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In this Healthcare Business Today article, Erica Letow identifies effective strategies for opioid management in government agencies. Read here: https://bit.ly/3NrcXkB

Broadening the Reach of Essential Methadone Therapy: The M-OTAA Initiative Paves the Way for Cross-Party Solutions. In the midst of the severe opioid crisis in the United States, there is a glimmer of hope with the Modernizing Opioid Treatment Access Act (M-OTAA). This legislation aims to improve access to methadone treatment for individuals dealing with opioid use disorder (OUD). Studies have shown that methadone can reduce opioid overdose deaths by almost 60%, making M-OTAA a lifeline for those in need. https://lnkd.in/gkQwnDMH #addictiontreatment #addictionrecovery #drugpolicy

Strengthening health IT infrastructure is a critical and necessary step toward abating the opioid crisis and evaluating the impact of how opioid settlement dollars are allocated across communities. In this MedCity News Influencers article, Kat McDavitt, Kasey Claborn, PhD, Katie McCormick, MSW, George Gooch and Nora Cox share 3 recommendations for a health IT strategy that could more effectively support opioid response, system integration, research and evaluation. #healthcare #healthtech #opioidepidemic #opioidcrisis

At least 25 states across the country have proposed or enacted close to 126 laws addressing opioid overdoses, focusing especially on accessibility to overdose reversal drugs like naloxone, sold commonly under the name NARCAN. Most laws are centered around equipping schools, and other public venues where overdoses are likely to occur, with the lifesaving drug. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/g5zEaPJf Some excerpts from the article: “Because opioid use in youth follows the same patterns as opioid use disorder in adults, according to a 2022 study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, newer policy addressing the opioid epidemic affecting the approximately 2.5 million adults over age 18 looks to tackle it where it starts.” “It came on the heels of an American Medical Association notice urging schools to keep naloxone on hand. Departments of health in some states, like Indiana, are also using public messaging to combat the misguided belief that naloxone promotes risky drug use by providing a way to reverse overdoses.” #thecreativehigh #sobriety #artmentalhealth #sanfranciscobay #artist #art #supportartists  #recovery #documentary #sanfrancisco  #sanfranciscofilm #sffilm #bayarea #bayareafilm #creativity #documentary #narcan #digitaljournal #naloxone #mentalhealth #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthawarenessmonth #SubstanceAbuse #RecoveryIsPossible #HarmReduction #RecoverySupport #DrugPolicyReform #readytorescue Emergent BioSolutions

The use of opioid settlement funds must be the topic of the week in Nashville. Thanks to Hannah Herner's excellent article in the Scene today, we can see how local healthcare and higher ed institutions are using the money. The big question remains, though, how will these efforts as well as others begin to turn the curve on fatalities and the epidemic in the region? #opioidepidemic #opioidcrisis #endoverdose https://lnkd.in/eqbfdxZu

📢Excited to share our newly released paper “Opioid Measurement Toolkit: Leveraging Aligned Data and Measures to Sustain Opioid Settlement Fund Investments.” 📊💼 This comprehensive guide offers practical strategies for state and local organizations to effectively integrate opioid settlement-funded interventions into accountable payment and whole-person care models. The toolkit presents a practical approach to: 1.) 📈 Identifying key healthcare data to showcase the effectiveness of your initiatives. 2.) 🤝 Aligning your data with common measures used by healthcare payers for substance use disorder (SUD). 3.) 📏 Selecting the most impactful measures to convince payers to integrate settlement-funded interventions into their models. Discover how this toolkit can help sustain and amplify the impact of opioid settlement funds: https://lnkd.in/eK2ANChG #HealthPolicy #OpioidCrisis #DukeMargolis #PublicHealth #HealthcareInnovation

Here's an update of the Freakonomics 2020 series in which we spoke with physicians, researchers, and addicts about the root causes of the opioid crisis — and the tension between abstinence and harm reduction. #ctnewsjunkie #ctpolitics

Negative views of prescription opioids and the debate over the use of long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) for chronic pain make it necessary for state and territorial health departments and healthcare providers to take action in addressing stigma and negative perceptions associated with historical opioid overprescription and the current overdose crisis. ASTHO’s new stigma reduction resources provide recommendations to address system-level stigma and overcome barriers to consistent care associated with LTOT. Access these resources here: ▪ How Healthcare Providers Can Reduce Stigma to Improve Care for Patients Taking Long-Term Opioid Therapy: https://lnkd.in/dNFacXSB ▪ How State Health Departments Can Reduce Stigma to Improve Care for Patients Taking Long-Term Opioid Therapy: https://lnkd.in/dsjnRMUk #ChronicPain #Stigma #PatientCare

SAMHSA’s final rule brings significant changes to opioid treatment programs, making COVID-era flexibilities permanent. Under the new rule, some opioid treatment program (OTP) providers can prescribe medication for opioid use disorder (OUD) via telehealth, without requiring an initial in-person exam. OTPs can dispense unsupervised, take-home doses of methadone to relatively stable patients, enhancing accessibility and convenience. Read full story here: https://hubs.ly/Q02kbbsD0

ICYMI: Here's an update of the Freakonomics 2020 series in which we spoke with physicians, researchers, and addicts about the root causes of the opioid crisis — and the tension between abstinence and harm reduction. #ctnewsjunkie #ctpolitics