Join the July All-Participants Meeting with Two Congressional Focus Topic Speakers at 3PM Eastern

CEPOP will be hosting its July All-Participants Teleconference today at 3:00pm EST. Today’s meeting will include presentations from Anna Dietderich from Senator Lisa Murkowski’s office on Bruce’s Law and Audrey Arbogast from Senator Mike Braun’s office on the Ensuring the FDA Fully Examines Clinical Trial Impact and Vitalness before Endorsement (EFFECTIVE) Act. Please contact Sanjyot Sangodkar for meeting details.

CDC Data Detail Disparities in Overdose Deaths

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Friday issued another Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, this time providing details on overdose death rates by race, ethnicity, and county-level social determinants of health. CDC analyzed data from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System from 25 states and the District of Columbia and found that American Indian, Alaska Native, and Black persons experienced the highest increases in drug overdose death rates during 2019 – 2020. Data showed that, compared to the previous year, drug overdose death rates increased by 44% among Black persons and 39% among American Indian or Alaska Native persons. The data also suggest that income inequality, unequal access to treatment, and treatment biases may have exacerbated these inequities. CDC notes that, to reduce inequities, prevention programs should include evidence-based, culturally responsive interventions and account for co-occurring polysubstance use and social determinants of health.

Articles & Resources

CDC – Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report July 22, 2022

What We Read Last Week

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

BMJ Open – Mixed-methods study to examine the response of opioid addiction treatment programmes to COVID-19: a study protocol

CDC – A United Effort: Building National Public Health Capacity for the Overdose Response Strategy

Clinical Advisory – Intervention Improves Acute Pain in Patients on Medication-Assisted Therapy for Opioid Use Disorder

DEA – Approximately 100,000 Fake Oxycodone Pills Containing Fentanyl

Florida Blue – Florida Blue Medicare, Prime Therapeutics Work Together to Reduce Opioid Overuse and Save Lives

Health IT Analytics – Prediction Model Can Forecast Post-Operative Outpatient Opioid Use

NPR – U.S. death toll from drug overdoses is rising fast among Black and Indigenous people

Pink Sheet – US FDA Elevates Controlled Substances Coordinator To New Deputy CDER Director Role

Representative John B. Larson – Larson Announces $375,000 for Youth Substance Use Prevention

Senator Gary Peters – Peters Introduces Bipartisan Bill to Improve Screening of Vehicles and Cargo at Ports of Entry

Senator Martin Heinrich – Heinrich, Wicker, Lee Lead Bipartisan, Bicameral Call For Increased Access To Osteopathic Medical Research That Benefits Rural, Underserved Communities

The Economist – America’s opioid crisis developed in plain sight

The Hill – Congress: To prevent addiction, empower physicians and patients to choose non-opioids

U.S. Department of State – Joint Statement of the Third Meeting of the India-U.S. Counternarcotics Working Group

This Week’s Calendar

Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
Hearings to examine fighting fentanyl, focusing on the Federal response to a growing crisis.
Tuesday, July 26;10:00 a.m.; Hearing Notice

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