Educational Activities Archives

This session explores the complex relationship between nicotine and opioid use, including shared biological pathways and how co-use can intensify pain, cravings, and withdrawal. Patients may rely on nicotine to manage stress or withdrawal symptoms, creating a reinforcing cycle that complicates recovery. Integrating treatment for both conditions is increasingly recognized as essential to improving long-term outcomes.

The history of pain management in the US is fraught with changes in practice and finding new and more holistic ways to work with individuals with chronic pain for social workers and other non-prescriber providers.  In this webinar, learn about the history of pain management, how to assess risk of developing opioid use disorders, health promotion factors for people who use opioids, including overdose reversal, and macro approaches to the risks of substance misuse.

Pregnant and postpartum women with OUD face fragmented and siloed health care, systemic barriers, stigma and multifaceted challenges, which contribute to adverse outcomes and significant negative consequences for individuals and society. Methadone is an essential component of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) treatment, with substantial evidence highlighting its benefits for maternal-and-fetal-health. This webinar will discuss emerging evidence of rapid and split dose methadone initiation for perinatal patients in the hospital setting, and the utility of offering whole person approach and linkage to follow up OTP care.

For patients with cancer and substance use disorders, managing pain safely and effectively presents unique challenges. Clinicians must balance appropriate opioid prescribing with the risks of relapse, overdose, and fragmented care. This episode explores how addiction, oncology, and palliative care providers can work together to support both cancer treatment and recovery. Listeners will learn practical frameworks for managing cancer-related pain, coordinating care across specialties, and improving outcomes for patients navigating these intersecting and complex conditions.

Substance use during hospitalization is common, yet many healthcare systems lack clear, evidence-based approaches to respond effectively. Punitive responses can worsen outcomes, increase stigma, and lead to early discharge. This episode explores emerging best practices for addressing in-hospital substance use in ways that improve patient safety, strengthen trust, and support recovery. Listeners will learn practical strategies for proactive communication and collaborative approaches that center patient care while supporting healthcare teams navigating these complex situations.

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) are life-saving, yet three-quarters of people who need them still can’t access them. This episode examines how pharmacy-based models are closing gaps in addiction care deserts, how pharmacists can strengthen interdisciplinary care teams, and why fair reimbursement for pharmacist services matters for sustaining care in the communities hit hardest by overdose.