Case Study:
Construction worker treated with oxycodone for pain
Join the discussion!

A 47-year-old, married Caucasian male works in construction and receives oxycodone 5mg q 4h for back pain after an unsuccessful surgery. He has had several urine drug screens which were negative, and the state prescription drug monitoring program indicates that he is not receiving controlled substances elsewhere. In general, the patient has been very adherent to the treatment plan, but twice in the past 4 months he has lost part of his prescription and come in for an early refill. On routine blood work the following transaminase results were obtained: AST 68 IU ALT 111 IU GGT 127 IU. He denies any regular alcohol use.

PCSS Training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Federal Law, Regulations, and the Dispensing of Controlled Substances
Date: April 25, 2018
Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm ET
Presenter: Loren T. Miller, Associate Section Chief of the Policy and Liaison Section in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Diversion Control Division
Sponsor: American Dental Association ( ADA)

Webinar description: The presentation will briefly touch on the depth of the opioid crisis, the closed system of distribution enforced by the DEA and the practitioner’s role in the closed system and sources of diversion. [ More ]
Of Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SAMHSA Live Virtual Event:
Supporting Students With Serious Mental Illness, Substance Use Disorders

Date: Thursday, April 26, 2018
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm ET

Approximately 1.8 of the nation's college students meet the medical criteria for substance misuse or dependence. Increasing numbers of students report high levels of anxiety, hopelessness, and other symptoms of mental illness.

Join national leaders in a conversation about treatment and recovery supports for these underrepresented student populations. Presenters will:
  • Review data on the prevalence of serious mental illness and substance use disorders among college students.
  • Highlight an array of collegiate recovery support models that assist students with serious mental illness or substance use disorders.
  • Discuss opportunities for colleges and communities to provide recovery support services to help students at risk of developing, or experiencing, a serious mental illness or substance use disorder.
May PBS Documentary Focuses on the Opioid Epidemic

In early May, PBS will air a three-part documentary: Do No Harm: The Opioid Epidemic . The series discusses how this catastrophic public health crisis began. Filmed in the opioid epidemic ground zeros of Seattle, Kentucky, and New Hampshire

Contact your local PBS station for dates and times of the series broadcast.
Publication Offers Blueprint for Preventing and Treating OUD
The National Academy of Medicine recently released a publication-- First, Do No Harm: Marshaling Clinician Leadership to Counter the Opioid Epidemic--geared to providing clinicians a comprehensive strategy for treating pain and preventing and treating opioid use disorder.

The book, available at no cost as a pdf or for $8.99 softcover, was written by the top experts in the field.
News and Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The American Journal on Addictions

Association of Medical Colleges

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

White House

American Journal of Obstectrics and Gynecology

American Journal of Public Health

Biological Psychiatry


Drug and Alcohol Dependence


Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment


Pain Medicine

Medscape

PCSS Online Brochure. Please share this link with colleagues: https://goo.gl/G1ay6H
Funding for this initiative was made possible (in part) by grant nos. 5H79TI025595-03, 5U79TI026556-02 and 3U79TI026556-02S1 from SAMHSA. The views expressed in written conference materials or publications and by speakers and moderators do not necessarily reflect the official policies of the Department of Health and Human Services; nor does mention of trade names, commercial practices, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.