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SNJMATCOE Blog
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What Clinicians Need to Know About Alcoh...
There are drugs that have more potential for developing problematic use, and there are drugs that can do more damage to one’s health. But without a doubt, no drug is more common, expected even, than alcohol. Be it fine dining, a 21 st birthday, or cooking outside in the summer, alcohol is a part of America’s social fabric and, as such, alcohol use disorder (AUD) is a common diagnosis that affects people from all walks of life. Because of this, all health care providers should have an...
Addressing Pain in People Who Have Strug...
Christine Collins, MD Pain management can be challenging for healthcare providers in any context. Pain is a complex and critically important symptom that can affect outcomes and profoundly change a patient’s life. The improper issuance of prescription opioids in the late 1990s through the mid-2000s is widely recognized as a contributing factor to a particularly deadly wave of opioid addiction in the United States. As providers began to understand risks associated with prescription...
Integrating Addiction Care into Everyday...
Substance use disorders are among the most common health conditions in the United States, yet sufficient care is out of reach for many in need. Meeting the moment requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. Everyone in health care should have at least a general understanding of addiction as a disease, how to screen for and treat it, and understand the best language to use in the office regarding drug use. On March 13, the SNJMATCOE is hosting a full-day Office-Based Addiction Care symposium...
Beyond Xylazine: How Medetomidine’s Rise...
For several years, addiction medicine providers and health workers in Philadelphia have worked to adapt to a new additive in the regional drug supply. Xylazine, sometimes known by its nickname “tranq,” appeared in the fentanyl sold locally on the street and was causing new and harmful symptoms in the people who used it. Xylazine is what’s known as an alpha-2 agonist. It binds with a person’s alpha-2 receptors and reduces the release of norepinephrine causing a sedative effect. Its emergence...
How to Care for Older Adults Facing Subs...
America is aging. The Baby Boomer generation has largely entered retirement and, for many, social or health complications they faced in their youth have continued into their golden years. That includes drug use and addiction. More older adults than ever are being diagnosed each year with substance use disorders, but the capacity to provide quality, evidence-based care has not kept pace. This patient population—generally adults age 55 and older—faces challenges that younger patients often...
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