Recent federal initiatives give trained physicians in office-based practices permission to use methadone for addicted patients (Perspective, p. 688). The initiatives, which include new legislation, regulations, and a shift in federal oversight, aim to expand access to substance abuse treatment. They permit primary care physicians to care for people with drug addiction who choose not to enter or cannot get into methadone treatment programs. These initiatives may make addiction treatment more like the care provided for other chronic medical conditions.
Testing Patients' Hair May Show How Well AIDS Drug is Working
When hair segments of 89 HIV-infected patients were tested for indinavir, a commonly used anti-HIV drug, the levels of the drug were significantly higher in those who were responding to therapy than those who were not responding (Brief Communication, p. 656). An editorial discusses details of hair analysis, which heretofore has been studied mostly for measuring exposure to cocaine, opiates and amphetamines (Editorial, p. 693). The editorial says "hair analysis represents a significant, convenient, and affordable advance in assessing exposure to antiretroviral therapies over extended periods." * * *
Latest Case Study in Patient Safety Series Examines Hospital-Acquired Infections That Led to an Elderly Man's Death (Academia and Clinic, p. 665.)
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Annals of Internal Medicine