News Brief

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), finalized modifications to the Confidentiality of Substance Use Disorder (SUD) Patient Records regulations at 42 CFR part 2 (“Part 2”), which protect the privacy of patients’ SUD treatment records.

A disproportionate number of people in jails have substance use disorders (SUDs).1 Incarceration provides a valuable opportunity for identifying SUD and addressing withdrawal.* Within the first few hours and days of detainment, individuals who have suddenly stopped using alcohol, opioids, or other drugs may experience withdrawal symptoms, particularly when they have used the substances heavily or long-term. Without its identification and timely subsequent medical attention, withdrawal can lead to serious injury or death. Deaths from withdrawal are preventable, and jail administrators have a pressing responsibility to establish and implement withdrawal policy and protocols that will save lives and ensure legal compliance. This brief describes the scope of the challenge, provides an overview of constitutional rights and key legislation related to substance use withdrawal, and outlines steps for creating a comprehensive response to SUD.

HRSA’s Health Centers Program published new research briefs exploring health center capacity in maternity care deserts, differences in clinical quality measures among Appalachian and non-Appalachian health centers, and the role of health centers in providing medication-assisted treatment. The briefs were developed through the UDS Mapper—a tool that helps evaluate the geographic reach, penetration, and growth of the Health Center Program and its relationship to other federally-linked health resources.

This News Brief defines psychostimulants; explains why psychostimulant use disorder is under-addressed, particularly in rural areas; reviews the reasons why people use psychostimulants and the harms they can cause; and addresses the impact of COVID-19 on psychostimulant use.

This News Brief describes the need for harm reduction and treatment services in rural areas for people who use psychostimulants and how those services can be provided by the opioid treatment program