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The article discusses the highlights of National Rx Drug Abuse Summit held in Atlanta, Georgia. It notes that the event was hosted by nonprofit organization, UNITE and attended by 1,400 delegates. U.S. Republican Congressman Hal Rogers spoke about prescriber education and the need for better prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP). It also cites that National Institutes of Health director Francis Collins emphasized the importance of research in his keynote speech.

The article discusses the disappointment of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in treating patients with opioid dependence over the removal of the policy allowing midlevel providers to have the same authority as physicians in the final accreditation guidelines released by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Topics cited include the role of midlevel providers in OTPs and the conference of the American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence (AATOD).

BayMark Health Services has acquired Counseling Solutions, a treatment provider focusing on methadone and buprenorphine treatment with locations in Chatsworth, Georgia, and Brasstown, North Carolina. When Zachary Talbott first started working to open his opioid treatment program (OTP) in Chatsworth more than three years ago, he had no plans to sell it (see ADAW, Aug. 17, 2015). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports the collaboration between Cassandra Price, president of the National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors (NASADAD) and Georgia. Price also serves as the head of the Division of Addictive Diseases in Georgia's Department of Behavioral Health and Disabilities (DBHDD). According to Price, the biggest challenge in terms of drug treatments particularly in Georgia is following all the drug trends and changes in demographics.

The article discusses the experience of Zac Talbott in the process of opening an opioid treatment program (OTP) in Georgia. It notes how the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) presents the final hurdle where the agent claimed she was busy and had other programs to tend to. The steps involved in opening an OTP in Georgia include retaining a doctor and getting a building and applying with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

The article reports on the launch of Helping to End Addiction Long-term (HEAL) initiative by director Francis Collins of the National Institute of Health (NIH) which aims to find scientific solutions to the opioid crisis.

The article reports on the planned opening of an opioid treatment program (OTP) Counseling Solutions in Georgia owned by methadone patient Zac Talbott and nationally known patient advocate Keith Jones. Topics discussed include how the program was established, career background of Talbott, and the process of opening an OPT. An overview of the program is also offered.

The article discusses how social worker Sherrie Williams helped establish a school-based health clinic with telemedicine capability in Ware County, Georgia. Williams has long recognized that the cost and time involved for Ware residents to bring their children to Atlanta is a barrier to psychiatric consult. Working with the Georgia Partnership for TeleHealth, Williams located a psychiatrist in Atlanta which made psychiatry available for children who otherwise would not get it.