The FDA’s Anesthetic and Analgesic Drug Products Advisory Committee is scheduled to meet to discuss the safety and efficacy of MoxDuo, a new morphine sulfate and oxycodone hydrochloride combination. Moxduo will be used to treat moderate to severe acute pain where the use of opioid analgesic is appropriate, according to Pain Medicine News.  If MoxDuo is approved, it’ll be the first combination drug to include two immediate-release opioids. 

Science Daily reports that in a test study, researchers from Boston University School of Medicine have discovered that the anti-seizure medicine ezogabine has aided in reduced consumption of alcohol in test participants. Excessive alcohol consumption is one of the leading illnesses in the United States and negatively impacts the work environment and productivity of workers. It also causes health care expenses to sky rocket.

It would seem to make sense that substance use in the workplace, especially when categorized as substance abuse, would negatively affect productivity. However, there has been no definitive correlation between the two in order to demonstrate a positive relationship.

A common question often asked when discussing SAP services is what type of treatment is associated with the SAP process? In his article originially written for the DATIA Focus, Dr. Reed Morrison discusses why sucessful SAP services don't necessarily need to revolve around treatment recommendations, but rather could be considered a part of Contingency Management intervention. To read the full article: click here

Four motor carriers were told to shut-down immediately due to disregard of the federal safety regulations put in place by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Three out of the four companies that were shut-down, did not adhere to DOT Regulations CFR 49 Part 40, also known as the Procedures for Transportation Workplace Drug and Alcohol Testing Programs.

• 6.6% of Americans employed in full-time jobs report heavy drinking, defined as drinking five or more

drinks per occasion on five or more days in the past 30 days; 4.9% of part-timers and 10.4% of unemployed workers also report heavy drinking; the highest percentage of heavy drinkers (12 .2%) is found among unemployed adults ages 26 to 34.'

• Up to 40% of industrial fatalities and 47% of industrial injuries can be linked to alcohol consumption and alcoholism.'

The 2014 theme for NCADD's Alcohol Awareness Month is Help for Today. Hope for Tomorrow. The NCADD hope that with this year's theme, the month with filled with local, state and national awareness initiatives aimed at educating people about the treatment and prevention of alchohol abuse. For more information about National Alcohol Awareness Month, visit the NCADD's website.  

The proposed rule would require FMCSA-regulated motor carrier employers, Medical Review Officers (MROs), Substance Abuse Professionals (SAPs), and consortia/third party administrators (C/TPAs) supporting U.S.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) has updated it's online heroin research report. The updated report features current statistics as well as treatment options for heroin use disorders. 

Synthetic marijuana is causing as alarm in Emergency Departments across the country.

According to a recent performance study, the FMCSA’s Safety Measurement System (SMS) is more effective at identifying high risk operators than the previous measurement system.

Two years of pre-SMS data was taken from a subset of carriers.  The historical data was then compared to future crash data and tracked for a period of 18 months.  The resulting analysis indicated that the algorithms used by the SMS would have identified risks and the need for interventions such as road side inspections, on-site investigations and warning letters.

Department of Transportation (DOT) safety sensitive employees are required to comply with the Drug and Alcohol Testing Regulations according to 49 CFR Part 40.  An employee is in violation of those regulations when he or she tests positive for a prohibited substance or when their behavior is determined by a DER or MRO to be a refusal to test.

The Return to Duty SAP Process is required when a DOT regulated safety-sensitive employee is found to be in violation of a DOT mandated drug and/or alcohol test.  A violation occurs when an employee fails a mandated DOT drug test for a prohibited substance or refuses to take the test.  In the event of a violation, the employee must immediately be removed from all safety-sensitive functions and is required to successfully complete the Return to Duty SAP Process in order to regain eligibility to return to safety-sensitive duty for a previous or future employer.

As part of its continued efforts to promote and improve public safety, the DOT’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) proposed a national drug and alcohol testing clearinghouse for all commercial truck and bus drivers on February 12, 2014.  The proposal was part of the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act.  The clearinghouse aims to help identify safety sensitive bus or truck drivers that are in violation of the federal drug and alcohol testing regulations.  According to the FMCSA,

The Department of Transportation released the minimum random drug and alcohol testing rates required by each of the operating administrations.  The mandatory testing requirements apply to employers with staff who perform safety sensitive duties within the DOT agencies (Federal Motor Carriers Safety Administration, Federal Aviation Administration, Federal Transit Administration, Federal Railroad Administration, Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration) and the United States Coast Guard. 

On January 10, 2014, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a notice of intent to temporarily schedule four synthetic cannabinoids into Schedule I.  The action has been deemed necessary to avoid an imminent hazard to public safety.  The substances are quinolin-8-yl 1-pentyl-1H-indole-3-carboxylate (PB–22QUPIC); quinolin-8-yl 1-(5-fluoropentyl)-1H-indole-3-carboxylate (5-fluoro-PB–22; 5F–PB–22); N-(1-amino-3-methyl-1-oxobutan-2-yl)-1-(4-fluorobenzyl)-1H-indazole-3-carboxamide (AB–FUBINACA); and N-(1-amino-3,3-dimethyl-1-oxobuta

Bus or truck companies with patterns of safety violations are at risk of being shut down by The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA).  The FMCSA published a Patterns of Safety Violations Rule that gives the agency the authority to completely revoke a motor carrier’s authority to operate, if the company (or company officer) has a history of deliberately violating federal safety regulations.  These high-risk carriers endanger public safety by avoiding or covering up their negative history of safety compliance.  This rule will be an enforcement tool in the c

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued a notice of intent to temporarily schedule 10 synthetic cathinones into Schedule I.  The final order will be published in the Federal Register and may not be effective prior to February 27, 2014. Any final order will impose the administrative, civil, and criminal sanctions and regulatory controls applicable to schedule I substances under the CSA on the manufacture, distribution, possession, importation, exportation, research, and conduct of instructional activities of these synthetic cathinones. The 10 substances are:

The week of January 27 to Feb 2, 2014 is National Drug Facts Week.  Originally launched in 2010 by the National Institute of Drug Abuse (NIDA), the week long health observance aims to educate and inform teens of the realities, threats and myths associated with drug abuse and addiction.  Community based and social media events are planned to raise awareness.