Resources
16 Results (showing 1 - 10)
Results sorted by posted date (newest first)
Results sorted by posted date (newest first)
Posted 10/23/2023 (updated 3/27/2024)
Posted 7/21/2023 (updated 3/28/2024)
The Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) released a plan in response to fentanyl being adulterated or associated with xylazine, which was declared as an emerging drug threat in April 2023. Due to the effect of combining these substances, people may be less responsive to naloxone in an overdose situation. The response plan includes evidence-based prevention, treatment, and supply reduction action steps, goals, and performance measures.
Posted 4/28/2023 (updated 3/27/2024)
With the proliferation of fentanyl and other adulterants in the national illicit drug supply, people who use drugs (PWUD) are at greater risk of overdose. Among more than 107,000 drug overdose deaths that occurred between July 2021–June 2022, 64% involved synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Lowering the high rates of overdose among PWUD is possible, as evidence-based practices exist to prevent and respond to overdose, including fentanyl test strips and advanced drug checking equipment. To inform health departments’ harm reduction programming, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing – with support from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – developed Enhancing Harm Reduction Services in Health Departments: Fentanyl Test Strips and Other Drug Checking Equipment, an educational brief grounded by real-world experience.
Posted 9/14/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
The Reagan-Udall Foundation for the FDA (FDA Foundation), in partnership with several operating divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), convened two roundtable meetings to understand the perspectives of the harm reduction community, clinicians, and researchers about using fentanyl drug checking and screening as harm reduction and clinical strategies.
Posted 5/10/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
Background: Drug checking uses analytical chemistry technologies to report on the composition of drugs from the unregulated market to reduce substance use-related risks, while additionally allowing for monitoring and reporting of the supply. In the context of an overdose crisis linked to fentanyl, we used drug checking data to examine variability within the illicit opioid supply.
Posted 5/10/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid typically used to treat patients with chronic severe pain or severe pain following surgery. Fentanyl is a Schedule II controlled substance that is similar to morphine but about 100 times more potent. Under the supervision of a licensed medical professional, fentanyl has a legitimate medical use. Patients prescribed fentanyl should be monitored for potential misuse or abuse.
Posted 4/26/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
Background: The US overdose crisis is driven by fentanyl, heroin, and prescription opioids. One evidence-based policy response has been to broaden naloxone distribution, but how much naloxone a community would need to reduce the incidence of fatal overdose is unclear. We aimed to estimate state-level US naloxone need in 2017 across three main naloxone access points (community-based programmes, provider prescription, and pharmacy-initiated distribution) and by dominant opioid epidemic type (fentanyl, heroin, and prescription opioid).
Posted 3/3/2022 (updated 3/26/2024)
The US overdose crisis is driven by fentanyl, heroin, and prescription opioids. One evidence-based policy response has been to broaden naloxone distribution, but how much naloxone a community would need to reduce the incidence of fatal overdose is unclear. We aimed to estimate state-level US naloxone need in 2017 across three main naloxone access points (community-based programs, provider prescription, and pharmacy-initiated distribution) and by dominant opioid epidemic type (fentanyl, heroin, and prescription opioid).
Posted 7/7/2021 (updated 4/2/2024)
In 2015, 33,091 persons in the United States died from an opioid-related drug overdose.The epidemic of opioid overdose deaths has led to expanding the use of naloxone in community settings by non–medically trained bystanders who are often people who use drugs (PWUD). Since 2013, illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF), fentanyl analogs, and other synthetic opioids have played an increasing role in overdose deaths in the United States. Illicitly manufactured fentanyl (IMF) prevalence has increased. However, there is uncertainty about naloxone dose(s) used by nonmedical bystanders to reverse opioid overdoses in the context of increasing IMF.
Posted 6/17/2021 (updated 4/2/2024)
Fueled by misinformation, fentanyl panic has harmed public health through complicating overdose rescue while rationalizing hyper-punitive criminal laws, wasteful expenditures, and proposals to curtail vital access to pain pharmacotherapy. To assess misinformation about health risk from casual contact with fentanyl, we characterize its diffusion and excess visibility in mainstream and social media.