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Tag: opiates

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Epi

Buprenorphine Access, Stunting “Conversion Gaps,” and the Hidden Costs of Care

What This Week’s Public Health Studies Signal for Equity and Systems Public health Public health is often discussed in big numbers—mortality, prevalence, national spending. But this week’s research shows something more practical: outcomes hinge on systems. Where people live, how services are delivered, whether care is affordable, and whether health systems can “convert” resources into […]

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News

Rethinking Risk Estimates, Fixing Guideline Gaps, and Building Injury & Overdose Data Systems

Public health progress isn’t just about new treatments—it’s about better measurement, better systems, and smarter equity-focused implementation. This week’s research and policy-focused reviews highlight a common theme: when we improve how we estimate risk, collect data, and design quality frameworks, everyday care decisions become more accurate—and often more fair. When “the denominator” changes the story: […]

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Global

New Study Shows the Next 25 Years of Opiate Risk

At a community clinic in Ohio, a young clinician unlocks the naloxone cabinet before the first patient even arrives. It’s become as routine as checking email. She knows the calls will come—parents frantic about sons who relapsed, neighbors reporting overdoses, patients trying their fourth round of detox. The opioid epidemic is no longer a wave; […]

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Epi

Fentanyl Overdoses Are Falling — But Not for Everyone

A public health story about progress, gaps, and what emergency departments can do next At 2:30 a.m., an emergency department clinician administers naloxone to a young adult found unconscious in a parking lot. The patient survives. By morning, the ED is full again — overdoses, injuries, psychiatric crises, all colliding in the same space. For […]

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Mental health

Rural Opioid Crisis: New Evidence Shows a Deadlier Pattern

A paramedic in Northern Ontario trudges through deep snow toward a cabin where someone is reportedly unresponsive. The nearest emergency department is more than an hour away, and support is limited. After receiving repeated doses of naloxone, the individual finally begins to breathe. Scenes like this are increasingly common across rural and sparsely populated communities, […]

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Mental health

What Happens When Recovery Homes Run Out of Funding?

Every day, more than 200 people in the U.S. die from an opioid overdose. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)—like methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone—save lives. But medication alone isn’t enough. People in recovery also need stable, supportive places to live. That’s where recovery homes come in. These homes, often run on shoestring budgets and sheer […]

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Society

New Study Reveals 3 Big Myths About Kratom Use

A tea made from leaves. An ancient plant used for energy and pain. A trendy herbal product marketed in wellness stores and gas stations alike. Kratom means different things to different people—but for public health professionals, it may be the next frontier of both hope and harm. With more than two million users in the […]

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Mental health

The Two Faces of Opioids: A Global Crisis of Access and Excess

In one part of the world, a mother watches her child suffer in agony from advanced cancer, unable to get the pain relief he desperately needs. In another, a man battles opioid addiction, his life unraveling due to a prescription he was given years ago. These are the two faces of the global opioid crisis—one […]

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Policy

Does Recreational Marijuana Reduce Opioid Deaths?

Imagine living in a world where one policy change could potentially save thousands from the grip of opioid addiction—a real modern-day dilemma facing public health officials today. As states across the U.S. grapple with the devastating opioid crisis, some are turning to an unconventional ally: recreational marijuana. But does it help, or is it just […]

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Mental health

Understanding Overdose Spikes

Imagine you’re a public health official in Massachusetts. After weeks of routine overdose data reporting, a sudden spike in deaths hits your desk: an alarming five extra fatalities in just one day. What caused this? A bad batch of fentanyl? A sudden lapse in services? These are not just hypothetical questions. They highlight the challenges […]

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Mental health

Can Telehealth Bridge the Gap in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment? For Medicaid Patients, the Answer is Complicated

Imagine this: A single mother in Illinois struggles to balance work, childcare, and her battle with opioid use disorder (OUD). The COVID-19 pandemic, which upended daily life for millions, seems like it could provide a silver lining: telehealth services, offering remote access to essential treatment. But for her and many others on Medicaid, the promise […]

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