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Addiction Disorders

Could new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic treat addiction?
Scientific American

Could new weight-loss drugs like Ozempic treat addiction?

Heath Schmidt of the School of Nursing explains how addictive drugs such as cocaine and opioids are generally thought to “hijack” the brain’s natural reward pathways and why semaglutide is complicated in relation to addiction.

Auto-nudges increase emergency department treatment of opioid use disorder
Person in scrubs wheeling gurney into a hospital

Image: iStock/Sviatlana Lazarenka

Auto-nudges increase emergency department treatment of opioid use disorder

A Penn Medicine study finds assessment for opioid withdrawal doubles when a triage screening question is paired with electronic health record automated prompts.

From Penn Medicine News

Dear future mayor: In the fight against opioids, be bold
Philadelphia Inquirer

Dear future mayor: In the fight against opioids, be bold

In an opinion article, Margaret Lowenstein of the Perelman School of Medicine and Shoshana Aronowitz of the School of Nursing, both senior fellows at the Leonard Davis Institute, write about the need for bold action in the fight against opioids in Philadelphia.

Project HOME receives $25M gift, launches opioid abuse initiative with Penn Medicine, Jefferson and Temple Health
Philadelphia Business Journal

Project HOME receives $25M gift, launches opioid abuse initiative with Penn Medicine, Jefferson and Temple Health

Thanks to a $25 million donation, Project HOME will team with Penn Medicine, Jefferson Health, and Temple Health to improve how people experiencing homelessness are treated for opioid abuse disorder, with remarks from Richard C. Wender of the Perelman School of Medicine.