Policymakers & Community Leaders

Evidence-Based Strategies for Preventing Opioid Overdose: What’s Working in the United States

Evidence Ranking: Proven

This 2018 report from the Centers for Disease Control describes evidence-based strategies to prevent opioid overdose based on a review of the published evidence and consultation with subject matter experts. The report describes 10 strategies that could be implemented by public health officials, law enforcement, local organizations or other community leaders.

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COVID-19

The COVID-19 public health emergency is particularly challenging for people in treatment for substance use disorder, people in recovery, and people who use drugs. This collection features educational resources that can be adapted for local settings, specific guidance on harm reduction, recovery housing and providing peer support services during the pandemic, and links to websites that provide high-quality information, data, and/or examples for local communities to adopt.

Featured Collection

Arizona Rethink Rx Abuse Public Health Campaign

The Arizona Governor’s Office of Youth, Faith and Family created a toolkit for communities to launch a public health information campaign to reduce prescription drug abuse. The toolkit includes targeted educational materials and information about implementing harm reduction and safe medication disposal programs as well as information for patients, caregivers, and parents to help them better understand the risks of prescription medications and how to reduce those risks.

Featured Collection
Policymakers & Community Leaders

Syringe Distribution Programs Can Improve Public Health During the Opioid Overdose Crisis

Source: Pew Charitable Trusts

This issue brief explores syringe services programs (SSPs) and how they can improve public health. The paper describes the benefits of SSPs such as reduced rates of HIV and hepatitis C infections among people who use drugs, increases in SSP participants engagement in substance use disorder treatment, and the lack of relationship between SSP programs and increased criminal activity.

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Policymakers & Community Leaders
Payers & Providers
Patients & Caregivers

New Mexico Statewide Standing Order for Registered Pharmacist Naloxone

Source: New Mexico Department of Health

The New Mexico statewide standing order authorizes registered pharmacists in the state to dispense naloxone to any person who uses an opioid, regardless of how the opioid is used or obtained, or to any person in a position to assist a person at risk of experiencing an opioid overdose.

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Policymakers & Community Leaders
Payers & Providers
Patients & Caregivers

Federal Grantees May Now Use Funds to Purchase Fentanyl Test Strips

Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that federal funding may be used to purchase rapid fentanyl test strips (FTS). FTS can be used to determine if drugs have been cut or mixed with fentanyl which greatly increases the risk of overdose death.

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Policymakers & Community Leaders

Fact Sheet: Infectious Disease Elimination Act of Florida

Source: Florida Department of Health

This 2 page fact sheet explains the state of Florida’s Infectious Disease Elimination Act (IDEA), which allowed counties in the state to establish syringe exchange programs for people who use drugs. The resource describes the problem IDEA is intended to solve, explains the legislation, and describes the benefits of syringe exchange programs.

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Policymakers & Community Leaders

Infectious Disease Elimination Act of Florida

Source: Florida Department of Health

This site details the state of Florida’s Infectious Disease Elimination Act (IDEA). In 2019, Florida passed a law allowing county commissions to authorize sterile needle and syringe exchange programs for people who inject drugs in order to reduce opioid overdose rates and prevent infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis B and C.

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