I am attaching a copy of Todd Rosendale’s communication of August 31, 2005 concerning emergency medication in treating patients from OTPs impacted by Hurricane Katrina. There are six (6) OTPs based in New Orleans, which have suffered a major impact and are not operating at the present time, as far as we know. These include The Oscar Carter Program, The Metropolitan Treatment Center, Desire Narcotics, The Veterans Affairs Medical Center, DRD New Orleans and New Orleans Center for Addictive Disorders. All contact information has been listed on Mr. Rosendale’s communication.

I understand that Ms. Brenda Lands, State Methadone Authority for Louisiana, authorized take-home medication for all patients within these treatment programs, however, we do not know how many take-home doses of medication were dispensed to patients by each clinic. Roye Brown (Louisiana Board Delegate to AATOD) communicated with me at 3:00pm EST on August 31, 2005. He informed me that some patients may not have received any take-home medication and some others may be confused about what they should do next.

He also informed me that New Orleans has been devastated by this storm and may not return to normal operation within the following month or even longer. I have not been able to directly communicate with Ms. Lands in view of the interrupted telecommunications service. However, OTPs in the states surrounding Louisiana should expect patients to arrive on their doorsteps on Thursday, September 1, 2005, requesting emergency medication.

I have verified that one program has downloaded all appropriate dosage information and that is the DRD Treatment Program. DRD can be contacted at 1-800-447-8801 and Janet Hasler or her staff will be able to respond to your inquiries about dosage and last date of medication. We have not been able to contact the other treatment programs due to the interrupted telecommunications service in New Orleans.

Mr. Rosendale’s communication is extremely thorough and provides excellent guidance.

I am asking the programs in your states, as listed above, to do all that you possibly can to assist the displaced patients from programs affected by Hurricane Katrina. Mr. Rosendale is quite right to point out that the administration of a daily methadone dosage is only one element of what such patients may need, since many have lost all of their belongings.

I realize that many guest medicating programs will suffer a number of burdens depending on how many patients cross their thresholds for treatment. You should expect to be guest medicating a significant number of these patients for extended periods, which may exceed one month. As always, use sound medical judgment and try to get as much information verified as possible through direct clinic contact, if that is available.

It is not necessary to reiterate Mr. Rosendale’s recommendations. We agree that it is important for the guest medication program to develop a temporary medical chart, assigning a guest clinic identification number, documenting the attempt to contact the patient’s treatment program in addition to noting all recorded and dispensed medication.

I concur with Mr. Rosendale’s observation how many of our own provider organizations have been so responsive and interested in doing all that they can to treat the displaced patients with compassion and offer professional care.

On another note, please do all that you can to make such patients feel welcome in your programs. I would appreciate it if you could forward this communication to your associates in your respective states, so that programs are prepared to welcome these patients and medicate them as need be.

I have already advised federal authorities to do all that they can to make emergency funds available to programs and states, which will be treating these patients. We have been informed that many of these patients do not have the funds to pay for their emergency treatment and we also realize that some of the OTPs will need to access emergency funds to continue medicating such patients for extended periods.

We have suggested that the state of Louisiana draw upon Access to Recovery Funds to reimburse methadone programs in Louisiana as well, since Louisiana based OTPs will also be treating the displaced New Orleans patients.

Thank you once again for your consideration at this time. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.