New episode coming this Thursday! Episode 6 of AMERSA’s Stigma & Substance Use podcast spotlights innovators working to expand access to lifesaving methadone in hospitals and withdrawal management settings. Subscribe to new episode alerts: amersa.org/amersa-podcast/

The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System is getting attention bc RFK Jr. & his antivaxx goons plan to use VAERS to claim COVID vaccines killed children. This is an actual VAERS report for a reported death after COVID vaccine. This is what these people count as data showing “death after vaccine:”

House Republicans add to support for maintaining NIH budget in 2026 Both chambers of Congress have now rejected Trump’s proposed 40% cut www.science.org/content/arti...

Enough is enough. The health of the country is in danger. Read our resignation letters: insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-n...

Demetre Daskalakis' resignation letter. One for the history books. www.hopiumchronicles.com/p/the-resign...

The MATTERS referral network has expanded into Allegheny County, Pennsylvania! Our new referral platform makes it simple for partners to connect people to treatment for substance use disorder in as little as 3 minutes. Learn more: mattersnetwork.org/referral-platform

Final Call! 🚨 Today is the last day to submit your nomination for AMERSA’s Nov 2025–Oct 2028 Board of Directors. Don’t miss your chance to help shape AMERSA’s future and make an impact in our community. Submit your self-nomination TODAY: amersa.org/amersa-board...

This week, my family had the privilege of participating in the AAC Institute's 2025 ICAN Talk Summer Camp! Silas is seven years old, autistic, and non-speaking. High-tech AAC devices can help him reach his full potential and maximize independence. www.linkedin.com/feed/update/...

It's not too late to register for the AMERSA 2025 Pre-Conference on Wednesday, November 12. Join us for one of three local site visits, an advocacy workshop, and a short film screening followed by a panel discussion! Register Now: tinyurl.com/RegisterAMER...

Register now for the best conference on substance use and addiction! @amersa.org ALWAYS fills up early. Researchers, educators, clinicians, harm reductionists, and all others addressing substance use challenges are welcome! #AMERSA2025 amersa.org/annual-confe...

Already registered for AMERSA 2025? Share this graphic and let others know you’ll be there! Let’s build excitement as we get ready to learn from and support one another this fall. We can’t wait to see you in Portland! Encourage your friends and colleagues to register: tinyurl.com/RegisterAMER...

The latest publication from the PhARM-OUD project – led by Tyler Varisco at the PhARM Program with funding from FORE – describes challenges and opportunities for improving buprenorphine access in pharmacies with a focus on wholesale distributors. doi.org/10.1016/j.da...

Congratulations to Dr. Pooja Lagisetty, the 2025 Best Research Abstract Award winner! We look forward to hearing Dr. Lagisetty present her work in November at the AMERSA Conference in Portland.

Appreciate this NYT coverage about Contingency Management, one of the most studied approaches to treating addiction- and one of our strongest tools to help people with stimulant use disorders. Rewards, not punishment! www.nytimes.com/2025/07/16/h...

It's time to cycle in new members for the @amersa.org Board of Directors! Researchers, educators, clinicians, paraprofessionals, & others engaged in addressing substance use challenges are welcome to self-nominate. Learn more about the BoD & apply now! amersa.org/amersa-board...

Last week, Pitt Pharmacy PERU staff came together for our first annual retreat. We closed with an outstanding seminar by Tyler Varisco from the UT Austin PhARM Program focused on pharmacy-level barriers to buprenorphine access! #PhARMOUD #FORE #NABP #NCPA youtu.be/FcTt9eYpJls

Congratulations to the 2025 Workforce Development Award Winners: Vanessa Mareno, DDS, MPH; Kaitlyn Small, BA, CARC; Kimber King; Axl Kaminski, JD, MA; Shane Stone, MD; and Jessica Machado, RN, BScN, MSN. We look forward to welcoming you at #AMERSA2025!

How can we make sense of current trends in the illicit drug supply and evaluate potential contributors to the recent decline in overdose deaths? Join us next week for Addiction Medicine Grand Rounds with Dr. Nabarun Dasgupta - in person and online! 🔗 medicine.yale.edu/internal-med...

The PhARM Program interviewed SSP participants in ATX to explore wound care knowledge & practices. Avoidance of conventional healthcare settings was common, & some practices were potentially harmful. Triage training for SSP staff is a promising solution. journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

Congratulations to the AMERSA 2024 Best Workshop Award winner! This award, based on participant reviews, is presented each year to an outstanding workshop delivered at the annual conference. @ayeshaappamd.bsky.social @kinnathakarar.bsky.social @madelinemc5.bsky.social @katelcsw.bsky.social

One of the reasons our family relocated to Pittsburgh was to access services at the ICAN Talk Clinic for our nonspeaking autistic son. Please consider donating to support their summer camp so more kids like Silas can attend regardless of ability to pay! secure2.convio.net/hcf/site/TR;...

Trying to help identify a clinical pharmacist with experience in pediatric substance use disorder treatment for a presentation opportunity with a national pharmacy organization. Any recommendations?

The Oath of the Pharmacist was changed this month to remove wording about diversity, equity, and inclusion in the wake of Trump's anti-DEI executive order. What an absolute letdown. I am so livid and unbelievably disappointed AACP and APhA. Allyship is hard - SHOW UP when it counts. This isn't it.

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs) like methadone can cut overdose risk and save lives. We spoke with an expert on overdose deaths about how MOUDs can prevent fatalities, and the barriers to accessing them. Read or watch the full discussion: drugpolicy.org/resource/ove...

The ACA was cool because before the ACA EVERY SINGLE CHILD WITH CANCER hit their annual and lifetime limits almost immediately and were denied insurance for the rest of their lives and after the ACA that’s illegal.

Seems obvious to me that people with physical dependence on alcohol who are hospitalized for something other than acute alcohol wd mgmt or acute/chronic liver dz should continue to drink while inpatient. Are there any reputable guidelines stating this?

Thanks to ADAW for giving me an opportunity to comment in their coverage of the opioid public health emergency renewal. doi-org.pitt.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/adaw...

"Opioid stewardship can no longer be defined by a narrow focus on reducing opioid prescribing...Instead, it must be defined by a comprehensive approach to caring for populations that use opioids with the primary goal of minimizing harm." accpjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...

The nominee to oversee most US biomed research as NIH director is one of the sketchiest “researchers.” He is known for a 2020 publication that many used to advocate against COVID public health measures, which turned out to have underestimated the case fatality rate by a 35-fold margin of error…(1/2)

Pharmacies could be important partners for methadone access in our evolving system, but we don’t know if they are likely to dispense it. Here we share that 47.6% of AZ pharmacies -were very likely or somewhat likely to dispense methadone for OUD when permitted. www.japha.org/article/S154...

I want to shine a light on one of the organizations I donate to - OutYouth! OutYouth is a safe harbor for kids and teens of all gender identities in central Texas. The first donation I made to them was used to buy groceries for queer teens that had been kicked out of their homes. www.outyouth.org

#StandUpforScience local rally in Pittsburgh is confirmed! 📅 March 7, 2025 ⏰ 11 AM-1:30 PM 📍Schenley Plaza, Pittsburgh Follow the local rally’s Instagram @savesciencepgh for updates Spread the word 🔥 @standupforscience.bsky.social #StandUpForScience2025 #ScienceForAll #ScienceNotSilence #STEM

Our team is hiring! The Research & Evaluation Manager for PERU will contribute to research initiatives focused on a range of public health challenges, including substance use & suicide. They will also contribute to development of funding proposals. cfopitt.taleo.net/careersectio...

DOGE recommended firing workers at: -FDA, which oversees Neuralink -FAA, which oversees SpaceX -USAID, which probed Starlink -CFPB, which oversees Tesla's financing arm and a potential payment platform on X. "Conflict of interest" is a severe understatement.

The best annual conference for substance use researchers, educators, clinicians, and paraprofessionals is coming to Portland in November 2025. As abstract co-chairs, Shoshi Aronowitz and I are eager to review your applications to present (due 5/1)! @amersa.org #AMERSA2025

It is perfectly legal to know your rights and to educate others about them, too. EVERYONE in the United States, citizen or not, has rights. I will not allow this administration to intimidate us from helping you know about them. Here’s our shareable guide ⬇️: (pt. 1/2)

Advocating to elected officials is important, & posting here is valuable, but our voices are needed on Facebook. People in our lives who know little about our fields & consume biased media need to hear the truth. Post facts not attacks, & engage with as much patience & grace as you can.

Roses are red, Violets are blue, RFK Jr was confirmed, Looks like we’ll all get bird flu.

Just got off a webinar with a prominent national law firm on rules change on indirect rate. AAMC and other orgs on panel too. First, need to be convey that the rates are actual costs, not just overhead to pad the university coffers. Example- Institutional Review Board, space/utilities 1/4

Looking for a fantastic Registered Nurse in Los Angeles (South Bay area) to who wants to work as a Nurse Care Manager in our clinical trial working with primary care patients with substance use. Start ASAP. Great team and study. (Pass the word) #Nursing phg.tbe.taleo.net/phg03/ats/ca...

In Spring 2024, we sent trained auditors into all 125 pharmacies in Austin, Texas to find OTC naloxone & attempt to purchase a 10-pack of syringes. Proud to contribute to this study led by @thesudpharmd.bsky.social w/support from a team of dedicated pharmacy students. jamanetwork.com/journals/jam...

Check out our latest secret-shopper audit of Austin, TX community pharmacies in JAMA Network Open, confirming anecdotal reports that many pharmacies are unwilling to sell syringes to people who inject drugs and that naloxone is not consistently stocked. bit.ly/3Eoegzt

Let's all say it out loud. These people are fascists & this is a fascist take-over of the United States. You can couch your words more carefully, but the speed and ferocity of what is happening now is part-and-parcel of a coup. The GOP in Congress has surrendered. The Dems are out of their depth. 1/

I use social media both to promote the work of my unit / institution & to express personal views. I do not speak on behalf of others in these instances, & sharing these views is consistent with established principles of academic freedom. www.aaup.org/report/acade... @aaup.bsky.social

This is undoubtedly such a time. www.aaup.org/report/again...

If you want to work with my amazing research team, we have a job opening for a senior research administrator at University of Pittsburgh. Need someone enthusiastic and experienced. cfopitt.taleo.net/careersectio...

Help us advance AMERSA's advocacy goals in 2025! The AMERSA Advocacy Committee is seeking an AMERSA member to join the 9-person core working group of the Committee. Learn more here: amersa.org/amersa-advoc.... The deadline to apply is January 20.

Two weeks left to submit an episode proposal for AMERSA's two NEW upcoming podcast series! 1) Stigma and Substance Use: Rewriting the Narrative and, 2) Equity in Action: Advancing SUD Solutions. To learn more & 𝘀𝘂𝗯𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗮𝗹 𝗯𝘆 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟯𝟭, visit amersa.org/podcast-fina...

We are proud to announce our SAj Editorial Scholar Program (amersa.org/saj-editoria...)! The goal of the Program is to engage early career clinical or health services scholars with SAj’s editorial team to learn about editorial decision-making and enhance skills in scientific communication.