The latest in substance use disorders and pain management education for healthcare providers

October 2023

EDUCATION

Upcoming Opportunities

MACS Virtual Training

PCSS Half & Half Buprenorphine Training

Fulfills the 8-hour DEA training requirement upon completion of both the live & on demand training portions

Thursday, October 26 | 8:30 am - 12:45 pm

National Academy of Medicine

Women’s Health: From Cells to Society

Monday, October 9 | 2:00 pm

NCSACW

A Family-Centered Approach to Implementing Plans of Safe Care

Thursday, October 19 | 2:00 pm

MACS ECHO Clinics

Save the dates for the 2023 ECHO Clinics fall cycle! In September, join our learning communities for continuous case-based discussions and didactic presentations linking expert specialist teams with healthcare providers and their practices. MACS ECHO Clinics count toward the required 8-hours of SUD training for DEA license renewal or registration.

Opioid Treatment Program ECHO

Recent Regulatory Changes and their Impact on MOUD

Wednesday, October 4

12:30 pm -1:30 pm

Maternal Health ECHO

Cannabis Use and Pregnancy

Tuesday, October 10

8:00 am - 9:00 am

Substance Use Disorder ECHO

Initiation of Buprenorphine

Wednesday, October 18

12:30 - 1:30 pm

Learn more about MACS ECHO clinics

Watch on Demand: MACS Webinars on Youth Substance Use

Presented by MACS Consultant & Child Psychiatrist, Marc Fishman, MD

Benzodiazepine and prescription stimulant use in youth What’s the impact on SUD and its treatment?

Watch

Youth Substance Use and Substance Use Disorder

Watch

Involving Families in Addressing Youth Substance Use

Watch

Co-occurring Psychiatric and Substance Use Disorders in Youth

Watch

Conferences

Tuerk Conference on Mental Health and Addiction Treatment

MACS will have a virtual exhibit

Thursday, October 12 | Virtual Conference

More info

Maryland Rural Health Conference

MACS will be tabling

Sunday, October 22 - October 24 | Ocean City, MD

More info

2023 Fall CE Conference: First Do No Harm: Pharmacology Update for Primary and Acute Care NPs

MACS Consultant, Dr. Sarah Merritt, will be presenting and MACS will be tabling

Saturday, November 4 | Howard Community College

More info

NEWS

A Decade Of Data: An Update On The Primary Care And Mental Health Nurse Practitioner And Physician Workforce

This report builds on past tracking of primary care workforce numbers, adding 2023 data and including the behavioral health workforce.

Racial inequities and addiction research

This article underscores NIDA's focus on researching health disparities and diversifying the scientific workforce. It emphasizes measuring disparities in substance use, improving data limitations, studying causal mechanisms for policy enhancement, and removing structural barriers in addiction science training.

Fentanyl mixed with cocaine or meth is driving the '4th wave' of the overdose crisis

A new study finds a 50-fold growth in deaths from combined use of stimulants and opioids. MACS medical director, Dr. Eric Weintraub, weighed in: "The drug supply is so toxic and dangerous, so if somebody's using cocaine on the weekends here and there and they get the wrong batch, they could die of an overdose as well."

One-Year Association of Drug Possession Law Change With Fatal Drug Overdose in Oregon and Washington

A new study finds that lowered criminal penalties for drug crimes in Washington and Oregon did not lead to a rise in overdose deaths in either state.

Impact of a high-volume overdose prevention site on social and drug disorder in surrounding areas in San Francisco

This study found that implementing authorized OPS services in a U.S. city did not increase the prevalence of visible signs of drug use and homelessness in the surrounding area, similar to OPS findings outside the U.S.

Methadone Is an Effective Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder, So Why Aren't More Patients Using It?

MACS consultant, Dr. Mike Fingerhood is interviewed about how prescribing restrictions and social stigma keep methadone from people who need it.

Maryland Amplifies Substance Use Treatment and Recovery in September Campaign

Featuring MACS' collaboration with Maryland's Secretary of Health, Dr. Laura Herrera Scott, MD, MPH, to highlight the vital role healthcare providers and teams play in expanding lifesaving treatment.

Hear from Your Peers

katie wandishin with calvert county health department speaks about partnership with MACS

County partner, Katie Wandishin, shares about her experience collaborating with MACS.

Holidays

MACS Phone Line Will Be Closed:

October 9 - Indigenous Peoples Day

November 11 - Veterans Day

October Observances

Youth Substance Use Prevention & Substance Misuse Prevention Month

Latino Physician Day

October 1

Primary Care Week

October 1 - 7

"Providing substance use services in primary care can be grounding for patients as they create or maintain meaningful change in their lives. As a buprenorphine prescriber, I feel extremely fortunate to help patients step into a future with the goal of leaving opioid addiction behind."

-Nancy Hartman, NP & MACS Participant

Midwifery Week

October 1 - 7

Physician Assistants Week

October 6 - 12

National Pharmacy Week

October 15 - 21

Addiction Treatment Week

October 16 - 22

Global Health Equity Week

October 23 - 27

Drug Take Back Day