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The Indiana State Police (ISP) was recently awarded the Department of Justice’s Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Anti-Heroin Task Force grant. Law enforcement agencies from across the country were invited earlier this year to apply for the funding to combat heroin and illicit prescription opioid trafficking. ISP’s application was one of 17 proposals funded nationally. ISP plans to use the funding to enhance traffic and criminal patrol in high risk areas, aid local law enforcement departments in responding to scenes containing suspected fentanyl or other synthetic opioids, improve data collection and accuracy, and more.
Beginning July 1, 2019, each physician or osteopathic physician renewing his or her controlled substances registration will need to have completed two hours of continuing education (CE) on the topic of opioid prescribing and opioid abuse. Physicians will be required to attest on their renewal form that they have completed the required hours. The Medical Licensing Board may then audit up to 10 percent of licensees to ensure compliance. A list of recognized CE providers can be found on the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) website: http://www.accme.org/find-cme-provider.
 The National Association of State EMS officials (NASEMSO) has recently published new fatigue guidelines that aim to mitigate the effects of compassion fatigue in EMS workers who are exposed to highly-stressful traumatic events every day. An example of compassion fatigue is reviving the same person with naloxone and feeling it is not making a difference because the person continues to use drugs. The recommendations are based on a comprehensive evaluation of the best available evidence related to numerous fatigue mitigation strategies. The guidebook can be accessed here. More resources are available online.
The Health and Human Services Commission Office for Civil Rights is launching a new public education campaign to highlight the department’s ongoing efforts to combat the opioid epidemic. The new campaign will inform the public about civil rights protections that may apply to persons in recovery from an opioid use disorder and ensure that organizations are aware of their obligation to comply with federal nondiscrimination laws. A video, titled “Federal Nondiscrimination Laws and Opioid Use Disorders,” provides more information about the campaign.
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