Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Reckitt Benckiser may sell pharmaceuticals business


By Martinne Geller


LONDON (Reuters) - Reckitt Benckiser may sell its pharmaceuticals unit, which has been suffering from declining sales of its main heroin addiction drug, to focus on growing consumer health and household cleaning products businesses.

The British consumer goods group said on Tuesday it was reviewing options for the pharmaceuticals business, which analysts said could fetch over 2 billion pounds ($3.2 billion) and appeal to international drugmakers.
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http://www.methadone.org/downloads/documents/2013 1023Reuters Reckitt Benckiser may sell pharmaceuticals business.pdf

Tuesday, October 01, 2013

The Benefits of Including Methadone Treatment in Illinois’ State Medicaid Plan

The Illinois Association for Medication Assisted Addiction Treatment
October 2013

Executive Summary

Methadone is an inexpensive medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of heroin and other opioid dependence. Studies indicate that methadone reduces relapse, emergency department visits and hospital admissions. In general, the stability methadone provides helps patients better manage their overall health.

Including methadone treatment in Illinois’ State Medicaid Plan will reduce healthcare costs and help the state address the growing epidemic of opioid dependence. Patients can only access methadone treatment for their opioid dependence through the highly regulated Opioid Treatment Program (OTP) system. The system requires programs be registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration, certified by the federal Health and Human Services’ Center for Substance Abuse Treatment and licensed by the Illinois Department of Human Services’ Division of Alcoholism and Substance Abuse.

OTPs utilize a multidisciplinary team comprised of physicians, nurses, and counselors to address the bio-psycho-social needs of each individual patient. This holistic approach to treatment has been in place in OTPs for more than 40 years, long before most other systems embraced the health home model. The strong positive relationships between patients and professionals in OTPs helps patients feel empowered to address their own health needs.

Numerous studies have documented the cost savings generated by stabilizing opioid dependent individuals on methadone and helping them manage their comorbid conditions. Emergency department visits and hospital admissions are significantly reduced because patient health is carefully monitored and addressed. In spite of medical evidence documenting the effectiveness of methadone treatment and the cost savings achieved, some health plans have excluded this treatment modality. Patient advocates have suggested this is largely due to the stigma related to heroin addiction.

Untreated opioid dependence in Illinois leads to unnecessary emergency department visits and hospital admissions. Some of these visits are due to drug overdoses or attempts to seek treatment for withdrawal symptoms. However, others are due to the multiple unmanaged comorbid conditions, such as diabetes and hypertension, which are highly prevalent in opioid dependent individuals.

Illinois’ administrative leadership has demonstrated its commitment to resolving Illinois’ fiscal crisis. The cost savings achieved by covering methadone treatment in Illinois’ State Medicaid Plan can be part of this solution. In addition to saving taxpayer dollars in unnecessary hospitalizations, providing increased access to treatment aligns with three core objectives of Illinois’ Budgeting for Results initiative: 1) to improve the overall health of Illinois residents; 2) to meet the needs /improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable persons; and 3) to increase individual and family self-sufficiency.

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