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

January 2025

Dear Carson,

Happy New Year!

The first month of this year is a particularly important observance. The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) has launched the first-ever Substance Use Disorder Treatment Month. To learn more about medications for opioid use disorder and the effects of substance use in communities throughout Maryland, attend one of MACS's upcoming webinars this January:

PCSS-MOUD Half & Half Training hosted by MACS for MOMS (Friday, January 10, from 8 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.)
Decreasing Treatment Disparities for African Americans With OUD (Friday, January 31, from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.)

This observance month seeks to support people contemplating or receiving help for their substance use, practitioners treating or considering treating substance use disorder, and friends, family, and loved ones of those with substance use conditions. By raising awareness of treatment, including medications to treat substance use disorders, SAMHSA hopes to eliminate stigma surrounding substance use disorders, encourage those on their treatment and recovery journeys, and promote best practices such as screening, intervention, and treatment of substance use disorders by healthcare providers.

In other news, as we approach Maternal Health Awareness Day on January 23, the MACS team acknowledges the importance of maternal health and the unique challenges faced by pregnant and postpartum individuals. We understand that substance use can significantly affect maternal health and the well-being of families.

MACS for MOMs, a specialized program that provides comprehensive support and treatment for pregnant and postpartum patients with substance use disorders, is specifically designed to support maternal health providers and have a positive impact on the well-being of families. Our team of addiction medicine experts, among them OB/GYNs and psychiatrists, is committed to helping providers navigate addiction among their pregnant and postpartum constituents.

If you are a maternal health provider and would like to learn more about how MACS for MOMs can support you in delivering care to your patients, please contact us at 1-855-337-MACS (6227) or visit www.macsformoms .org. Together, we can improve maternal health outcomes.

Explore this newsletter and the tools available on the MACS website for additional information about provider education and treatment resources.

The MACS Team

EDUCATION

Upcoming MACS Training Opportunities

MACS for MOMs Webinar

PCSS-MOUD Half & Half Training Hosted by MACS for MOMs

Friday, January 10 | 8:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

Presented by MACS for MOMs Medical Director Christopher Welsh, MD, and Consultant Katrina Mark, MD

MACS Webinar

Decreasing Treatment Disparities for African Americans With OUD

Friday, January 31 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Presented by Aliya Jones, MD, Executive Medical Director of Behavioral Health for Luminis Health

MACS Webinar

Optimizing the Pharmacy Partnership in Managing Patients With OUD

Thursday, February 6 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Presented by MACS Consultant Bethany DiPaula, PharmD, BCPP, FASHP

MACS Webinar

Alcohol Use Disorder Review, Co-Occurring Disorders, and Pharmacologic Treatments/Pitfalls

Friday, March 7 | 12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Presented by MACS Consultant Avinash Ramprashad, MD

Upcoming Trainings of Interest

Grayken Center for Addiction Training & Technical Assistance

Overdose Response and Prevention

Thursday, January 9 | 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

CA Bridge

Racial Equity & Improving Access to Care

Thursday, January 23 | 2:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

National Council for Mental Wellbeing

Integrating Care: The Role of MOUD in Addressing Opioid Use Disorder and Infectious Disease

Wednesday, January 29 | 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m.

American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry

Clinical Essentials on Increasing Motivation and Decreasing Stigma Among Youth With Substance Use Disorders

Prerecorded, virtual training

Opioid Response Network

LGBTQ+ Affirming Treatment of Substance Use Disorders for Faculty

Prerecorded, virtual training

MACS ECHO Clinics

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

Beyond "Benita and Quinine": Cuts, Buffs and Adulterants in Maryland

Aaron Greenblatt, MD

Wednesday, January 8

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Maternal Health

Alcohol Use and Pregnancy

Courtney Townsel, MD

Tuesday, January 14

8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

Substance Use Disorders

Optimizing the Pharmacy Partnership in Managing Patients With OUD

Bethany DiPaula, PharmD, BCPP

Wednesday, January 15

12:30 p.m. – 1:30 p.m.

Providing MOUD from a Trauma-Informed Perspective

Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) and SUD

Kay Connors, LCSW-C

Wednesday, January 22

12:00 p.m. – 1:00 p.m.

CONFERENCES AND EVENTS

Maryland-DC Society of Addiction Medicine Annual Conference

Saturday, February 1

Silver Spring Civic Building at Veterans Plaza | Silver Spring, Maryland

Presentations by MACS Consultants Mike Fingerhood, MD, and Marc Fishman, MD

MACS exhibit table

Maryland Academy of Family Physicians Annual Meeting & Winter Refresher

Saturday, February 22 – Sunday, February 23

The Graduate Hotel Annapolis | Annapolis, Maryland

MACS exhibit table

NEWS

Smartphone App-Based Contingency Management and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment Outcomes

This cohort study of 600 individuals analyzed the use of smartphone app-based contingency management (CM) for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). The study found that patients who received medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) plus an app-based CM reported fewer days of opioid use at the end of treatment and were more likely to stay in treatment longer than those who received MOUD only. The authors conclude that adding an app-based CM to MOUD may be a valuable tool for improving treatment outcomes for OUD.

Use of Cannabinoids by People Who Consume Kratom in the United States

The study examined the use of cannabinoids by people who consume kratom in the United States. It found that people who use kratom are also likely to use cannabis and/or cannabidiol-only products. Researchers used the 2022 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) and a 2022 online national convenience sample from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) of adults who use kratom regularly. Both datasets showed high proportions of cannabis use among kratom users, with 92.81% of the NSDUH subset and 92.16% of the NIDA sample reporting lifetime cannabis use. The study concludes that more research is needed to understand the motivations and practices for such co-use. Additionally, co-use of kratom and cannabinoids might lead to herb-herb interactions that could influence research findings and clinical outcomes for people who use the former.

Drug Overdose Deaths Among Medicaid Beneficiaries

A recently published cross-sectional study using U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data from 2016 to 2020 revealed a concerning trend: Medicaid beneficiaries face a drug overdose death rate twice as high as the general U.S. population. In 2020, Medicaid beneficiaries, who comprised 25% of the U.S. population, accounted for 48% of all overdose deaths. Moreover, the rate of overdose deaths among Medicaid beneficiaries increased by 54% from 2016 to 2020. The results of this study suggest that more research is needed to understand why Medicaid beneficiaries have higher rates of drug overdoses than all US residents and how best to prevent overdoses among this population.

The unmet mental health needs of U.S. adults living with chronic pain

This study analyzed data from the National Health Interview Survey to address the assumption that individuals with mental health needs and chronic pain are less likely to access mental health treatment compared to those with mental health needs only. Researchers found that individuals with chronic pain are disproportionately affected by mental health conditions. Despite representing 20.4% of the U.S. adult population, they account for 55.5% of those with unremitted anxiety and depression. Additionally, only 44.4% of individuals with chronic pain receive adequate mental health treatment, compared to 71.5% of those without. Researchers advocate for prioritizing the mental health experiences and outcomes of individuals with chronic pain as a fundamental component of U.S. mental health policy.

The Role of Housing in Improving Health Outcomes and HIV Care Continuity for People Who Use Drugs: Narratives and Recommendations from Lived Experience

This collection of first-hand narratives, research and recommendations aims to illuminate the critical role of housing provision as a comprehensive health and overdose prevention strategy. Developed by the National Alliance of State & Territorial AIDS Directors (NASTAD), it can be utilized as a collection of topic-specific guidance documents or as a framework for person-centered approaches to housing, drug user health and HIV care.