Topics: Addiction | Free Articles | Psychopharmacology Tips

Informed consent—whether it be for psychotherapy, prescribing a medication, or performing a surgical procedure—is an ethical principle firmly established in law and medicine. While there has been no formal research on this subject, my experience suggests that many addiction treatment programs fail to obtain valid informed consent.

Topics: Addiction | Psychopharmacology Tips

Naltrexone first hit the US market as an oral medication (ReVia) way back in 1984. Over the years, it developed a solid reputation for treating alcoholism and remains a first-line therapy today. Naltrexone was a bust, however, when it came to treating opioid addiction.

Topics: Addiction | Psychopharmacology Tips

Get insight into the differences between methadone and buprenorphine when used to treat opioid addiction, in an interview with Gavin Bart, MD, PhD, FACP, FASAM, director of the division of addiction medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center in Minnesota.

Topics: Addiction | Research Updates

More than 100,000 Americans undergo surgery each year, about a 10-fold increase compared to the 1990s (Nguyen NT et al, J Am Coll Surg 2011;213(2):261–266). Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery (RYGB) is the most common procedure performed. As surgical volumes increased, reports started to emerge about addiction following surgery.

Topics: Addiction | News of Note

As deaths from heroin and other opioids continue to skyrocket nationwide, the FDA recently fast-tracked approval of a lifesaving device to reverse opioid overdoses.

Topics: Addiction | News of Note | Women's Issues in Psychiatry

The World Health Organization has released evidence-based guidelines for healthcare professionals to help pregnant women who abuse alcohol or other drugs.