There is growing interest from a number of entities in regard to America's opioid addiction problem, methadone treatment, suboxone treatment, and the always important funding considerations that accompany these subjects.

This interest is coming from hospitals & the larger medical establishment across the country, your local community, the Federal government's Medicaid services division, your State's Division of Health and Human Services who allocate state dollars for opioid treatment, private insurance companies, employers, and the list goes on and on.

The nationwide costs and consequences of addiction are enormous. The cost of treating addiction is also very large. However, research has proven repeatedly that addiction treatment produces undeniable cost benefits. In other words, treating addiction saves money in the long run by helping addicted individuals arrest their disease and become functional again. For many of the entities listed above, it's all about the dollars. And more specifically, saving ...

read more

How doctors view methadone is becoming a hot topic. A friend recently informed me that the TV celebrity doctor, commonly known as Dr. Drew, was against methadone and had publicly made negative comments about the medication. I was disappointed to learn of this because Dr. Drew has a fairly large national audience who follow his opinion on medical matters. I then noticed that Dr. Jana Burson (a well-educated and experienced opioid addiction professional) had written on this topic, and herself questioned why Dr. Drew had made derogatory comments in regard to methadone. Dr. Burson knows firsthand how incredibly beneficial methadone is to those suffering with chronic opioid dependency. If a physician deserves a national audience & voice on this topic, it is Dr. Jana Burson, not Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Physicians typically seem to fall into one of two camps: either those who are educated on addiction and modern addiction treatment approaches ...

read more

The results of a NIDA-funded study prepared by RTI International in Research Triangle Park, NC were just released. The study sought to determine the approximate annual cost, per client, of providing a quality methadone treatment program.

The study was completed in close association with Alcohol and Drug Services who operated three methadone clinics in Greensboro, High Point, and Burlington, North Carolina. Estimating the costs to operate an opioid treatment program is a difficult undertaking with many variables which must be accurately factored into a comprehensive analysis.

Some of the variables include: numerous monthly facility-related fees (lease, utilities, cleaning & maintenance), staff salaries, medication, medical equipment, urinalysis testing & lab fees, office equipment (phones, computers, copiers), educational materials and media devices, marketing & promotion, administrative & accounting costs, accreditation fees, medical records, and many other miscellaneous costs. The client census for any opioid treatment program also factors heavily into the clinic's financial viability as ...

read more

Teen drug abuse is a persistent problem in America, and unfortunately, is on the rise again. With recent State and Federal budget cuts, funding across the country for adolescent drug treatment has dwindled. There are far fewer drug rehab facilities today than there were just 5 years ago. Locating inpatient and outpatient teen rehab programs has become a challenge for parents and adults seeking local teen drug treatment resources.

RehabForTeens.org is a new online information center which provides general information on teen substance abuse and contact information for a variety of teen drug rehab programs across the United States. The site was launched in January 2012 and will undergo periodic updates to keep people informed on the availability of teen rehab programs in each U.S. state.

RehabForTeens.org describes the different types of drug treatments available for teenagers and offers a blog from the unique perspective of parents ...

read more