 A new report from the Indianapolis-based Richard M. Fairbanks Foundation says Indiana is receiving less federal funding than it should to help combat the opioid epidemic. The report compares the amount of funding each state has received to its percentage of opioid-related overdose deaths. The Hoosier state ranks near the bottom of the list; the report says Indiana received nearly $160 million but was still underfunded by more than $175 million.
Researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention used data from the 2017 Youth Risk Behavior Survey to explore the association between nonmedical use of prescription opioids and 29 other risky health behaviors revolving around substance use, violence victimization, mental health, sexual behavior and others. They found a significant correlation between the engagement in risky behaviors and the use of nonmedical prescription opioids. While these results are only correlational, researchers point out that it is in line with “risk behavior syndrome,” in which adolescents who engage in a socially-defined problem behavior are more likely to engage in other concerning behaviors. The indication is that primary prevention of opioid misuse among adolescents should be combined with other general interventions to decrease risk factors of unhealthy behaviors and increase protective factors for overall health.
In an investigation sponsored by the RAND Corp., researchers examined the past, present and future of synthetic opioids in the United States with the goal of a systematically assessing the drug overdose crisis. They found that the distribution of fentanyl in illicit drugs has been concentrated east of the Mississippi, and once fentanyl gains a foothold in the location, it can quickly sweep through the market, driving up the death rate. The report says that since fentanyl is less common in much of the Western part of the United States, it is possible that the crisis will get worse in that part of the country before it gets better. Therefore, the authors propose increased efforts to prevent the proliferation of synthetic opioids from becoming entrenched in areas that have been only moderately affected.
The Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities, or SUPPORT, Act allows the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to extend to some healthcare providers the ability to prescribe buprenorphine in office-based settings through Oct. 1, 2023. Qualifying providers include clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists and certified nurse midwives. Buprenorphine is a medication-assisted opioid dependency treatment.
The act also expands the ability of qualifying practitioners to treat up to 100 patients in the first year of waiver receipt if they satisfy certain training and facility requirements. After the 100 patient limit, qualifying practitioners can apply to increase their patient limit to 275. Click here to apply for a buprenorphine waiver.
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