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Instagram will soon launch a new feature: a pop-up that appears when
users search drug- or substance-related hashtags, like #opioid or #uppers. It
reads, "Can we help?" and is aimed at people who are dealing with
opioid or substance abuse and their loved ones. Tapping "Get Support"
leads to an information page, with numbers to the Substance Abuse and Mental
Health Services Administration's national helpline (1-800-662-HELP) and
Treatment Services Locator, as well as a hub for addiction resources.
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A recent study examined the impact of the Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention’s (CDC’s) Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain,
released in March 2016. The CDC guideline
recommends evidence-based practices for opioid use for treating chronic pain — excluding
cancer treatment, palliative care and end-of-life care — in patients ages 18
years and older in primary care settings. The study looked at data between 2012
and 2017 and found that the timing of the CDC's release of the guideline was
associated with a decline in several key opioid prescribing practices.
CareSource, a not-for-profit managed care organization with 1.8 million
Medicaid members in five states, including Indiana, has implemented a
prescription oversight program in response to the opioid epidemic. Since 2016,
the insurance company has identified members at risk for substance use
disorder, diversion, overdose or other adverse events, and then alerted
providers about those at-risk patients. The company also tracks the volume of
opioids that providers prescribe to its members. The company follows up with letters
that show how their overall prescribing compares to their peers and suggesting
strategies to reduce opioids in their practices. The program has lowered the number of
opioids that their members are prescribed by 40 percent in the last 18 months.
A new study has found that the vast majority of young
adults who are struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD) are not receiving
medication-assisted therapy. Such treatment is considered the gold standard for
treating OUD. One of the major barriers is that treatment programs do not offer
the medications and even deny entrance or insist on discontinuation of the
program for anyone using the medications. To find a program or physician that
offers medication-assisted therapy, visit the Next Level Recovery website.
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