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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

After reading these articles, you should be able to…

The death of a child is an unfathomable loss. Losing a child to addiction carries with it a different kind of grief, often wrapped up in stigma, guilt, and shame. The reaction of others, including the healthcare providers who tried to treat the addiction, can help or hurt in healing from that grief.

In today’s fast-paced, technology-focused, and cost-conscious healthcare environment, many clinical caregivers find themselves anxious, frustrated, and under pressure.

Get insight into how healthcare providers can say ‘I’m sorry” to patients and families when a bad outcome occurs, along with other legal dimensions to consider, in an interview with Minneapolis attorney Mark R. Whitmore, Esq.