An increased reliance on telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder by Medicare beneficiaries significantly reduced their risk for fatal overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic,
An increased reliance on telehealth services and medications for opioid use disorder by Medicare beneficiaries significantly reduced their risk for fatal overdoses during the COVID-19 pandemic, the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control reported on Wednesday.
Published in JAMA Psychiatry, the study is a collaborative research effort led by researchers at the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
According to lead author Christopher Jones, PharmD, doctor of public health, director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, CDC, the results of the study add to the growing research documenting the benefits of expanding the use of telehealth services for people with opioid use disorder.
The Food and Drug Administration on Wednesday approved the over-the-counter sale of a nasal spray that can reverse opioid overdoses, a move the agency says should save lives and reduce the nation’s surging rate of overdose deaths.
Narcan, a 4-milligram naloxone hydrochloride nasal spray, is the first product of its kind and is considered the standard when it comes to the treatment of an opioid overdose.
Wednesday’s approval had been sought by public health and treatment experts who believe greater availability of the drug could help turn the tide in drug fatalities.
Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., has joined the Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention Caucus and the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force where, she says, she will work across the aisle on solutions to the ongoing addiction crisis.
The New Democrat Coalition has thrown its support behind recent rule changes adopted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that will help provide millions more children with school meals.
Championed by Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Kevin Cramer, R-N.D., the bill would expand access to federal support for the families of firefighters and first responders who died as a result of carcinogenic exposure during their service.
Women in Oklahoma are now the beneficiaries of a full 12 months of comprehensive coverage after pregnancy under a change in policy announced this past week by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
The state of Ohio received more than $209,000 in wellness and community resilience funding this week, the first in a series of grants awarded by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in the wake of last month’s East Palestine train derailment.
In Florida, Republican lawmakers have introduced a bevy of new legislation that will, if passed, restrict certain health educational materials used in state schools.
ON THE CALENDAR
March 30 is World Bipolar Day. WBD is celebrated annually on the birthday of Vincent van Gogh with the intention of providing a moment to join together in solidarity around the goals of increasing awareness, acceptance and funding for this illness — all of which are key objectives of the International Society for Bipolar Disorders, alongside promoting excellence in clinical care and research. Learn more.
SOCIAL MATH
60 million
people worldwide have bipolar disorder.
That's more than the total population of Italy.
ON THE MOVE
Alec Esteban, recently Legislative Correspondent at Office of Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo. (2022-2023), has a new position as:
Legislative Assistant (incl. health/health care) at Office of Rep. Doug Lamborn, U.S. House of Representatives.
Abigail Shearin, recently Lead Veterinary Medical Officer at Food and Drug Administration (2022-2023), has a new position as:
Chief, Pharmacology/Toxicology Branch I (Acting) at Division of Clinical Evaluation and Pharmacology/Toxicology, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
Heather Lombard, recently Director, Division of Cellular and Gene Therapies at Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Food and Drug Administration (2022-2023), has a new position as:
Director (Acting) at Division of Cellular and Gene Therapies, Food and Drug Administration, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Jackson A. Hoffman, PhD, recently Biologist at Chromatin and Gene Expression, National Institutes of Health (2018-2022), has a new position as:
Staff Scientist at Chromatin and Gene Expression, National Institutes of Health, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.
Dr. Karina L. Walters, recently Principal Investigator or Co-Investigator at National Institutes of Health, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services, has a new position as:
Director (Incoming) at Tribal Health Research Office, Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives, U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services.