47 articles found
Browse Rainier Rehab's editorial coverage of Opioid addiction. Our writers track federal and state policy, peer-reviewed research, treatment innovations, and frontline reporting from the addiction recovery field. Each article in this collection cites primary sources — government datasets (SAMHSA, NIH, CDC), Medicaid and Medicare bulletins, JAMA and Lancet studies, and on-the-record statements from clinicians, regulators, and people in recovery — so readers can verify claims and dig deeper.
We update this tag whenever new opioid addiction reporting publishes. If you're a researcher, journalist, or family member trying to make sense of substance use disorder treatment, this is the working archive. For a directory of accredited treatment facilities, visit our facilities directory; to compare modalities, see our treatments overview and levels of care guide.
A state audit found all 100 sampled opioid treatment services billed to Medicaid missed at least one requirement, and flagged $875,696 in possible methadone overpayments.
Federal regulators opened a public docket Monday on the design of early-phase ibogaine trials — the strongest signal yet that government-funded research into the Schedule I psychedelic is moving forward.
A national Medicaid study finds one in 32 young people with opioid use disorder stays on medication for six months, and fewer than 10 minors received methadone at all.
Virginia Tech researchers built a battery-free microneedle patch that senses fentanyl under the skin and releases naloxone on its own — human use is four years out.
Colorado votes in November on Prop 132, which sets eight-to-32-year mandatory sentences for fentanyl distribution and would cost the state an estimated $68 million.
CMS approved Maine's re-entry waiver on Sept. 25, letting jails bill MaineCare for addiction care 60 days before release. Billing starts July 2028.
Orexo resubmitted its application for IZIPRY, a high-dose naloxone nasal powder aimed at fentanyl-era overdoses that need more than one rescue dose.
UC San Diego's new Polysubstance Addiction Research Center will study cocaine, oxycodone, alcohol and their combinations in one coordinated five-year program.
Philadelphia's first mobile methadone van has connected 567 people to medication since a soft launch — and nine in ten were unhoused when they walked up.
A NIDA-funded pilot trial in New York City enlisted gancheros — people paid to inject others — as harm-reduction conduits, raising sterile syringe use 25%.
Austin-Travis County EMS went door to door on Sixth Street handing out Narcan kits after five suspected opioid overdoses, two weeks before ACL Festival.
In a national sample of 58,000 adults with opioid, alcohol or cannabis dependence, men had lower odds of depression and anxiety but higher odds of psychosis.
With a new two-year NIDA grant, UT San Antonio researchers will test whether astrocytes in the brain's reward hub naturally suppress cocaine and fentanyl seeking.
Study of 2,053 treatment facilities finds gabapentin prescribing rising despite weak evidence; unprescribed use runs nearly double the prescription rate.
New statewide call and text service offers immediate help with ongoing follow-up support for Californians seeking opioid addiction treatment.
New CDC data reveals surprising trends in addiction medication access: rural pharmacies now dispense more buprenorphine per capita than urban ones, while ED-based treatment remains an urban privilege.
On National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day, experts emphasize education, harm reduction, and real-time detection tools as essential strategies.
Iowa's new I-BEACON program connects healthcare providers with addiction medicine experts around the clock, expanding access to medication-assisted treatment across all 99 counties.
Eight opioid manufacturers will pay Oklahoma about $12 million as the state's abatement board approves a fourth round of grants to cities, counties, and trusts.
A University of Utah economic evaluation finds Mindfulness-Oriented Recovery Enhancement saves $324,000 per patient over a lifetime, outpacing standard addiction care.
DEA's inaugural Fentanyl Free America Summit concludes with enforcement results showing over 4 million pills and 1,158 kilograms of fentanyl powder seized in six weeks.
Scripps Research develops vaccine candidate that generates antibodies to neutralize fentanyl, potentially helping people in recovery avoid relapse
Mass General Brigham study shows mobile clinics can effectively deliver buprenorphine and harm reduction services to people who use drugs, with 15% retention at 6 months
State-commissioned assessment identifies justice-involved individuals as priority population for $99 million in settlement dollars through 2038
Air quality emergencies create life-threatening barriers for patients on medication-assisted treatment, yet public health warnings rarely mention this hidden risk
A new study reveals that over 93% of rural US counties have no Medicare-enrolled opioid treatment program, creating dangerous barriers to methadone access for 9.3 million Medicare enrollees.
New research reveals GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy may significantly reduce opioid overdoses and alcohol intoxication rates.
Senators Markey and Paul reintroduce legislation to expand methadone access by allowing board-certified addiction specialists to prescribe the medication for pharmacy pickup.
Landmark Canadian study shows take-home naloxone kits prevented nearly 4 in 5 fatal overdoses from 2019-2024, offering evidence for harm reduction strategies
FDA approves Rextovy, a new OTC naloxone nasal spray, broadening access to opioid overdose reversal medication as part of the Great American Recovery Initiative.
For the first time since 2013, Massachusetts recorded fewer than 1,000 opioid-related overdose deaths in 2025, marking a nearly 60% decline from the 2022 peak.
New research on 600,000+ veterans reveals GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy significantly reduce substance use disorders across alcohol, opioids, cocaine, and nicotine.
The Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition deploys distinctive purple dispensing boxes across Southwest Virginia, making life-saving naloxone freely available in communities with some of the state's highest overdose rates.
Law enforcement reports fentanyl increasingly combined with xylazine, medetomidine, nitazenes and cychlorphine—substances that resist naloxone reversal.
As overdose deaths finally begin to fall, a new class of ultra-potent synthetic opioids is emerging in the US drug supply, presenting unprecedented challenges for detection and treatment.
NIH-funded research reveals how oral GLP-1 medications penetrate deep into brain reward circuits, offering new pathways for treating substance use disorders beyond weight loss.
CDC study reveals gabapentin detection in overdose deaths increased significantly, with 85-90% of cases also involving opioids
Tennessee becomes latest state to legalize FDA-approved ibogaine research, joining Texas and Arizona in studying the psychedelic for PTSD and opioid addiction treatment.
Trump administration reverses harm reduction policy, prohibiting federal funds for drug testing supplies and sterile syringes while emphasizing abstinence-based recovery approaches.
Despite federal relaxations, Wisconsin's restrictive methadone regulations force patients to visit clinics seven days a week, creating barriers to treatment access.
Tens of thousands of individuals harmed by OxyContin will receive nothing from Purdue's $7.4 billion bankruptcy settlement after strict eligibility changes and documentation requirements.
Leaked details reveal DEA plans to limit telehealth prescriptions for controlled substances, requiring 50% in-person visits and affecting buprenorphine access for opioid use disorder treatment.
Study of 600,000 U.S. veterans finds GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy associated with dramatic reductions in substance use disorder complications, overdoses, and deaths.
New research reveals 20% of U.S. pharmacies refuse to dispense buprenorphine, creating critical barriers to opioid addiction treatment despite federal expansion efforts.
New JAMA study shows Medicaid expansion significantly increased access to buprenorphine for opioid use disorder, with Oklahoma seeing 43% drop in overdose deaths.
White House prepares executive order to fund research into ibogaine for PTSD and traumatic brain injury, potentially opening new avenues for addiction treatment research.
National Institute on Drug Abuse researchers transform a dangerous synthetic opioid class into a potential therapeutic, creating a compound that relieves pain without causing tolerance, dependence, or fatal overdose risk.