The federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 (PHE) has dramatically transformed the landscape for opioid use disorder and other drug treatment in the United States. In the early months of the pandemic, the federal government used the PHE to give broad flexibility to states and providers to dispense with traditional restrictions on the use of telehealth, allow opioid treatment providers to offer take-home doses of methadone, and adopt a series of other changes to simplify access to treatment. At the same time, the pandemic brought to the fore the importance of harm reduction strategies. More people used drugs in isolation, where the risk of overdose and death increased. As the pandemic continued and even as it began to ease, the drug supply and usage patterns continued to change in dangerous and unpredictable ways.
Now, with the PHE ending on May 11, 2023, it is a critical moment to take stock of what this will mean for opioid use disorder treatment.
Please join Manatt in partnership with the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) on May 16 at 3:00 PM EST as we welcome:
- Zoe Barnard, Senior Advisor, Manatt Health
- Beth Connolly, Master of Public Administration, Assistant Director
Office of Public Health, Office of National Drug Control Policy
Executive Office of the President - Andrew Herring, M.D., Director of Research and Attending Emergency Physician
FORE Grantee: California Bridge
Project: California Bridge Emergency Department Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Initiative - Danielle Russell, Ph.D.
Arizona State University
FORE Grantee: University of Arizona
Project: Evidence for Action: COVID-19 as a Window of Opportunity to Normalize Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Access - Hemi Tewarson, J.D., Master of Public Health, Executive Director
FORE Grantee: National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)
Project: Supporting State Policy in Responding to the Opioid Crisis
The federal Public Health Emergency for COVID-19 (PHE) has dramatically transformed the landscape for opioid use disorder and other drug treatment in the United States. In the early months of the pandemic, the federal government used the PHE to give broad flexibility to states and providers to dispense with traditional restrictions on the use of telehealth, allow opioid treatment providers to offer take-home doses of methadone, and adopt a series of other changes to simplify access to treatment. At the same time, the pandemic brought to the fore the importance of harm reduction strategies. More people used drugs in isolation, where the risk of overdose and death increased. As the pandemic continued and even as it began to ease, the drug supply and usage patterns continued to change in dangerous and unpredictable ways.
Now, with the PHE ending on May 11, 2023, it is a critical moment to take stock of what this will mean for opioid use disorder treatment.
Please join Manatt in partnership with the Foundation for Opioid Response Efforts (FORE) on May 16 at 3:00 PM EST as we welcome:
- Zoe Barnard, Senior Advisor, Manatt Health
- Beth Connolly, Master of Public Administration, Assistant Director
Office of Public Health, Office of National Drug Control Policy
Executive Office of the President - Andrew Herring, M.D., Director of Research and Attending Emergency Physician
FORE Grantee: California Bridge
Project: California Bridge Emergency Department Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Initiative - Danielle Russell, Ph.D.
Arizona State University
FORE Grantee: University of Arizona
Project: Evidence for Action: COVID-19 as a Window of Opportunity to Normalize Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Access - Hemi Tewarson, J.D., Master of Public Health, Executive Director
FORE Grantee: National Academy for State Health Policy (NASHP)
Project: Supporting State Policy in Responding to the Opioid Crisis
…for a discussion on policy implications and next steps after the end of the PHE and provide some recommendations for the field.
View recording here