GUIDANCE FOR CLINICIANS AND PRESCRIBERS

Resources

Opioids Resources for the Covid-19 Pandemic Era

• Start here: California Bridge to Treatment has a thorough list of resources, focused on achieving social distancing in the provision of MAT services to protect staff and patients.

• The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration relaxed patient eligibility regulations for take-home medication (pdf download) for buprenorphine and methadone, and also the rules for how much medication can be taken home at one time. 

• The Harm Reduction Coalition published a simple guide for programs that practice harm reduction and for drug users themselves. Read and download here.

Meth Harm Reduction

• Pharmacist Toolkit: Methamphetamine Use Disorder published by two California pharmacists.

General support, toolkits and data

• Broader Practice Agreement as an example of a multi-condition template for opioid use disorder among a broad range of patient needs and health conditions.

• Clinician Guide for the Reduction and Discontinuation of Opioids from the HHS.

• The California Substance Use Line , 1-844-326-2626, Free 24/7 consultation for clinicians.

• Don’t Drop Your Patient California Dept of Public Health letter to providers to avoid harm to patients.

• California Overdose Prevention Network (COPN) Support and resources for all opioid coalitions in the state.

• California Department of Public Health Opioid Safety Dashboard Searchable data for all California counties. Tracks the impacts of the opioid crisis (like overdose deaths and hospitalizations) and how efforts county by county are turning the tide.

• “Revised - CA Bridge Treatment Protocols - Toolkit”

  
  

• 2019 IEOCC Town Hall Education Videos

Primary care and other ambulatory care settings

• CIN Toolkit Toolkit for treating addiction in primary care.

• NEW MAT for OUD Playbook AHRQ Academy’s guide for implementing MAT in ambulatory care settings.

Pharmacies

• NEW Video, ‘Breaking the Norm: Pharmacies and Opioids’, from the Northern Sierra Opioid Safety Coalition.

Emergency departments and first responders

• NEW How to Talk to Your Patients About Safe Prescribing  Tips and suggestions for emergency physicians from the California American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP).

• NEW Simple Workflow for Starting Buprenorphine after Overdose Reversal with Naloxone  Downloadable clinical workflow by the CA Bridge Program.

• ED-Bridge and Bridge to Treatment  Develop and implement plans for 24/7 access to buprenorphine for patients with opioid use disorder in Emergency Departments and hospital settings.

• Fentanyl Overdose for First Responders American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) and the American Academy of Clinical Toxicology (AACT) position statement for first responders responding to Fentanyl Overdose.

Patient education and public health outreach

• Your Pain is Real. So are the Risks California Department of Public Health’s educational campaign on opioid risks.

• Opioids and Pregnancy Educational materials developed by the Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health Division of the California Department of Public Health.

See additional links below for support and connection.