Jones KF, Joudrey P, Meier D, Meghani S, Merlin J. Juggling Two Full-Time Jobs - Methadone Clinic Engagement and Cancer Care. New England Journal of Medicine. 2023 Nov 25. doi:10.1056/NEJMp2310123

"A 66-year-old musician, Mr. C. was a model methadone-clinic patient. After adhering to daily observed methadone treatment for years, he had ultimately been granted the privilege of 'take-home dosing,' so he had to go only every other week to pick up his methadone. For decades, methadone treatment had improved his quality of life and function, allowing him to work as a peer recovery coach and a musician at his church. That is, until his cancer diagnosis threatened to compromise his hard-earned recovery."

Imagine you or someone you love had to choose between treatment for opioid use disorder or cancer, because doing both was logistically impossible. This situation and potential reforms are explored in a piece published November 25 in the New England Journal of Medicine by authors including CHAMPP postdoctoral researcher Dr. Katie Fitzgerald Jones, CHAMPP Affiliate Faculty Dr. Paul Joudrey, and CHAMPP director Dr. Jessica Merlin. The case of Mr. C illustrates the impact that the proposed Modernizing Opioid Treatment Act, or MOTA, could have on people suffering from opioid addiction. The bill seeks to expand who can prescribe methadone and where it can be dispensed, eliminating the need for daily visits to a methadone clinic.

Read the case study at https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp2310123.

Learn more about MOTA in the newsletter article below.

On November 8, Dr. Lakeya McGill, assistant professor of medicine and clinical-community psychologist, presented "Past, present, and future: Mapping my career path" at CHAMPP's monthly Works in Progress meeting. Thank you, Dr. McGill!

Join CHAMPP director Dr. Jessica Merlin and Dr. Burel Goodin of Washington University as they discuss negotiating academic job offers for early- to mid-career pain scientists. This webinar will be presented on Wednesday, November 29 at 11:00am Eastern Time. Register at https://usasp.memberclicks.net/negotiation23.

Join CHAMPP Center Investigator Dr. Shari Rogal at 8:00am Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 29 as she presents "Improving Palliative Care and Symptom Management for People with Decompensated Cirrhosis Using Implementation Science" for the Palliative Research Center's Innovations in Palliative Care Science Speaker Series. Register at https://pitt.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_5BlSzyCNbEgqN4G.