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76 Results (showing 51 - 60)
Results sorted by updated date (newest first)
Results sorted by updated date (newest first)
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 12/13/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced the progress made since the release of the Overdose Prevention Strategy (Strategy) last fall. The new data shows treatment capacity, lives saved from overdose, and commitments to long-term recovery supports, as well as a hopeful trend of a decrease in overdose deaths.
Posted 6/7/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
The presentation outlined how the Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion/Let Everyone Advance with Dignity (LEADD) pre-arrest diversion initiative operates. It covered how public health partners can engage with law enforcement to bring about a true collaborative approach to public safety. It further discussed how the LEAD model is rooted in harm reduction.
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 6/6/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
There are many pathways of recovery from substance use disorder, and all are cause for celebration. This panel featured diverse faces and voices representing a variety of recovery experience including elements of medications for opioid use disorder, alcohol-free recreation, harm reduction mutual aid, outdoor hobbies, yoga and meditation, recovery-supportive housing, collegiate recovery, 12-step mutual aid, and more.
Posted 11/1/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
The webinar held by NASTAD on October 26, 2022, 4:00-5:30pm featured a dynamic discussion on integrating harm reduction principles and practices, including naloxone distribution, safe disposal, and harm reduction supply access, within the community health care setting. Health centers across the country that offer these services as part of comprehensive care shared their experiences and the ways that service expansion can contribute to engagement and care access.
Posted 4/4/2023 (updated 3/27/2024)
The guide from the National Council for Mental Wellbeing aims to support harm reduction organizations operating in virtual environments and summarizes some of the strategies that harm reduction organizations have developed and found to be effective at maintaining connection while doing harm reduction work virtually. Harm reduction continued during the COVID-19 pandemic and organizations effectively changed the way services were delivered, primarily through telework.
Posted 10/3/2022 (updated 3/27/2024)
Nitazenes are a novel group of powerful illicit synthetic opioids derived from 2-benzylbenzimidazole that have been linked to overdose deaths in several states. Nitazenes were created as a potential pain reliever medication nearly 60 years ago but have never been approved for use in the United States. Laboratory test results indicate that the potency of certain nitazene analogs (e.g., isotonitazene, protonitazene, and etonitazene) greatly exceeds that of fentanyl, whereas the potency of the analog metonitazene is similar to fentanyl.
Posted 3/14/2023 (updated 3/27/2024)
Xylazine is a non-opioid that is approved for animals, and not FDA-approved for humans. New York State's Department of Health provides information on what it is, sources and trends, effects, why people use it, why clinicians should be concerned, and other information on Xylazine. Information about Xylazine is important to understand now that it has been showing up in illicit drug supply.
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.