Resources
30 Results (showing 21 - 30)
Results sorted by updated date (newest first)
Results sorted by updated date (newest first)
Posted 8/4/2021 (updated 4/2/2024)
Posted 7/28/2021 (updated 4/2/2024)
The most effective treatments for opioid use disorder (OUD) are the three prescription medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone—that are proved to increase a patient’s treatment retention and reduce illicit use and the risk of overdose. The only facilities legally able to offer all three medications are opioid treatment programs (OTPs), a critical component of the U.S. substance use treatment system that are regulated by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), as well as state agencies, and are certified to administer any FDA-approved medication for the treatment of OUD.
Posted 7/28/2021 (updated 4/2/2024)
Public health professionals refer to “hard to reach populations” as those who are not likely to access traditional health care and social services on their own due to various barriers that may include mental illness, unstable housing, lack of transportation, and substance use disorders (SUDs). Stigma and trust issues may play a role in those with SUD not seeking out services.
Posted 12/21/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration released a notice of proposed rulemaking that would allow certified opioid treatment programs to begin prescribing the drug via audio-only or video-enabled telehealth. See additional information under Policy Updates below. The proposed changes come on top of recent findings by HHS of the positive impact of its revised Practice Guidelines for the Administration of Buprenorphine for Treating Opioid Use Disorder that removed two longstanding requirements for obtaining a waiver to treat up to 30 patients with buprenorphine: 1) the requirement for specific training, and 2) the need for otherwise eligible clinicians to certify their ability to provide or refer patients for counseling and other services. Rural primary care providers have obtained the DEA waiver at a lower rate than urban clinicians; decreased burden and greater flexibility in the guidelines, along with broader use of telehealth could help close that gap.
Posted 11/14/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
In their new 2022 Clinical Practice Guideline, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides updated evidence and research on the risks and benefits of prescription opioids for acute, subacute, and chronic pain. These include dosing strategies, tapering and discontinuation, comparisons with nonopioid pain treatments, and risk mitigation strategies.
Posted 8/23/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
This observational study of 719 612 pharmacy claims data shows that OOP costs of naloxone grew substantially beginning in 2016. However, OOP costs did not increase for all patients and all brands of naloxone but primarily for uninsured patients and for the Evzio brand. The findings suggest that the OOP cost of naloxone has been an increasingly substantial barrier to naloxone access for uninsured patients, a population that constitutes nearly one-fifth of adults with opioid use disorder.
Posted 8/2/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
Innovative at their inception three decades ago, drug courts confront a practical and ethical obligation to reimagine some core practices and assumptions. A shifting legal and public health landscape means, for example, increased scrutiny of the courts’ focus on abstinence and mandated treatment, and the use of jail. This publication argues the most effective way for drug courts to evolve is by integrating the practices and principles of harm reduction
Posted 6/14/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
Overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) to laypersons are key approaches to reduce the incidence of opioid-involved overdoses. While some research has examined attitudes toward OEND, especially among pharmacists and first responders, our understanding of what laypersons believe about overdose and naloxone is surprisingly limited.
Posted 3/16/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
We are pleased to share that the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has rolled out a new 988 website today – available at samhsa.gov/988. The 988 website is designed to serve as your one-stop-shop for 988 resources from SAMHSA.
Notably, we want to make sure you’re aware that the site contains a 988 partner toolkit. The partner toolkit is intended for SAMHSA’s 988 implementation partners (crisis call centers, state mental health programs, substance use treatment providers, behavioral health systems, and others) to provide key messages, FAQs, and more information about what 988 is and how it will work.
Posted 2/16/2022 (updated 3/26/2024)
In the United States, combined stimulant/opioid overdose mortality has risen dramatically over the last decade. These increases may particularly affect non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic populations. We used death certificate data from the US National Center for Health Statistics (2007–2019) to compare state-level trends in overdose mortality due to opioids in combination with 1) cocaine and 2) methamphetamine and other stimulants (MOS) across racial/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and non-Hispanic Asian American/Pacific Islander).