Updates to the Buprenorphine Waiver

DACS Digest | January 2023

Bringing healthcare providers across the District of Columbia the latest news, events, and resources to improve care for patients with substance use disorders and chronic pain management.

Hello Anna,

Happy New Year! Over the holidays, President Biden signed an omnibus that included the Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) and Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Acts. The bills were passed to expand access to life saving medication for the treatment of opioid use disorder and normalize and enhance substance use care across healthcare settings.

Please stay tuned for more detailed information from DACS about this landmark legislation. As always, DACS is here to support you and your healthcare team in caring for patients with substance use disorders and pain management.

Thank you for all that you do,

The DACS Team

Virtual Education Opportunities

The structural and social determinants of addiction: Addressing root causes for an anti-racist response to the overdose crisis | USC Speaker Series

Wednesday, January 18 | 3:00 pm

image of amanda latimore phd

pharmacist holding pill bottle and talking to customer

DACS Webinar: The Pharmacist's Role in Increasing Access to Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

Free CPE/CME credit

Tuesday, January 31 | 12:00 - 1:00 pm

In case you missed it...

Benzodiazepines: Should We Worry About Them?

Latest News & Research

Top news story of 2022: The Troubling Decline in Life Expectancy

The U.S. spends more per-person on healthcare than any other large wealthy country, yet its residents have a shorter life expectancy. Forbes highlighted the top news story of 2022, citing rising maternity mortality and fatal overdoses as some of the top neglected public health issues contributing to the troubling decline in life expectancy.

Read more about this from the CDC...

Years of Life Lost to Drug Overdose Among Black Female Individuals in the US, 2015-2021

"Much of the attention surrounding the nationwide overdose crisis has focused on White suburban and rural men, and more recently among Black men and Native American individuals; The effect of the epidemic on Black women has mostly been unremarked on. This lack of public discussion, research, or policy initiatives further marginalizes Black women with substance use disorders."

Pandemic may have led to changes in buprenorphine treatment initiation, retention

"While more U.S. patients received buprenorphine for opioid use disorder between March 13 and Dec. 1, 2020, than during the same period in 2019, there were about 17% fewer new prescriptions than expected, a recent study found."

The DACS phone line will be closed on the following holidays:

January 16 - MLK Day

February 20 - Presidents Day

Relevant Resources To Support You

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Equitable Long-Term Recovery and Resilience

Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN): Findings from Drug-Related Emergency Department Visits, 2021

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SAMHSA Proposes Update to Federal Rules to Expand Access to Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

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2021 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) Report

State Approaches for Distribution of National Opioid Settlement Funding

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The Fight to End the Nation’s Overdose Epidemic and Restore Compassionate Care: Profiles in Leadership

1-866-337-DACS (3227) | www.districtacs.org | dacs@som.umaryland.edu