Here’s what’s happening in health care in Rhode Island, including stories about addiction treatment, intellectual disabilities, medical marijuana, outdoor recreation, antibiotic resistance, and more:
- It’s looking likely that CODAC will receive health department approval to open four additional locations statewide to provide outpatient opioid addiction treatment, including methadone and buprenorphine. That should give access to many more people who previously didn’t have anywhere close to home to get treatment. Methadone and buprenorphine are medications that can help people who are addicted to opioids, like painkillers or heroin, from going into withdrawal. The medications keep a low level of opioids in the system. They’re increasingly considered the standard of care for opioid addiction.
- Rhode Island College unveiled a new undergraduate certificate program for students with intellectual disabilities.
- Gov. Gina Raimondo signed a law allowing PTSD to be a qualifying condition for enrolling in the state’s medical marijuana program.
- A new report revealed Rhode Islanders’ low rates of access to outdoor recreation.
- Antibiotic resistant gonorrhea increases 400% – a problem for Rhode Island because rates of gonorrhea and other sexually transmitted infections have been increasing dramatically here.
- Senate passes the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, co-authored by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI). Listen for our interview with Whitehouse about CARA on Thursday, July 21 during RIPR’s Morning Edition.
- Pokemon Go fever grips Rhode Island. No reported incidents requiring hospitalization.
