Buprenorphine

Oral health is an essential part of overall health. Healthcare professionals who provide care to patients with possible Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) or Substance Use Disorders (SUD) need to be aware of the special considerations this population may experience. Use this resource to learn how dental professionals can identify patients who may be at high-risk for OUD and SUD, while seeking care in the dental setting.

Psychiatric pharmacists are advanced practice clinical pharmacists committed to being part of an interdisciplinary team treating substance use disorders, often in combination with serious mental illness. The following SUD toolkits were developed to further the knowledge of pharmacists and other healthcare professionals.

In this talk, we will discuss the creation of the Palliative Ham Reduction and Resiliency Clinic at The Ohio State Wexner Medical Center. This is a Palliative Medicine clinic with additional resources and support for patients with concurrent SUDs—including additional psycho-social support, substance use evaluation and management, and coordination of care. We provide care for patients with active cancer and concurrent substance misuse. We will discuss implementing a culture of (1) patient-centeredness, (2) safety, (3) collaboration, and (4) addiction support into our clinic model. We will also discuss our philosophy on safer opioid prescribing and harm reduction.

In 2022, the CDC estimated over 107,000 American deaths related to drug overdose as the pandemic spreads nationwide, surpassing the toll of gun violence and car accidents combined. The widespread use of Fentanyl fueled the rise in fatalities. As the pandemic worsens, it is important to understand its impact on our communities and healthcare workers, keeping ourselves safe with proper knowledge of drugs and the ever-changing environment.

A new law soon goes into effect that requires new or renewing DEA licensees, as of June 27, 2023, to have completed a total of at least eight hours of training on opioid or other substance use disorders and the appropriate treatment of pain. Dr Yngvild Olsen, director of the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, joins AAAP to discuss the requirements going into effect, what should clinicians know about the changes, and how to best prepare.

The current opioid and drug overdose crisis continues to have a devastating impact on morbidity and mortality in the United States. With the rise in use of potent synthetic opioids like fentanyl in the drug supply, creating linkages to comprehensive substance use related services is critical. Opioid Treatment Programs (OTP) and the comprehensive care and services they provide play a vital role in addressing this need, yet challenges remain. Despite clear evidence of the benefits of OTP’s, access to OTPs in some parts of the country is limited; stigma related to the use of methadone remains a challenge. Yet in the face of these headwinds, many OTPs are providing comprehensive leading-edge services to address the opioid and drug overdose crisis.

Judge Kim McGinnis, PhD, will use her training in neuropharmacology and as a treatment court judge to dive into the neuroscience and practicalities of medicine for opioid use for justice-involved individuals. Judge McGinnis will describe how changes commonly found in the brain of people struggling with substance misuse and trauma may lead to unexpected behaviors. This will help justice stakeholders better understand why sometimes justice-involved people respond in unexpected ways to services and court requirements. The judge will explain the mechanisms of different substances of misuse and medicine for opioid use disorder. The audience will learn from a judge’s perspective how MOUD enhances outcomes and saves lives.

The purpose of this guide is to provide practical clinical practice-based guidance, based on available research combined with emerging clinical experience, on the use of buprenorphine in the treatment of individuals using fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids. 

Opioid use disorder (OUD) can be a fatal addiction with complex implications for new and/or expecting mothers. OUD challenges can lead to many complications for mother and child, including low birth weight, clinical challenges with medical dosing and increased risk of accidental death. In the U.S. alone, a baby is born passively dependent every 15 minutes. To ensure best health outcomes for both mother and child, policies must allow engagement in evidence-based treatment and protect clients from legal ramifications. Hear from a physician, clinic director and an individual with lived experience to broaden understandings about the treatment and policy landscape for pregnant and postpartum women with OUD.

This presentation will explore data from the University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction’s Baseline Needs Assessments in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine, sharing insights gathered from practitioners and stakeholders about their concerns about opioid use and their perceived barriers to and beliefs about opioid use disorder treatment.