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IRETA

IRETA

Institute for Research, Education & Training in Addictions

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Peter F. Luongo, Ph.D., IRETA Executive Director

Rethinking Methadone: A Tool for Care, Not a One-Size-Fits-All Solution

Written by Peter F. Luongo, Ph.D., IRETA Executive Director | January 10, 2025

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 […]

Filed Under: News Tagged With: addiction medicine, addiction treatment, Blog, Harm Reduction, substance use disorder

When it Comes to Addiction Treatment, We Must Do as the Romans Did

Written by Peter F. Luongo, Ph.D., IRETA Executive Director | September 26, 2023

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 […]

Filed Under: Addiction, News

Opportunity Out of Crisis: A Natural Experiment

Written by Peter F. Luongo, Ph.D., IRETA Executive Director | February 22, 2021

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges and opportunities for substance disorder treatment. IRETA and Vital Strategies are studying effects of OTP rule changes.

Filed Under: Addiction, Evidence-Based and Best Practices, IRETA and Our Services, News, Pittsburgh

We Need to Rethink the Way We Provide Services That Are Supposed to Help People

Written by Peter F. Luongo, Ph.D., IRETA Executive Director | May 17, 2017

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.

Filed Under: Evidence-Based and Best Practices, Pittsburgh

A Message from the Executive Director

Written by Peter F. Luongo, Ph.D., IRETA Executive Director | November 4, 2013

“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.

Filed Under: IRETA and Our Services

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IRETA

The Institute for Research, Education and Training in Addictions (IRETA) is an independent 501(c)3 nonprofit located in Pittsburgh, PA. Our mission is to help people respond effectively to substance use and related problems.

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611 William Penn Place
Suite 301
Pittsburgh, PA 15219

P: 412-258-8565
F: 412-391-2528

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