Dear <<First Name>>,
We want to call your attention to this important letter from the The California Department of Public Health, in collaboration with the Statewide Opioid Safety (SOS) Workgroup, regarding their health alert, Don't Drop Your Patients. The letter acknowledges the challenges providers face when responding to patients on high doses of opioids but also stresses the importance of individualized treatment aligned with best practices. In the letter, Charity Dean, MD, MPH, Acting State Public Health Officer, emphasizes that “health care professionals should not abruptly discontinue opioids in a patient who is physically dependent on opioids.” In addition, health care providers should avoid rapid tapers in patients with long-term dependence.
Click here to read more from the letter and for resources to assist with supporting patients with substance use disorder. Please share with local providers and other community partners.
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Onward,
Carmen Rita Nevarez, MD, MPH
Director, Center for Health Leadership and Practice
Vice President, External Relations and Preventive Medicine
Public Health Institute
www.californiaopioidsafetynetwork.org
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COSN National Webinar Series
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Yesterday we hosted the first webinar in our new four-part series, "No Wrong Door for Opioid Safety: How to Build an Effective Response", in partnership with Dialogue4Health. More than 300 participants from across the country tuned in to hear about partnership strategies from a lieutenant in New Jersey, a national opioid safety advocate, and a physician champion in rural California. Check out the slides and resources shared during the session. A recording will be posted next week.
The next webinar in the series will take place on Tuesday, November 5 and focus on how to use local data for measurable results. Join us to learn about three innovative approaches to using locally available data to describe local burden and create real-time responses to overdose events. Register here to join us!
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COSN Accelerator Program Convening Recap
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Last month, COSN convened MAT expansion partners with Accelerator coalition members (and their VISTA members) for an initial discussion around alignment of work moving forward. The day was organized around the concepts of developing a "system of prevention" and "system of care" for OUD with workshop discussions in the areas of youth, tribal communities, clinical environments and organized systems of care.
At the convening we also announced the soft launch of our new website, californiaopioidsafetynetwork.com. The website features upcoming events, an interactive map of coalitions in California, and a resource library with videos, tools, and infographics. Check it out!
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Glenn County Engages with Providers and Spreads Hope for Recovery
On August 27, Glenn County Alliance for Prevention Coalition organized a prescriber dinner with Millennium Health, who presented on current drug trends. There was a great turn-out, with attendees from different clinics and areas of care around Glenn County. Since the presentation, one attendee has reached out about becoming X-waivered and others expressed interest in joining the prescription drug work group. In September, Glenn County Substance Use Disorder Services also hosted its 15th annual "Recovery Happens" event. The event aimed to spread hope for recovery in Glenn County through an array of guest speakers from the community, community partner awards, and music from various artists.
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Youth Take the Lead in Monterey
On September 26th, Monterey County Prescribe Safe Initiative facilitated a community panel about student drug use in the Monterey area. Spearheaded by a local high school student, this multi-disciplinary panel included school resource officers, health teachers, physicians, school counselors, who spoke about their professional experiences with student drug use. The panel also included a group of students from local high schools who spoke to their experiences navigating stress, peer pressure, and other issues they faced in the context of drug use.
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MAT Waiver Legislative Changes Increase Access to OUD Treatment
Clinical nurse midwives, clinical nurse specialists, and certified registered nurse anesthetists are now eligible until Oct. 1, 2023 to apply for a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). The changes follow passage of the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities (SUPPORT) Act, which passed last year. Nurse practitioners were already eligible. Click here to start PCSS' online MAT waiver training program.
Integrating Substance Use, Mental Health, and Primary Care Services: Enhancing Foundations for Change
The 16th Statewide Conference will be on October 23-24, at the Hilton Universal City Hotel in Universal City. Click here for more information and to register.
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National Leadership Academy for the Public's Health, 2020 Call for Applications
The Center for Health Leadership and Practice is currently seeking applications from multi-sector teams across the United States for the 9th National Leadership Academy for the Public’s Health (NLAPH) cohort. Since 2012, NLAPH has brought together teams of leaders from diverse sectors including health, housing, education, transportation, and law enforcement to build their own capacity in order to transform their communities, improve health, and advance equity. Please see the NLAPH 2020 Program Flyer and NLAPH Program Page for additional details and information. All applications must be submitted by Friday, October 11, 2019, by 5:00 p.m. PDT.
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Last week we saw a judicial win for harm reduction. "A judge has ruled that a Philadelphia nonprofit group's plan to open the first site in the U.S. where people can use illegal opioids under medical supervision does not violate federal drug laws, delivering a major blow to Justice Department lawyers who have been working to block the facility." Read more. |
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