Patients and their caregivers need access to high quality, evidence-based information to help make the best decisions about their care and the care of their loved ones. This page highlights the most recently added resources specifically designed to help patients, families, and caregivers make informed decisions. These resources, identified with green tiles, include educational materials, information about non-opioid pain management, and treatment for opioid use disorder and other addictions.
If you’d like to submit materials for inclusion consideration or suggest a future featured topic, please visit CLOUD’s call for submissions page.
This 2018 report prepared by the National Institute on Drug Abuse discusses the relationship between prescription opioids and heroin. The report covers such topics as the risks of progression to heroin use after a prescription opioid, facts about heroin use including that use is driven by low cost and high availability,
This 24 page report from 2018 provides information for teens about opioids covering such topics as the risks of addiction and overdose, facts about prescription and illegal opioids, information about safe use of prescription drugs, the effects of opioids on the body, opioid withdrawal, and how to treat addiction and overdose.
An education publication directed at children and youth, this 5 page guide explains what opioids are, including nick names for common drugs, and explains how using opioids can affect your body and eventually reduce your ability to enjoy the things that make you happy. The publication was prepared by theNational Institute on Drug Abuse’s Mind Matters program.
This 47 page report on medications to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) includes information on how the medications work, what the diversion risk is for these medications, how medications affect HIV or hepatitis C outcomes, whether medications are offered in the criminal justice system or military, medications and
This 25 page document on heroin includes information of interest to patients and caregivers, policy makers, and state and local community leaders. Published by the National Institute on Drug Abuse in 2018, it covers topics such as scope of heroin use in the United States, the effects of heroin use including medical
This 2016 fact sheet for patients and caregivers on the subject of fentanyl was prepared by the National Institute on Drug Abuse.
This 2018 brief education guide for patients and caregivers presents facts about heroin.
Cory Palazzi survived an opioid overdose in 2013, but he suffered brain damage and is now legally blind. Now Cory works to educate patients and their caregivers about the risks of prescription opioids and life after addiction. This video was produced by the National Safety Council in 2018. Funding Source: National Safety Council
This video is from the perspective of a father who did not understand the risks of the opioid prescription a doctor gave to his son. Eventually his son died from an overdose. This video encourages patients and caregivers to understand the risks of opioid prescriptions. Produced by the National Safety Council, the video
Rigo never thought that he could become addicted, but after an opioid prescription, it did happen to him. This video addresses the stigma around addiction and encourages patients and caregivers to understand the risks of prescription opioids. Produced by the National Safety Council in 2017, the video encourages