In early November, Governor Tom Wolf signed legislation that legalized the use of fentanyl test strips in Pennsylvania. Before reaching Governor Wolf’s desk, the legislation passed the PA House and Senate unanimously. This change comes as fentanyl continues to escalate overdose rates in Pennsylvania and across the United States. Fentanyl, which is undetectable by sight, […]
Addiction
Adding to the Universal Addiction Medicine Toolbox
Dawn Lindsay, Ph.D, is the Director of Research and Evaluation at IRETA. Dawn and her team have been working with the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP) this past year to develop a clinical guideline addressing the management and treatment of stimulant use disorders. This project is […]
Making Sure Youth Substance Use Prevention Efforts are Effective
Most adults who meet the criteria for substance use disorder began their use in their teenage or young adult years. For this reason, early and effective substance use prevention for youth is extremely important. “Effective” is a key word when it comes to youth substance use prevention efforts. For years, Project Drug Abuse Resistance Education […]
Celebrating Recovery
September is Recovery Month! IRETA is proud to celebrate pathways to recovery with the Pittsburgh Recovery Walk.
IRETA Continues to Provide Intensive Learning Experience on Substance Use Disorders for Medical and Pharmacy Students
For 23 years, IRETA has hosted medical students for the Scaife Medical Student Fellowship in Substance Use Disorders. The program has been held virtually since 2020, due to COVID-19. This year’s program continued online. For three weeks in both June and July, small cohorts of medical and pharmacy students logged in from across the country […]
Will the FDA’s Crackdown on Tobacco Products Help Improve Public Health?
Is a Juul ban enough to solve the problem of nicotine addiction in young adults? Time has shown us that bans often don’t keep people from using a product or substance.
How Can We Better Serve Transgender and Gender Non-Conforming Individuals in Addiction Treatment Settings?
Despite that fact that transgender and gender non-conforming people disproportionately experience substance use and mental health disorders, there is a lack of trans-inclusive care and knowledge about gender identity within the addiction treatment field.
Happy National Nurses Week from IRETA
This week is National Nurses Week. We would like to take this opportunity to thank the nurses who work specifically in the field of substance use disorder treatment.
The Role of Alcohol in the Overdose Crisis
Much of the recent discourse in the addiction treatment and recovery community has touched upon the record-breaking rise in overdose deaths in the United States, as well as the sharp uptick in alcohol use that came about at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. But very rarely is alcohol discussed as being a part of […]
The Importance of Speaking the Same Language in Addiction Treatment
There is a recognizable need for improved treatment for substance use disorder in the United States. Drug overdose deaths are at an all-time high and standardization of the delivery and coverage for addiction treatment can be hard to find. Unfortunately, as it stands, addiction treatment and reimbursement practices can vary greatly from state to state, […]
