News and Events
Heather Ashton DVD Now Available!
Focus Consultants has produced a DVD of Dr. Heather Ashton's recent Vancouver lecture on benzodiazepine and sleeping pill dependence and withdrawal. The 90-minute DVD (which includes a short video of Dr. Ashton's former patient) is now available for $25. The Vancouver lecture covered the same material as the one in that was held in Victoria. The DVD will be a useful educational tool for health care providers and agencies, non-profit organizations, and those who suffer from benzodiazepine dependence/withdrawal. It provides an excellent overview of Dr. Ashton's approach and protocol, benzodiazepine dependence and withdrawal, and a safe, effective tapering method.
Focus, assisted by the Psychiatric Medication Awareness Group (PMAG), produced the DVD on a volunteer basis. The fee is to strictly to recover production and distribution costs.
Information on how to purchase it is available here:
http://psychmedaware.org/ashton_DVD.html
CoA to Oversee the MBSG
The University of Maine Center on Aging is please to announce that it will now act as the hosting organization to the Maine Benzodiazepine Study Group. This move will allow the Center to continue its focus on the effects of benzos and prescription drugs on older adults. The MBSG is currently developing subgroup interest areas to guide the group's work in the coming years... Learn more here
2005 Annual Conference Held
The Maine Benzodiazepine Study Group held its 3rd Annual Conference in Bangor, Maine on October 11th and 12th. The MBSG and the CoA are pleased to announce that Takeda Pharmaceuticals America, Inc. awarded the CoA a $25,000 grant to fund the 2005 conference and facilitate the dissemination of conference findings and products.
The study group expanded its reach with this year's conference by inviting professionals from diverse disciplines including healthcare, social services, law enforcement, environmental agencies, and community members.
The 2005 Annual Conference Featured Speaker was C. Heather Ashton, DM, FRCP, Emeritus Professor of pyschopharmacology at the University of Newcastle in England who addressed the issue of over-prescription of benzodiazepine drugs. Day one of this conference featured a Medicare Part D panel moderated by CoA Director, Dr. Lenard Kaye. The day one agenda also included local and international speakers who presented on topics such as rural prescription drug use, crime statistics related to prescription drug use and diversion, poison control data, and case presentations. Gerry Mugford, Ph.D., an MBSG member, presented findings of the Maine Benzodiazepine Clinician Survey and the MBSG Cumulative Report at the conference. Day two featured a track on benzo prescribing practices and alternatives. An alternative track was offered to attendees interested in learning about and discussing prescription drug return policy and programs. Conference findings and products will be available to the public via a conference webpage currently under construction.
Past Conferences
From left : 2004 Conference Presenters Jim Cameron, Office of the Maine Attn. Gen.; Irene Wegner, Indiana AARP; and Anne Pistell, Maine DEP, Roy McKinney, Chief, Maine Drug Enforcement Agency |
On October 4th and 5th, 2004, the CoA participated in the 2nd Annual Benzodiazepine Conference in Bangor. The conference agenda was extensive and included presentations on topics such as state and national statistics on BZD use, the proposed Medicare BZD coverage exclusion, state efforts at addressing BZD use issues, nation-wide efforts on BZD disposal options, and BZD use among older adults. One outgrowth of that discussion on BZDs and the elderly was the development of three Center on Aging authored fact sheets to better inform healthcare and policy professionals, as well two fact sheets aimed at the general population, particularly older adults, to educate about BZDs. These are available on our publications and reports page.
During 2003, the MBSG undertook their first survey of benzodiazepine use, misuse, and abuse; inviting data submissions from participant organizations. This was followed by an international conference held in September 2003, in Bangor, Maine. The notes of that meeting are available on our publications and reports page as well as on the group's website.
The Center on Aging is looking forward to its continued affiliation with the Maine BZD Study Group and next year’s conference. |
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