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

November 2026

Greetings,

Welcome to the November edition of the MACS Monthly newsletter!

From November 8 to 14, the MACS team will proudly celebrate National Nurse Practitioner Week to recognize the vital contributions of more than 461,000 nurse practitioners (NPs) nationwide. Working across diverse clinical environments, including hospitals, urgent care facilities, nursing homes and private practices, NPs deliver comprehensive, patient-centered care. They are frequently the first line of engagement for individuals seeking treatment, playing an indispensable role in addressing substance use disorders and managing chronic pain. MACS is proud to support NPs with expert consultations, education and resources tailored to support their essential clinical impact.

Additionally, National Rural Health Day on November 19 shines a light on the distinct obstacles rural populations encounter when seeking care for SUDs. Healthcare providers and teams practicing in rural areas frequently navigate resource limitations, geographic isolation and unique community stigmas that can complicate effective treatment delivery for SUDs and chronic pain. MACS offers specialized clinical support and guidance to help rural teams overcome these challenges and deliver essential care to their communities.

Providers can access support in caring for patients with SUDs and chronic pain by scheduling an individualized consultation or registering for an upcoming training with the MACS team of addiction medicine specialists. Call 1-855-337-MACS (6227), email macs@som.umaryland.edu or visit www.marylandmacs.org to learn more.

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

– The MACS Team

NEW FACT SHEET

The MACS for MOMs team has published a new fact sheet on "Postpartum Pain Management for Patients With Substance Use Disorders."

Postpartum pain is well documented to be undertreated in people with SUDs, and concerns about relapse, overdose and stigma can further complicate pain management decisions. The fact sheet covers key clinical considerations to help providers navigate these challenges, from continuing medications for opioid use disorder during hospitalization to overdose prevention and follow-up planning.

Fact Sheet: Postpartum Pain Management for Patients With SUDs

EDUCATION

Upcoming MACS Training Opportunities

MACS Webinar

Community-Based Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Models, Access, and the Path Forward

Monday, December 7 | 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. ET

Presented by Will Garneau, MD, MPH, MHS, Assistant Professor, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Upcoming Trainings of Interest

Grayken Center for Addiction Training & Technical Assistance

Stimulants 101

Monday, November 16 | 3 – 4 p.m. ET

Central East Prevention Technology Transfer Center

After the Mission: Navigating Substance Use and Suicide Prevention for Veterans

Tuesday, November 17 | 1 – 2:30 p.m. ET

American Society of Addiction Medicine

A Whole Person Approach: Adding Addiction Medicine Services to a Drug Treatment Court Program

Monday, November 30 | 4 – 5:30 p.m. ET

MACS ECHO Sessions

Join our learning communities for continuous case-based discussions and didactic presentations linking expert specialist teams with healthcare providers and their practices. MACS ECHO sessions count toward the required 8-hours of SUD training for DEA license renewal or registration.

Opioid Treatment Program

Alcohol and Opioid Use Disorder

Devang Gandhi, MD

Wednesday, November 4

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Maternal Health

Engaging Perinatal Patients Resistant to Care

Katrina Mark, MD, FACOG

Tuesday, November 10

12 – 1 p.m.

Substance Use Care for the General Practitioner

Psychiatric Comorbidity with Substance Use Disorders

Christopher Welsh, MD

Wednesday, November 18

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

Peer Recovery Specialists

Understanding ASAM Levels of Care and the Peer’s Role Across the Continuum

Christopher Welsh, MD

Monday, December 7

12:30 – 1:30 p.m.

CONFERENCES & EVENTS

2026 Nurse Practitioner Association of Maryland Fall Conference

Saturday, November 7

Howard Community College | Columbia, Maryland

MACS exhibit table

2026 Maryland Association of Prevention Professionals and Advocates Annual Conference

Thursday, November 19 – Friday, November 20

Holiday Inn Ocean City | Ocean City, Maryland

MACS exhibit table

NEWS

Infant Hippocampal and Amygdala Volume in an Observational Follow-Up from a Randomized Clinical Trial for Maternal Prenatal Depression

An observational follow-up study evaluates early brain development in infants born to mothers treated for prenatal depression, measuring hippocampal and amygdala volumes at six weeks and tracking emotional behavior at six months. Findings show that infants whose mothers received brief interpersonal psychotherapy during pregnancy exhibit smaller right hippocampal volumes compared to enhanced usual care, with no differences in left hippocampal or amygdala volumes. Smaller right hippocampal volume also predicts lower negative emotionality at six months, indicating that treating prenatal depression influences offspring brain development and subsequent emotional health.

Duration of Medication Use for Opioid Use Disorder and Risk of Postpartum Overdose and Death

A new retrospective cohort study examines the association between the duration of medication for opioid use disorder during the postpartum period and the risk of fatal and nonfatal overdose as well as all-cause mortality. The findings reveal how MOUD retention across the postpartum year impacts maternal mortality and what it means for expanding long-term perinatal OUD care.

Opioid Use Disorder and Evidence-Based Care Among Medicaid-Enrolled Youths

Analyzing the cascade of care for 229,847 Medicaid-enrolled youths aged 13 to 25 diagnosed with OUD between 2016 and 2023, this cohort study reveals that while 50.7 percent initiate treatment within 14 days, overall 180-day retention on medications for OUD remains low. The findings demonstrate persistent disparities, showing that younger adolescents and racially minoritized youths experience lower progression rates across the care continuum. These large gaps highlight an urgent need for targeted policies, equity-driven care models and enhanced clinical support to expand youth medication access and improve treatment retention.

The Pediatric Opioid Overdose and Addiction Crisis

A recently published clinical review addresses the escalating pediatric opioid overdose and addiction crisis, highlighting that drug overdoses have become the third leading cause of death among U.S. children and adolescents. Driven largely by an unregulated drug supply heavily contaminated with illicit fentanyl, a significant majority of youth who experience fatal overdoses have no known prior history of opioid use, often stemming from experimentation with counterfeit pills. The authors outline critical strategies for pediatric clinicians, emphasizing the necessity of universal substance use screening, safe opioid prescribing practices, early identification of risk factors, integrated harm reduction, and expanded access to evidence-based treatment and naloxone.

Psilocybin Use, Mental Health Treatment Utilization, and Unmet Treatment Need Among US Individuals With Depression

This study evaluates patterns of psilocybin use among U.S. adults experiencing a major depressive episode, finding that approximately 7.3 percent report past-year consumption. The analysis shows that while psilocybin use does not reduce or displace the utilization of conventional mental health treatments, consumers report a significantly higher perceived unmet need for standard psychiatric care compared to non-users. These findings suggest that individuals often turn to alternative substances while seeking solutions for inadequately managed depressive symptoms, highlighting an important opportunity for clinicians to proactively discuss treatment goals and care gaps with patients.

RESOURCES

2027 NIDA International Forum Plenary Session Proposal Submission Guidelines (National Institute on Drug Abuse)

Benzodiazepines in 2026: Prescribing Is Finally Falling, but Deprescribing Still Isn't Working (Medscape)

New StopOverdose.Maryland.Gov (Maryland's Office of Overdose Response)

Patterns in naloxone familiarity and access self-reported by Rapid Street Reporting participants interviewed February 20, 2026, to August 29, 2026

1-855-337-MACS (6227) | www.marylandmacs.org | MACS@som.umaryland.edu