Breaking the Opioid Habit in Dentists' Offices

The Virginia Harm Reduction Coalition (VHRC) uses harm reduction strategies to help those suffering from addiction by providing free supplies like overdose reversal spray, safe smoking kits and clean syringes, as well as connection to education and treatment options when people are ready. Those who access services through a harm reduction program are five times more likely to enter treatment programs. Last year alone, the VHRC distributed more than 20,000 doses of Narcan which they know reversed at least 2,000 overdoses.

A mother's grief and a doctor's determination led to the first syringe-exchange center in Florida – a significant first step in increasing conversation around the merits of harm reduction policies. Since opening, the center has "collected 360,000 dirty syringes, provided medical treatment to 1,200 people, and helped 200 patients detox," while also reversing 1,450 overdoses, which has prompted five other counties to lift their syringe-exchange bans.

Tracking controlled substances can be difficult for hospitals, which often results in drugs being diverted from where they are supposed to go. To tackle this problem, technology companies are stepping in by creating software that utilizes a machine-learning algorithm that "can identify risky prescription and dispensation patterns among healthcare staff."

San Diego area physicians are now receiving a letter if one of their patients dies of an opioid overdose. The goal of this new project is to remind doctors of the impact of their actions and lower opioid prescribing rates.

Proper disposal of leftover prescription medication can help prevent substance abuse. To help residents properly dispose of their medications, Trumbull County in Ohio is undertaking a campaign to distribute medication deactivation kits to senior citizens. The initiative is funded by a grant from multiple community partners. The solution uses a carbon charcoal mix that neutralizes pharmaceutical compounds, making them safe for disposal.

Opioid abuse claimed over 53 000 American lives in 2016, and has been a cause for concern. Now doctors are looking to alternatives to opioids, both medication and non-medication options, that can be decided based on thorough assessments and discussing the consequences of opioids with patients.

Dentists in Multnomah County, Oregon are helping to prevent "doctor shopping", where addicts attempt to get prescriptions from multiple providers. They are doing this by checking a national database that lists all of a patient's current prescriptions, and not prescribing refills on opiate prescriptions without a follow-up visit. This effort has drastically reduced the number of overall prescriptions written, and replaced those drugs with ibuprofen and tylenol, which are both proven to be more effective in relieving acute pain.

While critics argue that Naloxone isn't safe for over-the-counter use, some cities have found success distributing Naloxone to community members to help save lives of addicts who overdose. Naloxone can be administered to help those overdosing survive and jump-start the withdrawal process.

Several states are changing their drug paraphernalia laws, making it legal to possess fentanyl test strips which allow those who use drugs to test them for fentanyl. Fentanyl test strips are a means of harm reduction that allows the person to make informed decisions about their drug use in an effort to reduce fatal drug overdoses.

Several groups in the Appalachian region are turning toward harm-reduction strategies to help those struggling with drug abuse. Research shows that those who participate in syringe exchange programs are five times more likely to enter treatment than those who didn’t participate. Groups like Holler Harm Reduction and Choice Health Network host scheduled drop-ins where they deliver supplies, provide naloxone training and education, and administer disease testing wound care to those in need.