Opioid Stewardship and Managing the Opioid Crisis: A Health-Care Perspective

Please click the links below to access to Presentations from the February 13, 2018 conference "Opioid Stewardship and Managing the Opioid Crisis: A Health-Care Perspective"

Acute Pain Management presented by Jonah Stulberg, MD, Ph.D, MPH
Chronic Pain Management presented by Ankur Dave, MD
Harm Reduction presented by Gabriela Zapata-Alma, LCSW, CADC
Neurobiology of Pain and Addiction presented by T. Celeste Napier, Ph.D.
New Therapies on the Horizon presented by Frank Vocci, Ph.D.
Opioid Epidemiology presented by Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar, MD, MPH 
Opioid Use Disorders treatment presented by Christopher Holden, MD

Provider Information: Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention:

Harm Reduction and Overdose Prevention:
  • Encourage patients (and their family and friends) to carry naloxone:
    • Any licensed prescriber can write a prescription for naloxone, which patients can fill in a pharmacy. Any licensed prescriber can also write a prescription for naloxone for friends and family of a patient who is using opioids. For more information, click here.  **Because of the increase in fentanyl and analogs, you may want to consider prescribing 3 units of naloxone instead of the standard two units*
      • To watch a video on how to talk to patients about naloxone in primary care and pain management settings, go here.
    • Per Illinois law, a pharmacist who has completed training can initiate naloxone dispensing without a physician prescription. The same Illinois law requires that all Medicaid plans must provide coverage for naloxone. To date, Walgreens has trained all of its pharmacists in Illinois to be able to do this. Many other individual and chain pharmacies have trained some pharmacists.
    • Overdose response education and naloxone distribution is also available through the Chicago Recovery Alliance (CRA). A schedule for the CRA mobile van can be found here.
  • Educate patients (and their family and friends) on harm reduction techniques to avoid overdose and death:
    • Avoid using drugs alone
    • Know your limits- do a “test shot” to see how strong the drug is (i.e., inject or snort a smaller amount than usual to make sure that the response is as expected)
    • Avoid mixing drugs when possible, especially multiple “downers” that can cause respiratory depression
    • Carry an overdose rescue kit (naloxone) and be sure others know you have it
  • Encourage patients and families to check out the CDPH website: "Overcome Opioids" (www.overcomeopioids.org) which includes general information and local resources.

AMA Video: How to Use Naloxone

Related Links

Opioid Contacts

Wilnise Jasmin, MD, MBA, MPH
Medical Director of Behavioral Health

Phone: 312-747-9762
Email: Wilnise.Jasmin@cityofchicago.org

After hours, weekends, and holidays, call 311 and ask for the communicable disease physician on-call (or 312-744-5000 if outside the City of Chicago).

Asset Publisher

Please use the links below to download materials you can share with your patients/clients.

CDPH Substance Use TestStrips
 
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Fentanyl Fact Sheet
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Test Strip Handout
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