New Overdose Prevention Strategy

In late October, U.S. Health & Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced the release of a new Overdose Prevention Strategy. This new strategy focuses on increasing access to evidence-based services for individuals suffering from substance abuse and their families. HHS wishes to focus on people and put them in power positions related to prevention and treatment.

The strategy will prioritize primary prevention, harm reduction and recovery support. Utilizing data and evidence, this new strategy will help reduce stigma, integrate substance abuse services into other healthcare services, and create policies and actions.

President Joe Biden’s Fiscal Year (FY) 2022 proposed budget for HHS on drug-related programs and initiatives is $11.2 billion. This budget is $3.9 billion more than in FY 2021, a 54% increase. The objective of the increase is to fund the expansion of access to substance use prevention, treatment, harm reduction and recovery support services.

Methadone Take-Home Protocols During COVID-19 Era

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, opioid treatment programs (OPT) utilizing methadone could only prescribe and administer the medication at a federally certified OPT facility. Due to lockdown restrictions from COVID-19, the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) made an exemption to the federal methadone administration requirements. With the COVID-19 SAMHSA exemption, OPT’s could provide, methadone prescribed patients, 28 days of take-home doses if the patient was considered stable, and 14 days’ worth of doses for those patients considered less stable.

Researchers aimed to understand how the COVID-19 exemption impacted methadone adherence and opioid use disorder (OUD). Data was collected from 183 patients from Spokane County, Washington. Patients selected were on stable methadone medication for nine months before the exemption in March 2020, and continued methadone medication nine months after March 2020. The data collected included urine drug testing results for methadone adherence, general emergency department (ED) visits and overdose-related ED visits.

Among the 183 patients studied, ED visits decreased from 74 to 56, and overdose-related ED visits reduced from 16 to 15. Although results showed a decrease in overdose-related ED visits and general ED visits, these were not considered significant because of the possibility of individuals refraining from visiting the ED due to COVID-19 exposure.

Overall, the study showed that post-SAMHSA exemption, methadone treatment was not associated with worse treatment outcomes. However, further research is needed to understand better the data observed, including if and how the COVID-19 exemption to take-home methadone doses plays a role.

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UPCOMING EVENTS

On-The-Spot: Telehealth for Treatment and Recovery Services

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. EDT, Nov. 17

On-the-Spot hosts a free one-hour webinar every third Wednesday that focuses on the use of videoconferencing for clinical and peer recovery services. Knowledgeable professionals are available to answer questions and lead discussions of topics related to or affected by telehealth. There is no registration required, and you can join the webinar at any time during the hour. 

To register for this event, click here.

Substance Use & Psychosis: Interventions for Intertwined Issues

3 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. EDT, Nov. 17

This free webinar will focus on discussing the relationship between substance use and psychosis. Presenters Langevin and Gregware will discuss intervention options rooted in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for providers working with this complex. Other objectives include: defining negative and positive symptoms of psychosis, describing how psychosis and substance use interact, and integrating multiple interventions to address co-occurring substance use and psychosis.

Everyone is welcome to participate in this webinar, but it is targeted specifically for individuals with beginner and intermediate knowledge related to substance use interventions. 

To register for this event, click here.

Ditching the Discomfort with Data Series: Part One Overview

11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. EDT, Nov. 18

Ditching the Discomfort with Data is a four-part series that will focus on the importance of data literacy in the field of prevention. This webinar is targeted at prevention professionals looking to make data-based decisions. Dr. Hayden Center will provide an overview of the essential components of data literacy and then take a deeper dive in parts two through four to learn more about data collection, data analysis, and interpretation. Dr. Hayden Center, has worked with local community prevention organizations to build capacity around data and will share practical tips to help develop skills to work with data. At the end of this webinar series, there will be a discussion on visualizing and communicating data to your partners.

To register for this event, click here.

Trauma Strategies for Peer Support Using Self Care

10 a.m. – Noon EDT, Nov 22

This free-of-cost webinar will discuss the importance of self-care for peer recovery professionals who have empathetic engagement with survivors of trauma circumstances. These interactions can cause secondary stress for peer professionals. It is essential to care for peer recovery professionals as stress buildup can affect their ability to help others find recovery pathways objectively. During this webinar, participating individuals will recognize how trauma affects them and learn self-care techniques to build resiliency to deal with secondary traumatic situations while providing support.

To register for this event, click here.