U.S. overdose deaths hit record 107,000 in 2021, CDC says

"Overdose deaths are often attributed to more than one drug. Some people take multiple drugs and inexpensive fentanyl has been increasingly cut into other drugs, often without the buyers’ knowledge, officials say."

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Pain, Pills, and Prejudice: Racial/Ethnic and Gender Disparities in Opioid Prescriptions

Across settings, Black Americans are 22% less likely than White Americans to receive pain medication. Closing gender and racial/ethnic disparities in pain medication requires a shift in how medical systems approach pain, prejudice, and prescriptions.

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Changes in US Clinician Waivers to Prescribe Buprenorphine Management for Opioid Use Disorder During the COVID-19 Pandemic and After Relaxation of Training Requirements

"The growth of the workforce providing buprenorphine treatment for OUD is increasingly important amidst long-standing shortages of buprenorphine prescribers and rising opioid overdose deaths." This study examines the numbers of clinicians with waivers before and during the pandemic using national data.

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Impact of prenatal substance use policies on commercially insured pregnant females with opioid use disorder

This study examined how punitive and supportive prenatal substance use policies impacted commercially insured pregnant female patients with OUD. Instances of supportive SUD policy saw increased MOUD and decreased overdoses, while overdoses increased in areas with solely punitive SUD policy.

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Survey of Barriers and Facilitators to Prescribing Buprenorphine and Clinician Perceptions on the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 Waiver

This survey study of 126 clinicians attending a GetWaiveredTX waiver training found that 61 clinicians received an X-waiver; among them, 36% were prescribing buprenorphine and 64% were not. Barriers such as perceived lack of professional support and referral networks were noted.

State addiction consultation services like MACS are designed to support clinicians with every step of the buprenorphine waiver process. Call MACS for support with the waiver application, training, MOUD implementation & questions about best practices.

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