Methadone has long been a cornerstone of treatment for opioid use disorder, demonstrating its effectiveness as a lifesaving medication. However, it has also been treated as a one-size-fits-all level of care—a role it was never meant to fulfill. When methadone maintenance treatment was first tested in 1964 by Drs. Vincent Dole and Marie Nyswander in […]
When it Comes to Addiction Treatment, We Must Do as the Romans Did
In the world of high school education, there are teachers who leave a lasting impact on their students. For me, one such teacher was Brother Patrick, a man who bore a striking resemblance to the late Irish actor Barry Fitzgerald (whose movie credits include How Green was My Valley, Bringing Up Baby, and The Quiet […]
Opportunity Out of Crisis: A Natural Experiment
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges and opportunities for substance disorder treatment. IRETA and Vital Strategies are studying effects of OTP rule changes.
We Need to Rethink the Way We Provide Services That Are Supposed to Help People
The recent Allegheny County report, “Opiate-Related Overdose Deaths in Allegheny County: Risks and Opportunities for Intervention,” suggests we’re getting the results we should expect to get. Until you see the data, you wouldn’t guess it. Let’s analyze overdose in Allegheny County.
A Message from the Executive Director
“Whatever your life’s work is, do it well. A man should do his job so well that the living, the dead, and the unborn could do it no better.” – Martin Luther King, Jr.
