Division of Behavioral Health
Opioid Update
The Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) offers the Opioid Update to share information about opioid use and Iowa's efforts to address the national opioid epidemic. Please feel free to submit topics to Julie Jones at julie.jones@idph.iowa.gov.
In this issue:
- Provider Spotlight
- Department Efforts
- Opioid News
Provider Spotlight:
IDPH is introducing readers to Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) serving the State of Iowa. First, here’s a little information on what an OTP is, as defined by SAMHSA:
In the United States, the treatment of opioid dependence with medications is governed by the Certification of Opioid Treatment Programs, 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 8. This regulation created a system to accredit and certify opioid treatment programs dispensing Methadone for an opioid use disorder. SAMHSA’s Division of Pharmacologic Therapies (DPT), part of the SAMHSA Center for Substance Abuse Treatment (CSAT), oversees the certification of OTPs. OTPs must be certified by SAMHSA and accredited by an independent, SAMHSA-approved accrediting body to dispense opioid treatment medications. All OTPs also must be licensed by the state in which they operate and must register with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), through a local DEA office.
Center for Behavioral Health
Center for Behavioral Health Iowa (CBH) provides substance abuse treatment services but specializes in Opioid Use Disorder. With three locations in the state, their Des Moines site has served thousands of Polk County and surrounding counties’ residents since opening in 2004. Center for Behavioral Health uses all three of the federally approved medications to treat opiate addiction; methadone, buprenorphine and naltrexone as well as group, family and one-on-one counseling, case management, medication management, drug screens, evaluations, specialized VA services, and many other services.
The organization opened their Davenport location in 2014 and a third Iowa location in Sioux City in 2015. All locations are staffed with qualified and licensed counselors, nurses and physicians. CBH staff dedicates hundreds of hours per year educating Iowa communities about opioid addiction and volunteering with local charities.
CBH is accredited by CARF and is involved nationally with formulating policies on opioid treatment.
Center for Behavioral Health locations can be reached at CenterforBehavioralHealth.com
Department Efforts:
IDPH Awarded Prevention of Opioid Misuse in Women (POMW) Grant
The Iowa Prevention of Opioid Misuse in Women Program is a three year, $100,000 grant awarded to the Iowa Department of Public Health Division of Behavioral Health (IDPH) by the Office of Women’s Health in the U.S Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The purpose of this program is to expand prevention strategies that support the decrease of opioid misuse in women. IDPH will expand prevention strategies through two approaches:
- Providing Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) training to a range of professionals (domestic violence advocates, health professionals, social workers) who provide services to women
- Developing and implementing a digital media campaign to increase awareness about the risks of opioid misuse for women
For more information, please contact the POMW Project Director, Jennifer Robertson-Hill at jennifer.roberston@idph.iowa.gov.
Opioid State Targeted Response (STR) Grant: Update
IDPH is finalizing the funding formula to allocate STR grant funds to local IDPH-funded treatment providers. Information will be sent to providers later this week, including specific expectations of the project. For more information, please contact the STR Project Director, Monica Wilke-Brown at monica.wilke-brown@idph.iowa.gov.
Opioid News:
Colorado Medicaid to Tighten Opioid Usage Policy*
In a continued effort to address the growing opioid epidemic in Colorado, the Department of Health Care Policy and Financing (Department) announced it is tightening its policy on prescribing and dispensing opioid pain medications to Health First Colorado (Colorado’s Medicaid program) members. The new policy will be implemented in two phases.
The first phase is effective August 1, 2017 and limits the supply of opioids to members who haven’t had an opioid prescription in the past 12 months.
The policy was developed following a Department analysis of claims data showing a growing number of Health First Colorado members who have not taken opioids before – or have not taken them for up to one year – once they start opioids go on to using them more frequently. The Department wants to ensure members have appropriate medication to treat their pain, without excessive doses that are not needed. The new policy will allow:
- A 7-day supply to be filled initially
- Two additional 7-day refills, but a fourth refill request will require providers to obtain prior authorization from the Department
- The fourth request could also require a consultation with a pain management physician from the Department’s Drug Utilization Review board
*This article was adapted from the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing
CDC Opioid Guide App downloaded by 14,000 providers
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) new Opioid Guideline App is designed to help providers apply the recommendations of CDC’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain into clinical practice by putting the entire guideline, tools, and resources in the palm of their hand. Managing chronic pain is complex, but accessing prescribing guidance has never been easier.
The application includes a Morphine Milligram Equivalent (MME) calculator, summaries of key recommendations and a link to the full Guideline, and an interactive motivational interviewing feature to help providers practice effective communications skills and prescribe with confidence.
Free Download
The new CDC Opioid Guideline App is now available for free download on Google Play (Android devices) and in the Apple Store (iOS devices).
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