Aneri Pattani

Author's posts

With Overdose Deaths Surging, Advocates on the Ground Push for Over-the-Counter Naloxone

Harm-reduction groups say that requiring a doctor to sign off on their orders of the overdose reversal drug is one of the biggest barriers they face in obtaining the lifesaving medication.

What Happens After a Campus Suicide Is a Form of Prevention, Too

The scientific term is “postvention,” and it informs how to navigate the emotional challenges that follow such a tragedy.

Colleges are turning to science to limit suicide contagion and help heal campuses

The new strategy is called “postvention.” It means having a plan built on truth, compassion and counseling that quickly addresses the mental health needs of friends and classmates after a suicide.

As Overdose Deaths Soar, DEA-Wary Pharmacies Shy From Dispensing Addiction Medication

A West Virginia pharmacy cleared a Drug Enforcement Agency investigation. But it shut down anyway, highlighting how the agency’s policies reduce the availability of buprenorphine, an important tool for recovery from opioid addiction.

6 Months to Live or Die: How Long Should an Alcoholic Liver Disease Patient Wait for a Transplant?

In a practice dating to the 1980s, many hospitals require people with alcohol-related liver disease to complete a period of sobriety before they can be added to the waiting list for a liver. But this thinking may be changing.

The Bill For His COVID Test In Texas Was A Whopping $54,000

A businessman from Dallas got a PCR test for the coronavirus at a suburban emergency room. The charge for his test was “egregious” but not illegal, say health care analysts. Here’s what happened.

A Covid Test Costing More Than a Tesla? It Happened in Texas.

A patient from Dallas got a PCR test in a free-standing suburban emergency room. The out-of-network charge: $54,000.

From Uber Vouchers to Patient Advocates: What It Takes to Increase ER Addiction Treatment

Despite widespread consensus on the importance of addiction treatment in the ER, many hospitals fail to screen for substance use, offer medications to treat opioid use disorder or connect patients to follow-up care. But some are working to change that.

Pandemic Unveils Growing Suicide Crisis for Communities of Color

Suicides have risen among Black, Hispanic and other communities of color during covid. But the rates were already escalating before the pandemic struck.

Many ERs Fail People Who Struggle With Addiction. These New Approaches Might Help

Starting treatment for addiction in the emergency room greatly improves the chances recovery will last, experts say. Cutting red tape, hiring advocates and Uber vouchers can all make a difference.