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Free Naloxone Vending Machines Open in Howard County Maryland

A new harm reduction effort in Maryland is putting a lifesaving overdose reversal medication within reach around the clock, and for people who survive an opioid overdose it can be a first step toward opioid …

Medically Supervised Detox Expands in Sonoma, California

For anyone facing withdrawal from alcohol or opioids, the safest first step is medical detox under 24/7 supervision. A newly highlighted program in Sonoma, California, illustrates what that standard of care looks like and why …

Doctors Warn Drug-Free Rehab Model Raises Overdose Risk

A national debate over how the United States should treat addiction is really a debate about medical safety, and for opioids the stakes show up during and right after detox. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy …

Yakima Clinic Speeds Up Methadone Dosing With Robot

A behavioral health clinic in Yakima, Washington, has become one of the first in the state to automate part of its methadone dosing process, a change that could mean shorter waits for patients in medication-assisted …

Better Support Is Key to Opioid Detox, Study Finds

For people who want to taper off long-term opioid medication, a new review offers a clear message: support and supervision matter as much as willpower. Researchers at Imperial College London found that fear, withdrawal symptoms …

Inmates Face a Frightening New Form of Drug Withdrawal.

People behind bars are on the frontlines of a frightening new kind of drug withdrawal, and their experiences underscore why medical detox, not at-home or unsupervised methods, is the safe standard of care. A STAT …

Insurance Shifts Put Buprenorphine Access in the Spotlight

A wave of recent insurance changes has put a quiet question at the center of addiction medicine: what happens to medication-assisted treatment when a patient’s coverage suddenly shifts? Changes across Medicaid programs, employer plans, and …

Senate Bill Would Free Methadone From Clinic-Only Rules

Methadone, one of the most established forms of medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder, could soon break free of the specialty-clinic system that has controlled it for decades. On Thursday, Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and …

Low Dose Naltrexone Emerges as Non-Opioid Detox Option

Naltrexone is already familiar to anyone who has gone through medical detox or medication-assisted treatment for opioid or alcohol dependence. Now the same drug is drawing fresh attention at much lower doses, and the renewed …

Addiction Medications Safe for Doctors in Recovery, Study Says

A new 30-year study adds weight to a simple, sometimes contested idea in addiction medicine: medication-assisted treatment (MAT) can be a safe, effective part of recovery, even for the professionals who prescribe these medicines themselves. …

Vermont Hospital Adds Monthly Detox Medication in the ER

Starting medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder usually means a daily routine of medication. A Vermont hospital is changing that point of entry in its detox and ER programs. Gifford Medical Center in Randolph …

Why Medical Detox Needs the Full Continuum of Care

Medical detox is the safe first step out of physical dependence, but it is only the first step. A recent piece from a Truckee, California recovery organization makes a point that anyone researching detox should …