Overdose Carlat Reports | Carlat Publishing

Expert Q&A

From The Carlat Geriatric Psychiatry Report, Anxiety

CGPR: When do you start benzodiazepines in older adults? Dr. Aiken: The best evidence for benzodiazepines in the elderly is in panic disorder, followed by phobias, social anxiety disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder. Benzodiazepines are also the mainstay of treating catatonia, rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, and alcohol withdrawal. Ho

Research Update

Predicting and Preventing Fatal Opioid Overdoses

From The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report, Substance Use in Health Professionals

Topics: Opioid epidemic | Overdose | Prevention

Review of: Larochelle MR et al, Drug and Alcohol Depend 2019;204:107537 The epidemic of opioid-related deaths has been declared a public health emergency. Research has already described risk factors—or “touchpoints”—associated with an increased risk of opioid overdose: for example, certain clinical scenarios or incarceration. What’s less cl

Expert Q&A

Benzodiazepines: Old Medicines, New Concerns

From The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report, Emerging Risks for Old Medications

CATR: To begin, tell us about the research and clinical work you do. Dr. Morford: I am an assistant professor at the Yale School of Medicine in the Program of Addiction Medicine. I trained as a general internist, and I see patients primarily at a large opioid treatment program and in an inpatient setting on an addiction consult service. I’m involved

Clinical Update

Harm Reduction Strategies—A Primer

From The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report, Harm Reduction

As is frequently the case with chronic diseases, cure is often neither possible nor an appropriate goal in addiction treatment. That’s where the concept of “harm reduction” comes in. Such strategies can help prevent death, serious injury, or other negative consequences of substance use in patients who are continuing to use drugs or struggle with a

Expert Q&A

The Clinician’s Role: Reducing Harm Among People Who Use Drugs

From The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report, Harm Reduction

Topics: Hepatitis | HIV | Opioid epidemic | Overdose | Prevention

CATR: You came out with a book last September called Getting Wrecked: Women, Incarceration, and the American Opioid Crisis (University of California Press). What lessons from your book might be relevant to the practicing clinician? Dr. Sue: The book is based on my PhD work in sociocultural and medical anthropology. I spent a lot of time in Massachusett

Clinical Update

How to Talk to Patients About the Risk of Opioid Overdose

From The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report, Harm Reduction

Topics: Hepatitis | HIV | Opioid epidemic | Overdose | Prevention

There were 47,600 deaths due to opioid-related overdoses in 2017. Put another way, in the time it’ll take you to read this issue of CATR, almost 5 Americans will die from an opioid overdose (www.cdc.gov/drugoverdose/data/statedeaths.html). One important way to reduce risk is by empowering patients with the knowledge, skills, and tools to prevent and m

Expert Q&A

Treating Addiction in Patients Transitioning to/from Incarceration

From The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report, Legal Issues in Addiction Medicine

CATR: Could you tell us a bit about your background in working with people with addiction in the criminal justice system? Dr. Cropsey: I am a clinical psychologist and professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I conduct research and provide clinical care to patients with addiction within the criminal justice

News of Note

New Generic Versions of Naloxone

From The Carlat Addiction Treatment Report, Legal Issues in Addiction Medicine

Naloxone, a rescue medication effective for reversing opioid overdoses, will soon be available in two generic forms for layperson use. Naloxone nasal spray is the generic version of branded Narcan Nasal, which currently sells for $150 for two doses. The generic version will be much cheaper. Naloxone auto-injector is the generic version of Evzio au