment in HIV primary care.

A Health Resources and Services Administration-Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration collaboration was established to improve health outcomes for opiate-dependent HIV-infected patients through promotion of integrated models of HIV primary care and substance abuse treatment. The collaboration comprised 10 demonstration sites coordinated by a technical assistance/evaluation center that worked to refine planned interventions, address state-of-the-art treatment and policy issues relating to the use of buprenorphine opioid abuse treatment in HIV primary care settings, conduct local and multisite evaluations, and disseminate program findings. This article describes the goals and objectives of the collaborative as well as the interagency interactions and steps taken to establish the collaborative.

Integration of viral hepatitis services into opioid treatment programs.

Opioid treatment programs (OTPs) dispense methadone and buprenorphine under specific federal regulations to individuals diagnosed with opioid dependence. OTPs can provide a comprehensive therapeutic milieu, often including primary medical care, psychosocial counseling, vocational rehabilitation, ongoing performance monitoring, and other vital services. Because of the high prevalence of infectious diseases, particularly hepatitis C virus infection, model OTPs are developing comprehensive care and treatment programs that integrate general medical and infectious disease-related medical care with substance abuse and mental health services.

Hepatitis infection in the treatment of opioid dependence and abuse.

Many new and existing cases of viral hepatitis infections are related to injection drug use. Transmission of these infections can result directly from the use of injection equipment that is contaminated with blood containing the hepatitis B or C virus or through sexual contact with an infected individual. In the latter case, drug use can indirectly contribute to hepatitis transmission through the dis-inhibited at-risk behavior, that is, unprotected sex with an infected partner.