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In Evansville, a new not-for-profit was recently formed to address drug misuse and increase harm reduction methods for Vanderburgh County. The organization, Evansville Recovery Alliance, hopes to launch a syringe exchange program and offer free naloxone. The nearest counties that provide syringe exchange programs are Monroe, Scott and Clark counties. John Pritchett, leader of the Evansville Recovery Alliance, ultimately wants to reduce stigma surrounding drug use and encourages anyone with opioid use disorder to talk with Evansville Recovery Alliance members.
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Overdose Lifeline just announced the extension of its medication-assisted treatment (MAT) waiver prescriber program through April 2020. The goal of the program is to increase the number of qualified Indiana physicians with MAT training. Healthcare providers can become MAT waiver prescribers at no cost through Overdose Lifeline, a statewide not-for-profit organization dedicated addressing substance use disorder. Qualifying healthcare professionals who complete the prescriber course and prescribe MAT to their first patient will be financially reimbursed. More information can be found online.
 Public health officials around the United States are sounding the alarm regarding the surge in bacterial and viral infections linked to opioid misuse. This surge includes a rise in HIV and hepatitis, as well a surge in bacteria commonly resistant to antibiotics. Public health officials are also seeing a rise in a bacterium that damages heart valves, a result of injecting drugs without cleaning the skin. The surge is not solely associated with injection drug use as a study published in January showed that people who take a medium or high dose of prescribed opioids for pain management are significantly more susceptible to pneumonia. Researchers are trying to understand and map the outbreaks, but stigma and a lack of real-time data are proving to be a substantial barrier.
A recent study examined more than 3,000 counties across the United States and found that residents of 412 counties are at least twice as likely to be at high risk for opioid overdose deaths and lack providers who can deliver medication to treat opioid use disorders. Midwestern states, including Indiana, were among the states with the most high risk counties. Counties at high risk were defined as those with an overdose rate above the national average and with a lower than national average rate at providing opioid use disorder medications. The research article suggests that increasing employment and a primary care physician’s capacity for providing medication can help lower opioid overdose deaths.
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