HHS Office of Inspector General’s Post

Looking forward to another great assessment integration with our newest health system partner! One of my favorite aspects of an integration is when we hear feedback about accessibility, usability, patient impact, etc. Our team’s priority, and something I take great pride in working to achieve, is ensuring: 🏥 Our assessments can be efficiently integrated into clinical workflows 📉 Results are easy to interpret 📖 And that our educational materials include all the information needed to provide care and encourage open communication between providers and patients So, here’s to another opportunity to listen and learn. Another opportunity to better our assessments and platform, continuing our mission to improve proactive behavioral healthcare. #feedback #feedbackmatters #productspecialist

Thanks OAG for the opportunity to develop this series of articles on issues surrounding opioids

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Kelly Hooper's article from last summer in POLITICO is still resonating as it highlights a crucial issue for public health, national security, and economic prosperity: the opioid crisis. Rahul Gupta, Director of the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy, emphasized:   "Without policy action, 165,000 lives could be lost a year to the overdose crisis by 2025."   There is a growing demand for safer pain treatments. At Cytogel Pharma, we’ve recently announced that our innovative pain management compound, CYT-1010, is cleared to enter Phase 2 clinical development. This milestone brings us closer to providing a safe and effective alternative for pain treatment. #SaferPainTreatments #Phase2

West Virginia City, Huntington, once inundated with opioids, now faces a "fourth wave" of drug overdoses. From painkillers to heroin and fentanyl, the crisis has evolved. The community is responding with initiatives such as the Quick Response Team, aiming to reduce overdose deaths and provide support for drug users. The challenges continue, including the impact of fentanyl and the need for comprehensive solutions. via KFF Health News https://ift.tt/bODjczr March 13, 2024 at 08:00PM #healthpolicy, #healthsystems, #policy

MISPERCEPTIONS ABOUT THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC IN AMERICA. Mark Twain purportedly said: “There are three kinds of lies; lies, damn lies, and statistics.” The following well-researched Article (See Below) clearly explains why, i.e. “To restrict prescribed opioids for those suffering acute and chronic pain who demonstrate benefit and safe use is to cause needless harm and would likely do little to stem the tide of illicit opioid use as the current driver of overdoses." Furthermore, "Eleven misperceptions were identified that underlie some of the growing national concern and backlash against opioid use. Misperceptions include the number of opioid overdose deaths, the quality of government-sponsored data and guidelines, the impact of opioid dose escalation on overdose risk, postoperative opioid use associated with long-term use, and the link between prescription opioid use and heroin initiation." Our Australian Federal health authorities & policy makers would do well to pay attention to the mistakes made in America, which have only led to [QUOTE] "unnecessarily restrictive practices that are founded in fear and may cause unintended harm to patients in pain." [UNQUOTE] #Australia #America #painrelief #nonconsensual #forcedtapers #opioidtapering #deprescribing #severedisablingpain #persistentpain #opioidguidelines #chronicpainmanagement #noonesizefitsall #patientadvocacy #multidisciplinarycare #selfmanagement #medicalgaslighting #undertreatedpain #prescriptionopioids #opioidcrisis #opioidepidemic #addiction #dependence #overdose #suicide #opioidrestrictions #opiophobia #opioidhysteria #holisticcare #qualityoflife #humanrights #stopthestigma #dontpunishpain #donoharm https://lnkd.in/gRmuYbQ9

Empowering Communities: The Role of Naloxone in Combating Opioid Overdose Description: As communities worldwide continue to grapple with the devastating impact of opioid overdose, it's imperative to highlight effective solutions. Naloxone, an opioid antagonist, stands as a crucial tool in saving lives and reversing the effects of opioid overdose. Naloxone, often administered as a nasal spray or injection, works by rapidly binding to opioid receptors in the brain, effectively reversing the overdose's effects and restoring normal breathing patterns. Its ease of use and quick action make it a vital asset for first responders, healthcare professionals, and even family members or bystanders who may encounter someone experiencing an overdose.. Join me in my mission to combat opioid overdose and promote healthier, safer communities. Together, we can make a difference and ensure that naloxone remains a cornerstone in our collective efforts to overcome the challenges posed by the opioid epidemic. #Naloxone #OpioidCrisis #PublicHealth #CommunityEmpowerment #SaveLives #HealthcareAwareness

Newly released data on PDAPS.org show that laws in more than one-third of states restrict access to buprenorphine, a lifesaving treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). The data, published in collaboration with the Vital Strategies Overdose Prevention Program, supports the need to accelerate states’ adoption of low-barrier, medication-first approaches to OUD treatment. The cross-sectional dataset displays key features of state-level statutes and regulations regarding the prescribing of buprenorphine for OUD outside of federally certified opioid treatment programs and includes laws across all 50 states and the District of Columbia in effect as of March 1, 2023. Learn more about the data at https://lnkd.in/efF7w222 #LoveData24

Interesting read!!