CEPOP, MAPDA Webinar Series on COVID-19 and the Opioid Epidemic Takes Shape, Registration Now Open

CEPOP and MAPDA have set a cadence for the forthcoming policy webinar series focused on the confluence of the COVID-19 pandemic and national opioid epidemic. Recognizing impacts felt by from the COVID-19 pandemic across the below topics, the webinars will aim to foster more effective and sustainable policy action.  Across all four events, attendees will hear from national leaders, government officials and others on the frontline of the epidemic and pandemic.

Over a series of five weeks, the following topics are to be covered:

  • Monday, July 20th (3:00pm – 4:00pm): Digital Health Interventions and Telemedicine
    During the COVID-19 pandemic, new or revised authorities and technologies are being leveraged to help ensure continuity and availability of evidence-based care for the treatment of pain and substance use disorders. How is this being implemented throughout the nation?
  • Monday, July 27th (3:30pm – 4:30pm): Policy Changes to Medication-Assisted Treatment
    To address stay-at-home and self-isolation policies, federal regulators have expanded take-home opportunities for MAT prescriptions as well as initiation of new treatment modalities. This webinar will explore the new framework and its active integration into the current care paradigm. Please note the slight change in timing for this webinar to account for the July 2020 CEPOP All-Participants Teleconference.
  • Monday, August 10th (3:00pm – 4:00pm): Addressing Access and Utilization of Opioid Overdose Reversal Medications
    Recognizing the changes in prescribing policy and availability for prescription opioids and medication-assisted treatment, there remains an increasingly important need for access to overdose reversal medications.  The panel will discuss options for improving this condition and preventing unnecessary overdoses.
  • Monday, August 17th (3:00pm – 4:00pm): Addressing Excess Medications in the Home
    With the primary point of care now being in the home, additional considerations should be given to addressing and mitigating the risk of excess controlled substances. How do SUPPORT Act and other authorities enable this element of the response?

As noted last week, we encourage Weekly Opioid Policy Report recipients to provide Matt Rubin with any suggested speakers spanning clinical care, academia, agency or congressional contacts.

Please keep an eye out for an email with the registration information early this week. Additional information regarding webinar agenda and speakers is forthcoming.


SUD Privacy Rule Review Completed at OMB

On June 16th, the White House Office of Management and Budget concluded its review of a final rule from SAMHSA focused on loosening regulations related to the governance and privacy of substance use disorder information and related healthcare records, known as 42 CFR Part 2. First sent to OMB for review in March, the document is set to finalize the rule first proposed in August 2019. Ultimately, the rule will aim to allow the incorporation of previous and current substance use disorder information within generalized, HIPAA-compliant health records rather than being segmented and not visible to many healthcare providers.

Articles & Resources

White House OMB – Coordinating Care and Information Sharing in the Treatment of Substance Use Disorders

Inside Health Policy – Final Substance Use Privacy Rule Clears OMB


What We Read Last Week

Several articles were published last week pertaining to the opioid epidemic, covering a variety of different components of the issue. Links to relevant articles are provided below.

Articles & Resources

Health Affairs – Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder Among Commercially Insured US Adults, 2008-17

NPR – A New Addiction Crisis: Treatment Centers Face Financial Collapse

Bloomberg – Looters Made off with Drugs From Pharmacies During Protests

National Association of Boards of Pharmacy – Four-Month Pilot Aims to Address Illegal Online Opioid Sales

Bloomberg – Opioid Deal May Be Sped Up Amid State Shortfalls, Analyst Says

Law360 – Pharmacies Want Out of Opioid MDL ‘Public Nuisance’ Suits

WREG (Memphis) – Pharmacist Indicted, Accused of Stealing Opioids from Local Hospital

PBS Frontline – Opioids, Bribery and Wall Street: The Inside Story of a Disgraced Drugmaker

Department of Justice – Former Norfolk Doctor Sentenced for Role in Internet Pharmacy Organization

CDC Continuing Education – Module 13: Using the PDMP to Promote Patient Safety in Opioid Prescribing and Dispensing

Oregon Health Authority – Section 1115 Waiver Request for a Substance Use Disorder Demonstration

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio – Last of Six Sentenced in Scheme to Defraud Medicaid of Millions

U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey – Camden County Man Charged with Selling Phony Prescriptions

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia – Dentists Agree to Pay Civil Penalties Under Controlled Substances Act

U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia – Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Distribution of Adderall, Oxycodone

U.S. Attorney for the District of Massachusetts – Registered Nurse Charged with Drug Diversion

U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri – Nurse Pleads Guilty to Stealing Fentanyl from Hospital

U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas – Dallas Doctor Pleads Guilty to Prescription Drug Diversion Scheme on Elderly


This Week’s Calendar

We hope that everyone is remaining safe and healthy. There are no relevant hearings or markups scheduled at this time. In the instance that there are any changes to the schedule for this week, we will make additional information available.


Questions about the above content can be directed to [email protected].