News from the Appalachian Node

David Scott, Appalachian Node CTN-0100 Project Coordinator and CIRCL member, moderated a plenary session, Spectrums in Recovery and Treatment, at the AMERSA annual meeting in Chicago, November 2024. 

The session, attended by the 800 conference participants, featured a panel of three individuals with lived experience who are national leaders in advocating and supporting individuals who use drugs. 


Laura Lander, MSW, LICSW gave an interview to Lori Kersey of West Virginia Watch about SB 2028 on October 22, 2024, a bill written and signed into Law by the governor on October 18th to support NIDA CTN research studies being able to dispense study medication. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Takubo.

Lander said Senate Bill 2028 will allow researchers at the Wetzel County site to dispense larger amounts of buprenorphine directly to patients involved with the study instead of through a pharmacy. Lawmakers limited the legislation to allow the study at New Beginnings along with a separate study at PROACT, a Huntington clinic that’s part of Marshall Health. 

Read the West Virginia Watch piece here!