Alex Watkins

U.S. Alcohol Consumption Guidelines May Be Changing

by Alex Watkins | Aug 14, 2020 | Content

For decades, Americans have been told that moderate drinking is defined as two drinks a day for men and one for women. Now, a draft report from the Dietary Advisory Committee, a panel of experts that meets every five years to examine the latest science and recommend...

FDA: Opioid Labels Must Include Info About Naloxone

by Alex Watkins | Aug 12, 2020 | Content

The Food and Drug Administration recently announced it would require drug manufacturers to include information about naloxone on the labels of opioid painkillers. Naloxone, often referred to by the brand name Narcan, has been used in the U.S. to reverse opioid...

Proposed Bill Could Make Remote Addiction Treatment Permanent

by Alex Watkins | Jul 30, 2020 | Content

U.S. Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) recently introduced the Telehealth Response for E-prescribing Addiction Therapy Services (TREATS) Act to support the expansion of telehealth services for substance use disorder treatment. The bill would...

SAMHSA : Health Privacy Rule Revised, Modernizing Care Coordination for Americans Seeking Treatment for Substance Use Disorders

by Alex Watkins | Jul 28, 2020 | Content

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has announced the adoption of the revised Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder Patient Records regulation, 42 CFR Part 2. The new rule advances the integration of healthcare for individuals...

Treating Patients with Opioid Use Disorder in Their Homes

by Alex Watkins | Jul 22, 2020 | Content

More than 2 million people in the U.S. with an opioid use disorder (OUD) need treatment and an increasing number of individuals are receiving treatment, yet less than 20% receive effective medications such as buprenorphine. There are myriad reasons why individuals...