Opioid Use Disorder and COVID-19: Crashing of the Crises : Journal of Addiction Medicine

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Opioid Use Disorder and COVID-19: Crashing of the Crises

Khatri, Utsha G. MD; Perrone, Jeanmarie MD

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Journal of Addiction Medicine 14(4):p e6-e7, July/August 2020. | DOI: 10.1097/ADM.0000000000000684

Abstract

 

The COVID19 crisis has created many additional challenges for patients with opioid use disorder, including those seeking treatment with medications for OUD. Some of these challenges include closure of substance use treatment clinics, focus of emergency departments on COVID-19 patients, social distancing and shelter in place orders affecting mental health, bystander overdose rescue, threats to income and supply of substances for people who use drugs. While the initial changes in regulation allowing buprenorphine prescribing by telehealth are welcomed by providers and patients, many additional innovations are required to ensure that additional vulnerabilities and hurdles created by this pandemic scenario do not further fan the flames of the opioid epidemic.

Copyright © 2020 American Society of Addiction Medicine

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