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Opioids

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Article

Synthetic Opioids Are an Everything Problem

Jun 9, 2022

Illegally manufactured synthetic opioids have accelerated the opioid crisis. These drugs have created new challenges across a wide range of policy areas. That's why this crisis warrants new strategies and a comprehensive response.
Commentary

Fentanyl Makes an Already Dangerous Drug Market Deadlier Than Ever

May 2, 2022

Failure to recognize and respond to how rapidly illegal drug markets have changed with the arrival of illegally manufactured synthetic opioids will continue to put many Americans at risk of exposure to fentanyl, endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands more for years to come.

Explore Opioids

Blog

Synthetic Opioids, Ukrainian Grain, the Metaverse: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on countering the illegal flow of synthetic opioids, freeing up Ukrainian grain to prevent famine, the importance of defining the metaverse, and more.

Jun 24, 2022
Testimony

Giving Drug Policy Decisionmakers the Data They Need

Better data and analysis can help improve federal drug policy responses. With the appropriate funding, the United States could enhance its drug data infrastructure and ensure that drug policy is based on high-quality information.

Jun 24, 2022
Journal Article

State Policies and Buprenorphine Prescribing by Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants

This cross-sectional study used pharmacy claims to examine the association of state policies with the odds of receiving buprenorphine treatment from a nurse practitioner or physician assistant versus a physician.

Jun 2, 2022
Journal Article

Opioid Use Disorder Among Clients of Community Mental Health Clinics: Prevalence, Characteristics, and Treatment Willingness

The authors examined the prevalence of co-occurring opioid use disorder and willingness to engage in treatment among clients of eight Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health outpatient clinics.

Jun 1, 2022
Journal Article

Rapid Changes in Illegally Manufactured Fentanyl Products and Prices in the United States

This analysis used data from drug seizures and undercover purchases to address two questions: To what extent does supply of illegally manufactured fentanyl (IMF) vary over time and geography? What has happened to the purity-adjusted price of IMF?

May 13, 2022
Periodical

RAND Review: May-June 2022

The cover story explores what prison-based programs are available to help incarcerated parents and their children. Another feature examines ways to help social media users navigate the online extremist ecosystem.

May 11, 2022
Blog

How Data Can Help Refugees, Homelessness in L.A., Harm Reduction: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on tapping into Facebook data to help refugees, addressing homelessness in Los Angeles, understanding burnout among health care providers, and more.

May 6, 2022
Multimedia

Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking

This video provides an overview of the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking, including its purpose, research, and findings.

May 3, 2022
Commentary

A Greater Focus On Harm Reduction Will Save Lives

For decades, elected officials brushed off harm reduction as a viable option for reducing the harms of drug use over concerns of enabling drug consumption. But now, these strategies are front and center, spoken aloud, from the largest podium in the land, and during prime time. What caused this historic about-face?

Apr 29, 2022
Blog

A Peacekeeping Operation in Ukraine, Synthetic Opioids, Geoengineering: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on why it may be time to consider a peacekeeping operation in northern Ukraine, supporting veterans with traumatic brain injury, a new response to synthetic opioids, and more.

Apr 29, 2022
Q&A

A New Approach to Fighting Synthetic Opioids: Q&A with David Luckey and Jayme Fuglesten

The opioid crisis isn't just about drug policy or law. It involves national security, homeland security, intelligence, diplomacy, supply chain issues, and cryptocurrency. Drawing on RAND's expertise across all those areas, the Commission on Combating Synthetic Opioid Trafficking delivered a plan, a call to action about what it's going to take to save lives.

Apr 26, 2022
Journal Article

Beyond State Scope of Practice Laws for Advanced Practitioners: Additional Supervision Requirements for Buprenorphine Prescribing

This study of state laws governing buprenorphine prescribing found that these vary; nurse practitioner and physician assistant supervision should include state non-scope of practice laws.

Mar 31, 2022
Journal Article

Assessment of Postoperative Opioid Prescriptions Before and After Implementation of a Mandatory Prescription Drug Monitoring Program

In this study of adult patients who received a postoperative prescription for opioid medication, mandatory consultation with EHR-based alerts was associated with decreases in prescription quantities.

Mar 29, 2022
Journal Article

Association of Individual and Community Factors With Hepatitis C Infections Among Pregnant People and Newborns

US hepatitis C viral infections among pregnant women grew fastest among White and American Indian/Alaska Native people without a 4-year degree.

Mar 29, 2022
Blog

Insights on Russia's War in Ukraine, Global Citizenship, Vaccination Equity: RAND Weekly Recap

This weekly recap focuses on Russia's war on Ukraine, medication treatment for patients with opioid use disorder, promoting global citizenship in America, and more.

Mar 25, 2022
Journal Article

Subsequent Buprenorphine Treatment Following Emergency Physician Buprenorphine Prescription Fills: A National Assessment 2019 to 2020

This study examined the rates of subsequent buprenorphine treatment for buprenorphine-naïve individuals filling buprenorphine prescriptions from emergency physicians and initiated buprenorphine treatment and how such rates varied before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mar 23, 2022
News Release

Most People Who Receive Medication in Emergency Departments to Treat Opioid Use Disorder Do Not Sustain the Treatment

Most people who fill prescriptions from emergency physicians to treat their opioid use disorder do not continue to receive the medication, suggesting new approaches are needed to help people continue drug treatment begun on an emergency basis.

Mar 21, 2022
Commentary

A New and More Dangerous Drug Market Requires a New Approach

Synthetic opioids are likely to increasingly reach illegal drug markets. Failure to recognize and respond to how rapidly drug markets have changed with the arrival of illegally manufactured synthetic opioids will continue to put many at risk of exposure to fentanyl, endangering the lives of hundreds of thousands more Americans for years to come.

Mar 16, 2022

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