Escalation of the Drug Overdose Epidemic During COVID-19: Strategies to Remove Barriers to Evidence-Based Care

Activity description

This activity consists of recorded presentations from the "29th Annual National Conference" held virtually Dec. 2–3, 2020.

According to the CDC, overdose deaths rose 5 percent last year, killing roughly 72,000 Americans. New data confirms that drug overdoses are spiking during the COVID-19 pandemic, rising by roughly 18 percent. In addition, racial inequality in the U.S. has compounded the dual public health crises through disinvestment of communities, lack of access to care, and poverty.

Although the opioid-associated effects of the pandemic have not yet been formally measured, proactive policy and public health efforts are necessary to ensure equitable treatment of those who become infected and to mitigate opioid-associated risk for those who do not. This session will discuss the potential long-term effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on substance-abuse disorders (SUD), the associated increased risks in certain communities, steps that can be taken to end this pandemic and the importance of a multidisciplinary pain team to optimally manage individuals with SUD.

Provided by
This activity is provided by OptumHealth Education.

Commercial support
There was no commercial support for this activity.

Required hardware/software
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Target Audience

This activity is designed to meet the educational needs of case managers, nurses, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, physicians, psychologists, social workers and other health care professionals who are interested in COVID-19 and the drug overdose epidemic.

Learning Objectives

At the end of this educational activity, participants should be able to:

  • Address the gaps in opioid care due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Discuss the use of telehealth services to address the gaps in care during the pandemic.
  • List the recommendations identified by the American Medical Association for increasing access to treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • State the disproportional effect of SUD on the African American community and strategies to mitigate this gap.
  • Explain the importance of a multidisciplinary pain team to optimally manage individuals with SUD.

Additional Information

Activity summary
Available credit: 
  • 0.50 ACPE - Pharmacists
  • 0.50 ACPE - Pharmacy Technicians
  • 0.50 AMA - Physicians
  • 0.50 ANCC - Nurses
  • 0.50 APA - Psychologists
  • 0.50 Attendance - General Attendance
  • 0.50 CCMC - General - Case Managers
  • 0.50 ASWB - Social Workers
Activity opens: 
02/01/2021
Activity expires: 
02/01/2023
Rating: 
5

Faculty

Faculty Photo

Escalation of the Drug Overdose Epidemic During COVID-19: Strategies to Remove Barriers to Evidence-Based Care
Patrice A. Harris, MD, MA
Chair, Opioid Task Force
Immediate Past President
American Medical Association
Atlanta, GA

Planning Committee

Sarah Chart, RN
Vice President
OptumHealth Education
Eden Prairie, MN

Rebecca Gleason, RN, CCM
Activity Manager
OptumHealth Education
Eden Prairie, MN

Alan N. Langnas, DO, FACS
Professor of Surgery
Director, Center of Transplantation
Chief, Section of Transplantation,
Department of Surgery
University of Nebraska Medical Center;
Director of Liver Transplantation
Nebraska Medicine
Omaha, NE

C. Fred LeMaistre, MD
Senior Vice President, Market Operations
Physician-in-Chief, Hematology
Sarah Cannon
Nashville, TN

Tina Rydland, PharmD
Crystal Clear Rx
Denver, CO

Crystal Wong, MD
President
Propoint Medical Writing
Wexford, PA

Disclosures of relevant financial relationships

In accordance with the ACCME Standards for Commercial SupportSM, OptumHealth Education (OHE) requires all those involved in the development of activity content to disclose their relevant financial relationships. An individual has a relevant financial relationship if such person (or his/her spouse/partner) has a financial relationship in any amount occurring in the last 12 months with a commercial interest whose products or services relate to the activity content. OHE ensures that the content is independent of commercial bias.

Dr. Wong has indicated that she has received grant/research support from MyoKardia.

The remaining activity faculty and planners have no financial relationships to disclose.

Method for calculating CE credit
CE credit was calculated by the complexity of content.

Accreditation Statement
Joint Accreditation LogoIn support of improving patient care, OptumHealth Education is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) to provide continuing education for the health care team.


Credit Designation Statements
Nurses
The participant will be awarded up to 0.50 contact hour(s) of credit for attendance and completion of supplemental materials.

Nurse practitioners
The American Academy of Nurse Practitioners Certification Program (AANPCP) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME and ANCC.

Pharmacists/Pharmacy technicians
This activity is approved for 0.50 contact hour(s) ([0.05] CEU) in states that recognize ACPE.
Attending the full program will earn 0.50 contact hour(s).
Unique Activity Number(s): JA0007123-0000-21-125-H01-P/T

Physicians
OptumHealth Education designates this enduring activity for a maximum of 0.50 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit(s)™. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

PAs
The American Academy of Physician Assistants (AAPA) accepts credit from organizations accredited by the ACCME.

Case managers
The Commission for Case Manager Certification has approved this program for a maximum of 0.50 clock hour(s) for Certified Case Managers (CCM).

Psychologists and social workers
Participants must have attended the entire Web-based activity and completed an evaluation to receive a certificate. Partial credit is not available.

Psychologists
OptumHealth Education is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to offer continuing education for psychologists. OptumHealth Education maintains responsibility for this program. 0.50 CE hour.

Social Workers

ACE Logo

As a Jointly Accredited Organization, OptumHealth Education is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved under this program. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. OptumHealth Education maintains responsibility for this course. Social workers completing this course receive 0.50 enduring continuing education credit.

Attendance
A certificate of attendance will be provided to learners upon completion of activity requirements, enabling participants to register with licensing boards or associations that have not been preapproved for credits. To apply for credit types not listed above, participants should use the procedure established by the specific organization with which they wish to obtain credit.

Available Credit

  • 0.50 ACPE - Pharmacists
  • 0.50 ACPE - Pharmacy Technicians
  • 0.50 AMA - Physicians
  • 0.50 ANCC - Nurses
  • 0.50 APA - Psychologists
  • 0.50 Attendance - General Attendance
  • 0.50 CCMC - General - Case Managers
  • 0.50 ASWB - Social Workers
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