Leslie Glass's Blog, page 400
February 2, 2018
Astounding Facts About How Alcohol Affects Women
People tend to think that alcohol is processed by women differently from men simply because women are smaller and less alcohol is more. The truth is alcohol affects women in much more complex and scary way.
According to National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD), Addiction may be an equal opportunity disease, but it affects women differently.
Women become addicted in different ways from men
Women start using for different reasons
In women the disease progresses faster
Women recover differently
Women relapse for different reasons
Because the makeup of the female body a woman will process alcohol differently from a man:
Women typically weigh less than men
They have less water in their body than men
Women have less of the stomach enzyme that is used to break down alcohol
This leads to a higher Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)
Women have more fatty tissue than men, so alcohol is absorbed more slowly and stays longer
Because of these factors the alcohol stays in the brain and other organs for longer period
One drink has twice the impact on a woman than a man
These physiological differences increase health risks in four key ways.
1. Pregnancy
Per NCADD any amount of alcohol during pregnancy can increase the chances of a fetus developing Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders, including low birth weight and enduring cognitive and behavioral problems.
2. Liver Disease
The National Institute of Health (NIH) states women who drink are more likely to develop liver inflammation than men.
3. Heart Disease
Women are also more susceptible to alcohol-related heart disease than men.
4. Breast Cancer
Women who have about one drink per day have an increased chance of breast cancer compared to women who do not drink at all.
Fastest Growing Section For Alcohol Use
Typically, men had the highest reported rate of substance abuse and dependence, but women are quickly closing that gap. Young women especially have an equal chance of alcohol abuse and dependence as young men.
While everyone should be aware of the dangers of using alcohol, women especially may want to know the facts.
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Do you struggle with drinking more than you’d like? Help is available near you. Visit Recovery Guidance to find it.
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February 1, 2018
Willing To Go With What Works
From Tom Valentino @ Addiction Professional: Whether it is embracing the traditional 12 Steps or implementing medication in treatment, a majority of clinicians share a common mindset: If it works for the patient, run with it.
More than four out of five participants in Addiction Professional’s third annual Quality of Life Survey expressed a positive opinion on the 12 Steps, while nearly 90% of respondents shared favorable views on medication-assisted treatment (MAT).
“I’ve come to decide that whatever is working for the individual, as long as it’s helpful and not causing harm, go for it,” says Jessica Holton, a licensed clinical social worker in private practice in Greenville, N.C., who participated in the 2017 survey.
Responses to questions regarding both the 12 Steps and MAT were mostly in line with results from the survey conducted in 2016.
The 2017 edition, which was conducted in September, drew responses from more than 650 clinicians. The survey is open to all clinicians in the field, and therefore, the individuals who have participated have varied from year to year.
Willing To Work The Steps
A majority of clinicians who participated in the survey incorporate the 12 Steps into their treatment plans to at least some degree, as 48.1% said they feel it’s a key element at all levels of treatment and 34% said it was best for continuing care. Just 15.7% said it was time to phase out the Steps. Most notably, 6% fewer participants said the 12 Steps are a key element at all levels of care compared to the previous year, but there was a 3% increase in those who felt the Steps were best for continuing care.
When applicants arrive at The Extension Recovery Services, they know from Day One that the 12 Steps are the basis of the Marietta, Ga.-based treatment center’s program, says Robert Jordan, CAC, director of The Extension’s men’s program.
“Coupled with the treatment we have, it gets them used to the part of the continuum of care once they transition out of treatment,” says Jordan, who has spent all nine years of his career at The Extension Recovery Services. “They’re set up, and they know the importance of having support.”
Lyle Fried, CAP, ICADC, CHC, co- founder and CEO of The Shores Treatment and Recovery in Port St. Lucie, Fla., says he finds value in implementing pieces of the Steps into a cognitive behavioral therapy approach.
“I ask people, ‘Do you think you need community or accountability in your life?’ ” says Fried. “Inevitably, they’ll say yes, and I’ll tell them, ‘Even if you believe nothing else that they teach there, they provide at least that.”
Fried, who is in long-term recovery after battling a poly-substance use addiction stemming from trauma, says he initially found little value in the Steps. Fried’s sponsor, his group leader and Fried himself all experienced a recurrence of their substance use, causing him to believe the Steps weren’t helpful at all. Fried says his feelings on the Steps evolved, however, once he found success with another faith-based approach to recovery. He reinvestigated the Steps and found that much of what worked for him was similar to the 12 Steps.
Fried says many of those in recovery who walk away from the 12 Steps do so because of the way some groups today interpret the fourth step.
“Nowadays, why do you think we have that 1-2-3 shuffle of people doing the first Steps, and then Step 4, it’s a daunting, shaming task, and they relapse in the process of it?” Fried says.
“The original fourth step was just what it said it was: Searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves. We use different words today. People early in their recovery aren’t ready for the guilt and shame that come with that.
“But, as a cognitive behavioral therapist, I would ask somebody what are their strengths and weaknesses, and how can we use these strengths to overcome these weaknesses? That’s a normal process and why we include those kinds of questions in a bio-psycho-social evaluation.”
The 12 Steps, meanwhile, are not typically a focal point of discussions with clients for Holton, a practitioner for nearly 20 years. Holton says she recognizes the 12 Steps are important for some individuals in recovery, but that her work with clients focuses more on the neuroscience of addiction. Holton says she does have a few clients who attend 12 Step meetings.
“It’s been an interesting mix from the clients who do go to the 12 Step meetings,” Holton says. “They’ve shared that they don’t know of many people getting outpatient treatment and wish that some of them were. It’s almost a one-or-the-other scenario in my area.”
Holton says one client in particular shared an interesting observation: Those who seemed to benefit the most from the 12 Steps likely didn’t have guidance or mentoring throughout their lives.
“His vantage point was that for the folks who already have that moral compass in place, who have had good relationships and support, the 12 Steps don’t always feel as welcoming,” Holton says.
A small percentage of survey respondents—2.1%—said they felt the 12 Steps seem like a cult. Fried says he can understand that perspective.
“Are there people who have taken basic tenets of it and turned it into a cult-like atmosphere and used it to weigh over people? Yes,” Fried says.
“I liken it to any faith-based approach. There are synagogues, temples, churches and mosques that are abusive. But if you look at the core teachings of these faiths, they have good value. The same is true of the 12 Steps.”
Going to the MAT
On the subject of abusing otherwise good parts of treatment, Fried, who has 16 years of experience in the field and has been full-time since 2008, expresses similar concern about medication-assisted treatment. He says he is concerned that doctors who prescribe buprenorphine to the full 275 patients for which they are licensed lack the capacity to devote themselves to other aspects of care.
“They have time to do a three-point checklist and send you on your way with another tab and another month’s prescription,” Fried says. “I believe MAT is a good thing, but not the way it’s practiced a lot in the world around me.
“It’s a disservice to tell someone that’s all they need. It’s supposed to be, according to SAMHSA, in conjunction with therapy so they can learn to live life eventually without it. If you start MAT without any vision or thoughts toward an endgame, you’re doing a disservice.”
Fried’s views are in line with a strong majority of survey respondents: 75.9% say MAT is effective when it is provided in conjunction with counseling.
Jordan echoed Fried’s sentiments in that medication-assisted treatment offers a greater chance at quality long-term recovery—as long as the provider can get the patient stabilized to a point where they can eventually be weaned off the medication.
Holton says she does not have any clients using medication-assisted therapy and that early in her career, she was skeptical of MAT overall. Today, she says she remains on the fence as to whether MAT should be a first option in treatment for substance use disorders, but for those who have had several instances of recurrence, medication is worth trying to create a better foundation for recovery.
“I just want the field to be wise about how we’re using it and that we’re not exploiting people because of the money aspect of it,” she says.
Want to find treatment choices like 12-step and MAT? Find rehabs, physicians, and providers near you at Recovery Guidance.
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4 Keys To A Safe And Fun Super Bowl Party
From NHSTA: When Super Bowl LII kicks off, will you be prepared for party victory? Whether you’re the home team or a visitor, every Super Bowl LII party game plan must start with a shutdown defense that prevents drunk driving.
Drunk driving kills. In 2016, there were 10,497 fatalities in motor vehicle traffic crashes involving drunk drivers. You know that many Super Bowl parties will involve alcohol, so play it smart by having a winning game plan in place to not drink and drive.
We will all win on Super Bowl Sunday if we follow these keys to the game:
1. Know the Rules
It’s illegal to drive with a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or higher. When it comes to drinking and driving, law enforcement doesn’t throw a yellow flag; they throw the book at you. You’ll get pulled over, arrested, and prosecuted. Your wallet takes a big hit, too: the average DUI court case costs approximately $10,000.
2. Play It Safe
Defenses win championships; your best defense is to plan a safe ride. From buses and trains to car services and designated drivers, connect with the option that will get you home safely. NHTSA even has an app for that—SaferRide—which is available for Apple and Android devices and can connect you to a local cab company or with a friend who can come pick you up.
3. Be a Party MVP
Volunteer to be a designated driver. Let your squad know that you’ll be there for them when the party’s over with a safe, sober ride home. [You can even tweet their names to @NHTSAgov to make them part of the NHTSA’s Wall of Fame. Use the hashtag #designateddriver.]
4. If You’ve Been Drinking, You’re Benched
Buzzed Driving Is Drunk Driving. There’s no place on the road for anyone who has been drinking. If someone tries to drive after drinking, tell them to ride the bench until you help them find a sober ride home. If you’re hosting the party, you’re the head coach. Make the right call: take their keys before they drink and drive.
We’re all on the same team when it comes to preventing drunk driving. And, however you or your guests travel on Super Bowl Sunday, always buckle up. Your seat belt is your best defense in any vehicle crash.
We hope it’s a great game and that you enjoy it—safely—with friends and family. Remember: Fans Don’t Let Fans Drive Drunk.
Want to quit drinking? Find treatment choices near you at Recovery Guidance.
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Can Recovery Mend A Broken Heart
Here’s a generalization with legs. Addiction hurts everyone. Addiction has broken literally billions of hearts. It is an equal opportunity ravager of individuals and families everywhere that seems as if it just can’t be stopped. Addiction of all kinds, not just substance abuse, is a complicated disease that is just beginning to be deeply studied.
Yet most of us know what addiction looks and feels like. When we have a heart broken by fear, stress, financial worry because of our own, or someone else’s, addiction, we know how catastrophic and painful it is. Yet we often don’t do the things that will relieve that pain. As individuals, families and groups, we don’t talk about it enough, do the research to help ourselves, or think about changing our own ways of coping. Traditional medicines and old ideas will not fix this.
Can Recovery Mend Broken Hearts Even If A Loved One Has Passed Away, Or Has Lost All Reason?
Examining and understanding how addiction takes everyone hostage is the first step to getting free. As a mom, I can remember what it was like to be out of control and in conflict over what to do about a loved one’s addiction. To feel that anything bad could happen at any time and often did. I remember the rollercoaster of feelings that went from bad to worse and never stopped. Self-esteem was out the window, and I just couldn’t cheer up or be effective in many ways. I was scared and angry and hurt. And my face showed my stress. I also was working and hid my concerns from my colleagues because I didn’t want anyone to know what was happening in our family. That’s how it often is.
Breaking The Chains
Recovery begins by opening your mind. You think you can’t walk into a room full of strangers and tell your story. You may think those strangers can’t help you. You think your lover/child/sibling/parent is not a real addict. You do everything you can think of to help that person instead of helping yourself. I know many parents who know they are dying along with their active children but are afraid to save themselves. How can they live, enjoy life, even thrive if their loved one can’t. It’s a tough situation.
Can Recovery Restore The Lives Of People Who Seem Beyond Hope And Help?
It happens all the time. You think your loved one can’t or won’t get bet better and you can’t ever feel better or get better, either. And then one day, someone says something that inspires an active addict to take the first step. By the same token something inspires you to move on, too. You tell your story, begin to talk to other people who have experienced what you’re experiencing. You read articles that help you to let go of the pain and start living again. And slowly, if you can listen, and look beyond yourself, and accept the brand new idea that while your loved one matters, you matter too. Amazing as it seems, you do start living again.
For free support check out these organizations:
www.adultchildren.org
www.al-anon.alateen.org
www.familiesanonymous.org
www.nar-anon.org
www.nacoa.org
To find professional help in your area, visit Recovery Guidance.
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January 31, 2018
William White’s 12 Point Addiction Solution
An addiction solution is possible with some changes in the way we deal with the disease. Addiction, now defined as a chronic, relapsing brain disease, is still more often punished than treated in our society. No other chronic disease in the United States has been allowed to proliferate instead of being routinely treated.
Addiction Attitudes About The Disease Model Need To Change
While terms associated with the disease are changing, the methods of dealing with the disease have not radically changed. Bill White outlines what components need to be present for long term recovery to be a success. When we begin to treat addiction (Substance Use Disorder) as a chronic disease that requires a lifetime of treatment and support, the devastating epidemic will slowly end. ROR Staff
Bill White’s 12 Step Addiction Solution
“If we really believed addiction was a chronic disorder on par with cancer (and other chronic primary health disorders), we would provide these 12 kinds of education, treatment, and support to every person affected by the disease:
1. Clear and consistent communications regarding the intrapersonal, interpersonal, and environmental factors that contribute to the development of a substance use disorder.
2 An assessment process that is comprehensive, transparent, and continual.
3. Objective data upon which a substance use disorder (SUD) diagnosis is based (with normative data for comparison to the general population and to other patients being treated for SUDs).
4. Objective information on the severity (stage) of the SUD.
5. Objective information on treatment options matched to the type and severity of the SUD.
6. A declaration of potential professional/institutional biases related to diagnosis and treatment recommendations.
7. A menu of treatment options before making a final decision on the course of treatment.
8. Access to the experiential knowledge of former patients who have experienced a variety of SUD treatments and who represent diverse pathways and styles of long-term recovery management.
9. Personalized refinements in treatment-based assessment data and individual responses to initial treatment.
10. At least five years of monitoring and support following completion of primary treatment.
11. Assertive re-intervention and recovery re-stabilization in response to any signs of clinical deterioration.
12 A long-term, person- and family-centered recovery support relationship based on mutual respect that is free of contempt or condescension.
It really is that simple. If we believe that addiction in its most severe forms is a chronic disorder, then let’s treat it like we really believed it.” Bill White
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CDC Director Resigns Because She Bought Tobacco Stock
“This morning Secretary Azar accepted Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald’s resignation as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Fitzgerald owns certain complex financial interests that have imposed a broad recusal limiting her ability to complete all of her duties as the CDC Director,” said U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) spokesman Matt Lloyd in a statement. “Due to the nature of these financial interests, Dr. Fitzgerald could not divest from them in a definitive time period. After advising Secretary Azar of both the status of the financial interests and the scope of her recusal, Dr. Fitzgerald tendered, and the Secretary accepted, her resignation. The Secretary thanks Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald for her service and wishes her the best in all her endeavors.”
The CDC is the United State’s public health protection agency and is tasked with helping to reduce smoking in the United States. For example, the agency runs an ongoing and large media campaign to discourage smoking called Tips From Former Smokers.
The tobacco stock Fitzgerald purchased was one of “about a dozen” new investments by the CDC director after she took the job, according to Politico’s report. Financial disclosure documents obtained by Politico show Fitzgerald purchased between $1,001 and $15,000 in new stock holdings of Japan Tobacco, according to the report. The purchases were made one month after Fitzgerald took the CDC job. Fitzgerald sold the shares of tobacco on Oct. 26 and her other holdings by Nov. 21, which is more than four moths after she became the director of the CDC, Politico reports, citing financial disclosure documents.
Fitzgerald was already under criticism for her slow process in divesting from other financial conflicts of interest.
Dr. Tom Frieden, the director of the CDC prior to Fitzgerald, said he believed she was unaware of her tobacco stock holdings.
Dr. Fitzgerald impressed me as someone committed to supporting public health and protecting Americans. I wish her well and hope the next director remains focused on using science to protect Americans from threats that arise in this country and anywhere in the world.
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrFrieden) January 31, 2018
I have spoken with Dr. Fitzgerald & believe her when she says she was unaware a tobacco company investment had been made, she understands that any affiliation between the tobacco industry & public health is unacceptable, & that when she learned of it she directed that it be sold.
— Dr. Tom Frieden (@DrFrieden) January 31, 2018
Want to quit smoking? Find addiction professionals near you at Recovery Guidance.
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Better Than Wedding Vows: The Recovery Contract
In traditional wedding vows, partners promise to love and obey till death do they part, but who’s in a traditional relationship anymore? The CDC reports 1 in 10 people over 12 years old have used an illicit drug in the last month. Addiction changes the face of traditional relationships and families. How can today’s addiction-impacted relationships survive?
New Improved Couples Therapy
When one partner has a substance use disorder, couples often have extensive relationship problems. This creates high levels of:
Dissatisfaction
Aggression
Instability (Fals-Stewart, Birchler, and O’Farrell, 1999)
Problematic substance use and increased rates of relapse further strains the relationship (Maisto et al., 1988). Historically, substance use disorders were viewed as an individual problem. Even worse, patients were charged with having a moral or character flaw. As a result, patients were treated individually and in isolation. Of course, this didn’t work.
Research from the last three decades proves that partners and families play important roles in the origin and maintenance of addictive behavior. Treating the couples and families as a single unit with this new improved model of couples therapy:
Increases abstinence rates
Improves relationship functioning
Reduces social costs
Decreases domestic violence
Reduces emotional problems in children of the couple
Behavioral Couples Therapy works to disrupt harmful patterns and restructure couple interactions in ways conducive to long-term, stable abstinence.
Talk Is Cheap But A Contract Sticks
One hallmark of Behavioral Couples Therapy is the ‘recovery contract.’ This contract spells out daily rituals for each partner to protect the spouse and reward the patient’s abstinence. Common components of a recovery contract include:
Daily affirmations of abstinence from one partner to the other
Daily medication ingestion witnessed and verbally reinforced by partner
Peer support or mutual support group meetings (AA, NA, Al-Anon, Nar-Anon, etc.)
Weekly urine drug screens
Positive weekly activities to support recovery (e.g. working out together as a couple)
Progress reported on a shared calendar (O’Farrell & Schein, 2000)
A sample contract is shown below.
The goal of a recovery contract is to improve the couple’s relationship while building support for abstinence. This means increasing positive activities and improving communication between partners.
Upholding The Recovery Contract
Accountability is a critical component of many successful recovery models. In addition to merely signing a contract, couples attend 12-20 weekly outpatient therapy sessions over a 3 to 6-month period. The best news is, sessions can begin as soon as the partner suffering from addiction seeks help. Therapists typically teach partners how to:
Listen
Express emotions
Negotiate requests
Do random acts of kindness
Couples learn appreciation exercises and have homework assignments for practice, and all this hard work pays off. Couples can hope to gain:
Increased positive activities
A stronger commitment to the relationship
Improved communication
As traditional marriages evolve, the tools couples need to survive also need to evolve. The recovery contract in conjunction with this new an improved model of couples therapy can help restore relationships.
Want to find a couples therapist who understands the impact of addiction? Visit Recovery Guidance to find help near you.
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Fighting cold and flu what to eat and drink
From Huff Post By Allison Fox There’s nothing fun about having a cold or the flu. Weak muscles, headaches, a stuffy nose and feeling sick to your stomach is common. But according to the experts, just drinking water is not enough to rebound quickly from a nasty bug.
“Your body is under stress from the infection,” Zhaoping Li, director of the Center of Human Nutrition at the University of California-Los Angeles, told The Huffington Post. “We need to repair or support [the immune system].”
Luckily, there are a handful of foods and drinks that may help bolster and replenish your body while it fights the good fight. Check them out below:
1. Chicken soup
There’s support behind Grandma’s remedy: The soup’s warm liquid helps speed up the movement of mucus through the nose, according to the Mayo Clinic. The salt content of the soup’s broth helps to prevent dehydration when you have the flu, in the event that you also experience diarrhea, Li said. And the chicken provides protein to help restore and strengthen the immune system, which needs extra support from battling off your infection, she added.
However, chicken broth bought from the store will not pack the same punch as actual chicken soup, Li said. You’ll want actual pieces of chicken, broken down and made more easily digestible through the process of cooking to get the most protein. Here’s a good chicken soup recipe to get you started.
2. Light protein
As mentioned above, protein helps. Try to consume foods like eggs, chicken breast or a protein shake when you have the cold or flu. Whatever you do, ditch dense foods like steak.
“Your gastric intestinal track is not in the mood for heavy lifting,” Li said.
If you’re not feeling chicken, try a mushroom omelet. You’ll get the protein from the eggs and mushrooms are a good source of potassium and zinc, which can help support the immune system, according to Lisa Young, adjunct professor of nutrition at New York University and author of The Portion Teller Plan.
3. Fruit juices and smoothies
If you have little to no appetite, drink your nutrients instead of eating them. Fresh orange juice, apple juice and blended fruit and berry smoothies pack minerals, antioxidants and vitamins that may aid your body in recovery, Li said.
Drinking water is great but it shouldn’t be your only line of defense. Why? You don’t just lose water when you sweat out a fever, you lose electrolytes, too, Li explained. So blended fruit and juices help replenish those electrolytes, which are critical for hydrationand normal body function.
Young agrees, adding that sports drinks, which usually pack added sugar, aren’t necessary either.
“V8 juice has salt and some potassium,” Young said. “You don’t need to drink one of those Gatorades when you can get a vegetable juice.”
4. Decaffeinated tea
Warm tea can help with decongestion in the same way that chicken soup does. And certain teas, like green tea, have antioxidants to help with fighting your cold. Just avoid caffeinated teas since they could make you more alert, which may interfere with naps and sleeping off the sickness, Young said.
Bonus: Research suggests that lifelong tea drinkers may be less likely to face early cognitive decline, certain types of cancer and cardiovascular disease. So, if you discover a love of tea in the middle of fighting a cold, it might not be such a bad thing.
5. Sweet potatoes
Eat a microwaved or roasted sweet potato if you have the appetite when you’re feeling under the weather. Sweet potatoes are an excellent source of beta carotene. The body converts beta carotene into vitamin A after consumption, which is a necessary nutrient for a strong immune system, according to the National Institute of Health.
And then take it easy. You’ll be on your way to better health in no time.
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January 30, 2018
US Vets Wining War On Opioid Over-prescribing
From Science Daily: A new study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, published by Springer, shows that opioid prescribing has dropped after a peak in 2012. Lead author Katherine Hadlandsmyth of the Iowa City VA Healthcare System and the University of Iowa in the US further noted that the decline was mostly due to decreases in long-term opioid prescribing, which carries much greater risk for harmful side effects, addiction and overdose, relative to short-term prescribing. In contrast, studies of general US health care outside the VHA have shown decreases in short-term opioid use, but potential increases in long-term use.
Hadlandsmyth and her team analyzed VHA prescription data from 2010 to 2016, which included more than four million veterans per year. In 2010, opioids were prescribed at least once to 20.8 percent (962,193 out of around 4.63 million) of them. By 2016, this figure dropped to 16.1 percent (803,888 of 4.99 million) of veterans who received outpatient prescriptions for opioid products such as hydrocodone, oxycodone and fentanyl.
After describing overall opioid prescribing, more detailed examination of the data focused on long-term opioid use, which accounted for about 90 percent of VHA opioid prescriptions during the study period. This analysis revealed a decrease in the percentage of veterans who received long-term opioid treatment in the VHA system from 9.5 percent in 2012, to 6.2 percent in 2016. According to Hadlandsmyth, this was not because many existing long-term users stopped taking opioids, but principally because fewer veterans receiving new opioid prescriptions went on to become long-term opioid users. The likelihood of a veteran becoming a new long-term opioid user decreased overall from 2.8 percent in 2011 to 1.1 percent in 2016.
Hadlandsmyth argues that the improved prescribing patterns might be the result of recent initiatives by the VHA emphasizing opioid safety and non-opioid alternatives for chronic pain treatment. Since 2010, VHA has provided clinical practice guidelines to medical practitioners about how best to use opioids to manage chronic pain, and how to select and monitor patients. These guidelines include suggestions on how to wean patients off opioid medications if treatment goals are not reached.
The VHA now also considers complementary treatments and multimodal therapy options for pain management, including behavioral, chiropractic and stepped care. In addition, the VA Opioid Safety Initiative implemented in 2013 sets out specific clinical safety targets aimed at reducing high-dose opioid use and concurrent benzodiazepine prescription, as well as the monitoring of patients via urine drug screens and inspection of state prescription drug monitoring databases.
“Future work to understand precisely which initiatives have most positively impacted opioid prescribing would be necessary to maintain effective approaches within VHA,” adds Hadlandsmyth, who further believes that other healthcare systems might learn from the VHA example.
Veterans, looking for addiction treatment resources? Visit Recovery Guidance to find options for you, near you.
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Amazon, JPMorgan, Berkshire Jumping Into Healthcare Business
The leaders of each company, Amazon’s Jeff Bezos, Buffet, and JPMorgan’s Jamie Dimon, offered few details Tuesday and said that the project is in the early planning stage.
“The ballooning costs of (health care) act as a hungry tapeworm on the American economy,” Buffett said in a prepared statement. “Our group does not come to this problem with answers. But we also do not accept it as inevitable.”
The new company will be independent and “free from profit-making incentives and constraints.” The businesses said the new venture’s initial focus would be on technology that provides “simplified, high-quality and transparent” care.
It was not clear if the ultimate goal involves expanding the ambitious project beyond Amazon, Berkshire or JPMorgan. However, JPMorgan’s Dimon said Tuesday that, “our goal is to create solutions that benefit our U.S. employees, their families and, potentially, all Americans.”
Shares in health care companies took a big hit in early trading Tuesday, hinting at the threat of the new entity to how health care is paid for and delivered in the U.S.
Before the opening bell, eight of the top 10 decliners on the Standard & Poor’s 500 index were health care companies.
The need for a solution to the health care crises in the U.S. is intense. With about 151 million non-elderly people, employer-sponsored coverage is the largest part of the U.S. health insurance market.
Health care costs for companies routinely rise faster than inflation and eat up bigger portions of their budgets. Americans are mired in a confusing system that creates a mix of prices in the same market for the same procedure or drug and offers no easy path for finding the best deal.
Employers have hiked deductibles and other expenses for employees and their families to dissipate the costs, which has hit Americans hard.
Only 50 percent of companies with three to 49 employees offered coverage last year, according to the nonprofit Kaiser Family Foundation. That’s down from 66 percent more than a decade ago. The federal Affordable Care Act requires all companies with 50 or more full-time employees to offer it.
Amazon, Berkshire and JP Morgan say they can bring their scale and “complementary expertise” to what they describe as a long-term campaign.
Amazon’s entry into the health market has been perceived as imminent, even though the company had announced nothing publicly.
It has been watched very closely on Wall Street, which as seen Amazon disrupt numerous industries, from booksellers to clothing and electronics chains.
Amazon, which mostly sold books when it was founded more than 20 years ago, has radically altered the way in which people buy diapers, toys or paper towels. Most recently it has upended the grocery sector, spending $14 billion last year for Whole Foods Market Inc.
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