specializing in addiction recovery
CALL TODAY
5214 N. Western Ave Chicago, IL 60625
773.784.1000
AFHMEDICAL@GMAIL.COM
Contact Info
681-8048 5214 N. Western Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625 773.784.1000
Education & Medical Training
• Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center Residency , Radiation Oncology • NYU School of Medicine Residency , Radiology • SUNY Health Science Center at Brooklyn Internship , Internal Medicine • University of Maryland School of Medicine Medical School
Specialties
Radiation Oncology
About
Dr. Arnold Herskovic is a radiation oncologist in Chicago, Illinois and is aliated with multiple hospitals in the area, including Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers and Rush University Medical Center. He received his medical degree from University of Maryland School of Medicine and has been in practice for more than 20 years. He is one of 5 doctors at Morris Hospital and Healthcare Centers and one of 12 at Rush University Medical Center who specialize in Radiation Oncology.
ARNOLD HERSKOVIC, MD
WE ARE PROUD TO PROVIDE A HIGH LEVEL OF QUALITY CARE TO ALL OUR PATIENTS.
5214 N WESTERN AVE • CHICAGO, IL 60625 773.784.1000 CONTACT US TODAY
CONNECTDXLABS.COM
Taking Action on the Opioid Crisis: Solutions for Detection, Treatment, and Prevention
BROUGHT TO YOU BY ConnectDX Services: Blood Testing Toxicology
Infections Disease Pharmacogenomics Cognitive Wellness
(800) 450-0040
LOCATED AT: 236 W. EDISON RD MISHAWAKA, IN 46545
LOCATED AT: 236 W. EDISON RD MISHAWAKA, IN 46545
Taking Action on the Opioid Crisis:
T he opioid crisis is a major public health challenge with devastating consequences. Opioids, including prescription painkillers, heroin, and fentanyl, have fueled addiction, overdoses, and fatalities. Laboratories play a crucial role in combating the crisis through advanced opioid detection, monitoring, and treatment. They utilize biological samples like urine, blood, and saliva for accurate drug testing. Rapid, cost- effective immunoassays, such as enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs), are used for initial screening, followed by confirmatory tests like gas chromatography- mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) for precise identification. Hair and nail testing also offer extended detection windows for retrospective analysis of opioid use.
In addition to drug testing, laboratories support Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs, which combine behavioral therapy with FDA-approved medications to treat opioid addiction. Methadone reduces cravings and withdrawal symptoms under supervision, while buprenorphine blocks opioid effects and minimizes withdrawal. Regular drug testing ensures patient compliance with MAT, optimizing treatment outcomes. To prevent opioid misuse, laboratories assist healthcare providers and regulatory agencies by monitoring prescription drug use. Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) electronically track opioid prescriptions to detect misuse, while urine drug monitoring ensures adherence to treatment plans, detects diversion, and assesses the effectiveness of pain management. Laboratories also play an important role in opioid research and development, conducting genetic studies to explore variations in opioid metabolism and advancing non-opioid pain therapies to reduce reliance on traditional opioids.
Collaborating with public health agencies, laboratories implement harm reduction strategies, such as drug checking services that test illicit drugs for contaminants, and public health campaigns that raise awareness of opioid risks and responsible prescribing. The opioid crisis demands a multifaceted response, and laboratories are at the forefront. Through precise testing, MAT support, prescription monitoring, research, and harm reduction efforts, they play a vital role in combating opioid addiction. Continued innovation and evidence-based strategies will help mitigate the crisis, fostering a healthier and safer future.
BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
CONNECTDXLABS.COM
CALL: (800) 450-0040
ADDICT
1 out of every 5 teens has used prescription drugs to get high.
Teens are more likely to use prescription drugs than any other illicit drugs, besides marijuana.
It’s like killing yourself Don’t face opioid addiction alone. GET HELP TODAY.
5214 N Western Ave Chicago, IL 60625
5214 N Western Ave • Chicago, IL 60625 | PH: (773)784-1000
(773)784-1000
Data indicate that OUD-treating medications are both cost effective and cost beneficial
SAMHSA PUBLISHES BEST PRACTICES ON MEDICATION-ASSISTED TREATMENT FOR OPIOID USE DISORDER Best Practices
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration has published new guidance to help health care professionals better understand medications that can be used to treat Americans with opioid use disorder (OUD). Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP) 63, “Medications for Opioid Use Disorder,” reviews the use of methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine, the three FDA-approved medications to treat opioid use disorders. TIP 63 provides guidance for health care professionals and addiction treatment providers on how to appropriately prescribe these medications and effectively support patients using these medications for OUD treatment. “We know that people can and do recover from opioid use disorders when they receive appropriate treatment, and medication-assisted treatment’s success in treating opioid use disorders is well documented,” said Dr. Elinore F. McCance-Katz, assistant secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. “TIP 63 emphasizes that increasing access to medications to treat opioid use disorder will help more people recover, enabling them to improve their health, living full and productive lives.” TIP 63 is part of SAMHSA’s larger response to the opioid crisis. More access to treatment with OUD medications is critical to closing the gap between treatment need and treatment availability and an important public health strategy. Data indicate that OUD-treating medications are both cost effective and cost beneficial.
Treatment Improvement Protocol 63, “Medications for Opioid Use Disorder,”
reviews the use of methadone, naltrexone, and
buprenorphine, the three FDA-approved medications to treat opioid use disorders.
We get scared when dad takes drugs. I don’t think he loves us anymore.
(773)784-1000
Not the solution, but maybe a good step forward Suboxone is not the solution, but in many cases it’s better than nothing, and a good response for chronic relapsers who are risking death from overdose. At least the addict is getting some exposure to treatment which is more likely to lead to recovery in the long run. Suboxone buys people time and keeps them alive. There are quite a few people who’s funerals I’ve attended that I wish had gotten on Suboxone. You can’t treat the dead.
The Subs knock down the monster cravings almost completely, and people don’t go through the nasty withdrawal that’s so painful. Once dysfunctional people who couldn’t hold a job, or were constantly on the obsessive hunt for the next fix suddenly become much more functional, and the addiction looks like it’s in remission. They can work consistently, they stop chasing the drugs, they have more money and can care for themselves and their families, and their addiction doesn’t seem to be ruling their lives. It seems like magic! Very few people actually wean off Suboxone successfully Suboxone users often wrongly think they’re cured because they look and feel more functional. Then they think all they have to do now is wean down, or taper off the medication, which is what the clinic doctors help them manage over a number of months to years. The problem is they’ve done nothing about the underlying addiction and all the addictive thinking and coping that go along with it that drive the addiction from within. They haven’t developed any social support, or learned anything about themselves and their disease. We like to say that using, or putting some chemical into the body, is only a symptom of the underlying disease. Abusing substances is not the actual disease—just a symptom. As soon as they stop using the Subs the addiction is still there and ready to start expressing itself all over again through the many painful ways it does. Chemically addicted people cope with life stressors with chemicals—that is, unless they make some fairly significant changes. Suboxone changes nothing in the end. Suboxone changes nothing A combination of Suboxone treatment coupled with AA/NA (with Sponsor and Step work) is a great thing. At Crossroads Counseling we require anyone with a substance abuse issue
Dead people don’t get into recovery
D. Waters Is Suboxone a Reasonable Treatment Option for Opioid Addicts? After twenty years of providing substance abuse treatment I can tell you that the ultimate goal of anyone battling an addiction is total abstinence. Every addict and alcoholic eventually figures out they can not control their usage, and moderation is unrealistic. Learning to live life on life’s terms is part of the process of learning to live abstinent. Self-help programs like Alcoholics Anonymous(AA) and Narcotics Anonymous(NA) do a great job of helping people understand their addiction, themselves, and effective solutions for coping with their disease. Dead people don’t get into recovery Opioid addicts are not terribly different from any other addict or alcoholic, except the risk of death by accidental overdose is huge. People are dying in droves from opioid overdose. The current heroin epidemic is even more dangerous than the pain killer epidemic it replaced. Relapse rates are tremendous. Unfortunately, it may take years before an individual addict is ready to give the 12-Step AA/NA
I’ve truly never seen anything work better, and when it works it’s a beautiful thing.
to attend AA/NA, obtain a Sponsor, and work the 12-steps. If they don’t we won’t sign-off on their program. Most Suboxone clinics require their participants to attend at least one counseling meeting a month. Unfortunately, this is almost completely useless unless the individual engages in a personal program of recovery that addresses not only the biological issues, but the social, psychological, and spiritual issues related to the disease, as well.
process the thorough try it requires to be effective. Therefore, Suboxone is a terrific option for chronic relapsers. You can’t generally get high from it, unless you haven’t used in awhile, or never used in the first place. You can’t overdose on it from use or abuse, and any other opioid you take while it’s in your system will be nullified and wasted.
RESTORE BALANCE
Feeling Trapped?
LIFE AND
Don’t face opioid addiction alone. Get help today.
773.784.1000 CONTACT US 5214 N Western Ave Chicago, IL 60625
5214 N Western Ave Chicago, IL 60625 773-784-1000
Brought to you by:
Sign of the times Experts say the newly approved implant also provides a big boost to the concept of medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in general. For years, the idea that someone could achieve recovery through the use of drugs like methadone and buprenorphine was rejected by many professionals in the eld who saw complete abstinence as the only true sobriety. Many still hold that belief, but attitudes appear to be changing. Top government ocials say they want to increase the amount of MAT taking place at the country’s treatment centers. Several states as well as the federal government have enacted laws making it easier for physicians to prescribe medications like buprenorphine, but they say too few patients receive the medication they need. “Scientic evidence suggests that maintenance treatment with these medications in the context of behavioral treatment and recovery support are more eective in the treatment of opioid use disorder than short-term detoxication programs aimed at abstinence,” said Dr. Nora Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, in a statement. “is product will expand the treatment alternatives available to people suering from an opioid use disorder.” [ "Opioid abuse and addiction have taken a devastating toll on American families.” - Dr. Robert M. Cali , FDA Commissioner ]
M edication-assisted treatment is growing in popularity and acceptance among addiction recovery professionals. And now it’s taken a revolutionary step forward that could oer renewed hope to thousands of people struggling with an addiction to opioids. is summer, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a new buprenorphine implant to treat opioid dependence. Buprenorphine had previously been available only as a pill or a dissolvable lm placed under the tongue. But the new implant, known as Probuphine, can administer a six-month dose of the drug to keep those dependent on opioids from using by reducing cravings and withdrawal symptoms. "Opioid abuse and addiction have taken a devastating toll on American families,” FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert M. Cali said in a statement. “We must do everything we can to make new, innovative treatment options available that can help patients regain control over their lives.” e implant comes in the form of four one-inch rods that are placed under the skin on the upper arm. e implant must be administered surgically and comes with the possibility of certain side eects, but experts say it could be more convenient and more eective for patients. ey say by eliminating the need to take pills, ll prescriptions and generally manage their medication, it makes it easier for people to focus on the other areas of their recovery while making it less likely someone will lapse in their treatment plan.
Although the implant is certainly a new alternative, it has yet to show any increased success in keeping people from relapsing compared to the pill or lm tablet. In a study of the implant’s eectiveness, they found that 63 percent of people given the implant were free of illicit drugs at six months, compared to 64 percent of people who took buprenorphine by pill. Still, those rates are much higher than the success rates of people who follow abstinence-only treatment plans. And ocials hope the new implant will lead more people to get MAT, increasing the number of successful recoveries across the country.
36
37
HELPING TO PUT THE PIECES TOGETHER
773-784-1000 It’s Never Too Late...Call For Help NOW!
5214 N Western Ave Chicago, IL 60625
no one suggested that she should not be treated because she was “getting what she deserved,” he said. “Yet somehow, if it’s heroin or cocaine or alcohol, we say, ‘Ahh, they decided that, they’re getting what they deserve,’” Christie remarked. HOW ADDICTION WORKS After satisfying basic human needs like food, water, sleep and safety, people feel pleasure. That pleasure is brought by chemical releases in the brain. This is according to Columbia researchers, who note that the disease of addiction causes the brain to release high levels of those pleasure chemicals. Over time, brain functions of reward, motivation and memory are altered. After these brain systems are compromised, those with addiction can experience intense cravings for substance use, even in the face of harmful consequences. These changes can stay in the brain long after substance use desists. The changes may leave those struggling with addiction to be vulnerable to “physical and environmental cues they associate with substance use, also known as triggers, which can increase their risk of relapse,” write Columbia researchers. functions of reward, motivation and memory are altered. After these brain systems are compromised, those with addiction can experience intense cravings for substance use, even in the face of harmful consequences. These changes can stay in the brain long after substance use desists. The changes may leave those struggling with addiction to be vulnerable to “physical and environmental cues they associate with substance use, also known as triggers, which can increase their risk of relapse,” write Columbia researchers. no one suggested that she should not be treated because she was “getting what she deserved,” he said. “Yet somehow, if it’s heroin or cocaine or alcohol, we say, ‘Ahh, they decided that, they’re getting what they deserve,’” Christie remarked. HOW ADDICTION WORKS After satisfying basic human needs like food, water, sleep and safety, people feel pleasure. That pleasure is brought by chemical releases in the brain. This is according to Columbia researchers, who note that the disease of addiction causes the brain to release high levels of those pleasure chemicals. Over time, brain
not just a bad habit It’s NOT JUST A BAD HABIT
not just a bad habit treatment and continued monitoring and support or recovery.
THE COLUMBIA RESEARCHERS DO HAVE SOME GOOD NEWS: Even the most severe, chronic form of the disorder can be manageable and reversible, usually with long term
Recent research and dialogue in the political sphere have brought long-simmering questions about addiction to the forefront: Is addiction truly a disease? Do addicts deserve to be treated like people who have a Recent research and dialogue in the political sphere have brought long-simmering questions about addiction to the fore: Is addiction truly a disease? Do addicts deserve to be treated like people who have a disease that’s outside their control? disease that’s outside their control? While most researchers agree with the so-called disease model of addiction, stereotypes and cultural bias continue to stigmatize those with addiction because they made an initial choice to consume substances. However, Columbia University researchers point out that “choice does not determine whether 34 While most researchers agree with the so-called disease model of addiction, stereotypes and cultural bias continue to stigmatize those with addiction because they made an initial choice to consume substances. However, Columbia University researchers point out that “choice does not determine whether
something is a disease. Heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer involve personal choices like diet, exercise, sun exposure, etc. A disease is what happens in the body as a result of those choices.” Experts say that applying the distinction of choice to addiction creates biases that justify inadequate treatment. It begs the question New creates biases that justify inadequate treatment. It begs the question New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie asked during a 2015 town hall meeting in New Hampshire. When Christie’s mother was diagnosed Jersey Gov. Chris Christie asked during a 2015 town hall meeting in New Hampshire. When Christie’s mother was diagnosed with lung cancer at 71 as a result of addiction to tobacco, he noted that with lung cancer at 71 as a result of addiction to tobacco, he noted that something is a disease. Heart disease, diabetes and some forms of cancer involve personal choices like diet, exercise, sun exposure, etc. A disease is what happens in the body as a result of those choices.” Experts say that applying the distinction of choice to addiction
35
COME GET HELP! (773)784-1000 5214 N Western Ave Chicago, IL 60625
Struggling with Drugs and Alcohol? We are here for you, give us a call.
ARE YOU READY TO TAKE YOUR FIRST STEP? JOURNEY THROUGH RECOVERY
DON’T FIGHT YOUR BATTLES ALONE!
RECOVERY IS NOT FOR PEOPLE WHO NEED IT, IT’S FOR PEOPLE WHO WANT IT.
5214 N Western Ave • Chicago, IL 60625 For more information call (773)784-1000
I N AN EFFORT to encourage new treatments for opioid addiction, the Food and Drug Administration plans to begin permitting pharmaceutical companies to sell medications that help temper cravings, even if they don’t fully stop addiction. The change is part of a wider effort to expand access to so-called medication-assisted treatment, or MAT. The agency will issue draft guidelines in the next few weeks. A senior agency official provided details of the proposal to The New York Times. the agency said it would soon publish two guidances, recommendations for drugmakers, on the issue.
The new approach was signaled Saturday by the health and human services secretary, Alex M. Azar II, in remarks to the National Governors Association. Mr. Azar said the agency intended “to correct a misconception that patients must achieve total abstinence in order for MAT to be considered effective.” While the Trump administration has generally supported medication-assisted treatment, Mr. Azar’s predecessor, Tom Price, was not completely on board with it. Mr. Price caused an uproar among treatment experts when he dismissed some medications that reduce cravings through synthetic opioids last spring as substituting one opioid for another. He subsequently walked back those comments, saying officials should be open to a broad range of treatment options. Mr. Azar, who took office late last month, said he would work to reduce the stigma associated with addiction and addiction therapy, and would not treat it as a moral failing. The opioid epidemic is considered the most unrelenting drug crisis in United States history. In 2016, roughly 64,000 people were killed by drug overdoses, including from prescription opioid painkillers and heroin. to correct a misconception that patients must achieve total abstinence in order for MAT to be considered effective. Noting federal data showing that only one-third of specialty substance abuse treatment programs offer medication-assisted treatment, Mr. Azar said, “We want to raise that number — in fact, it will be nigh impossible to turn the tide on this epidemic without doing so.” Mr. Azar’s comments echo those of the F.D.A. chief, Dr. Scott Gottlieb, who has made battling opioid abuse a priority for his agency. Dr. Gottlieb has moved to reduce opioid prescriptions by doctors and dentists and to promote more medication- assisted treatment, defined as drugs used to stabilize brain chemistry, reduce or block the euphoric effects of opioids, relieve physiological cravings, and normalize body functions. The F.D.A. has approved three drugs for opioid treatment — buprenorphine (often known by the brand name Suboxone), methadone and naltrexone (known by the brand name Vivitrol) — and says they are safe and effective combined with counseling and other support. But the agency said it would soon publish two guidances, recommendations for drugmakers, on the issue.
YOUR RELATIONSHIP
While in REBUILDING
from Recovery
Addiction
5214 N Western Ave • Chicago, IL 60625 | PH: (773)784-1000
Both are dangerous.
FOCUS ON Life 5214 N WESTERN AVE • CHICAGO, IL 60625 CONTACT US: (773)784-1000
Page 1 Page 2-3 Page 4-5 Page 6-7 Page 8-9 Page 10-11 Page 12-13 Page 14-15 Page 16-17 Page 18-19 Page 20-21 Page 22-23 Page 24-25 Page 26-27 Page 28-29 Page 30-31 Page 32-33 Page 34Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online