Addiction Recovery Weekly Roundup

1. Recovery from opioid addiction: What research says about role of steady employment

Are workplace recovery programs successful in helping people to quit abusing drugs and avoid relapsing? A growing field of research suggests the answer is yes, though their success may have more to do with incentives than the nature of work itself. [burlingtonfreepress.com]

2. Why are Kensington residents so opposed to the city’s alternative to open-air drug activity?

Former Gov. Ed Rendell, a proponent of overdose prevention sites in the city, revealed last month that a developer had offered Safehouse, the Philadelphia nonprofit trying to open the country’s first supervised injection facility, a property for $1 on Hilton Street, right in the heart of the “K&A” – the intersection of Kensington and Allegheny avenues, which has long been the city’s major drug hub. [philadelphiaweekly.com]

3. Share prices drop after fraud charges about opioid treatment drug

(AP) Shares in a British company that makes an opioid addiction-withdrawal drug lost about 70% of their value April 10 after its executives were accused of lying about the product for years to boost profits. Federal prosecutors in Abingdon filed fraud charges April 9 against Indivior, which makes Suboxone film strips that dissolve under the tongue. The drug is intended for use by people addicted to opioids, easing their withdrawal symptoms. [valawyersweekly.com]

4. What surprised Underwood, Casten and Garcia in their first 100 days in Congress

What surprised freshman Rep. Lauren Underwood, D-Ill., the most when she came to Congress 100 days ago – the thing she never expected – was “the number of documents that are on paper.“This is a body that does not work in electronic communication,” Underwood, 32, said. “…This is an institution that runs on printed paper. And I think it’s kind of crazy.” [chicago.suntimes.com]

5. At Opioid Rehab Facilities, New Suicide Prevention Guidelines Are Rolling Out

While some programs already screen for suicide and have fewer deaths, Michael Johnson, managing director for the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities, said “Right now, there are no real standards for suicide prevention in addiction treatment programs. We want to change that.” Other news on the opioid crisis looks at chronic pain patients and injections sites. [khn.org]