Opioid

The first part of this presentation examined and presented medical/physiological aspects of SUD and an overview of the impact of SUD on a small but vulnerable population. Dr. Parker then provided an overview of recent substance abuse prevention and intervention applications within American Indian and Alaska Native communities. She described the trends regarding opioid overdose among American Indian and Alaska Native communities during the global pandemic and discussed opportunities for addressing opioid overdose prevention in the future.

The opioid settlement is a significant opportunity to improve substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery. By attending to the evidence base and leveraging other funding sources, we can transform our behavioral health system to work better for people with substance use disorder. The Steadman Group related their experience in facilitating opioid settlement governance so you can optimize your settlement spending!

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-funded Opioid Response Network (ORN) initiative has launched the Stand Against Stigma (SAS) Challenge. This is an opportunity for those in the healthcare industry to address and dispel stigma related to individuals with substance use disorders through easy, daily activity.

Describes the work of 26 2018-2021 Rural Health Opioid Program (RHOP) grantees in addressing the opioid epidemic through community-based consortiums. Highlights each project's achievements and identifies common themes of program impact.

This TIP reviews three Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for opioid use disorder treatment—methadone, naltrexone, and buprenorphine—and the other strategies and services needed to support people in recovery.

Drug overdose is a nationwide epidemic that claimed the lives of over 100,000 people in the United States in the past year.   Opioids, either alone or in combination with other drugs or alcohol, were responsible for approximately 70 percent of these deaths. Many of those 70,000 people would be alive today if they had been administered the opioid antagonist naloxone and, where needed, other emergency care. 

Background As the opioid overdose crisis persists and take-home naloxone (THN) programmes expand, it is important that the intervention is targeted towards those most likely to use it. We examined THN program participants to 1) describe those that return for refills, specifically those that reported multiple use (supersavers) and 2) to determine what rescuer characteristics were associated with higher rates of THN use. Methods This study included a cohort of consenting THN recipients from June 2014- June 2021 who completed initial and refill questionnaires from a widespread program in Norway. Adjusted logistic regression was used to explore associations with higher rates of THN use. ‘Super-savers’ reported three or more THN uses.

The session will provide an overview of the challenges facing the rural behavioral health workforce and cover available resources and successful strategies that have been implemented in rural communities to address these challenges, especially in light of the opioid crisis.

Captain Christopher Bersani, PsyD, APBB, Region 1 Deputy Regional Administrator, ORO, HRSA, HHS
Mike Shimmens, MA, Executive Director, 3RNet

 

Effective Harm Reduction Strategies for People Who Actively Use Opioids and/or Psychostimulants
Participants will learn evidenced-based harm reduction strategies to keep people who use opioids and psychostimulants alive with reduced disease burden. Presenters will discuss methods of engaging people who actively use opioids and/or psychostimulants, harm reduction interventions, overdose prevention and response, overamping prevention and response, and linkages to care.

Robert Childs, MPH, JBS International 
Christine Rodriguez, MPH, Vital Strategies

Opioid dependence is a chronic relapsing disorder with considerable individual and global public health burden. The current standard of care for opioid dependence includes treatment with methadone or sublingual (SL) buprenorphine or buprenorphine-naloxone (hereafter, buprenorphine), combined with psychosocial and behavioral support. Both medications are associated with reductions in mortality, illicit opioid use, bloodborne viral infections, and criminal behavior as well as better cost-effectiveness than no treatment or psychosocial treatment alone. Buprenorphine is a partial μ-opioid receptor agonist, enabling office-based treatment for nonsupervised or take-home use of the medication. However, SL formulations of buprenorphine are prone to nonmedical use (eg, injecting, diversion), prompting models of care, particularly in the early phases of treatment, requiring regular attendance at clinics or pharmacies for administration of doses.