The effects of opioid policy changes on transitions from prescription opioids to heroin, fentanyl and injection drug use: a qualitative analysis (2 credit hours)

Program Summary:  This course highlights an analysis of opioid use in the context of prescription opioid policy changes.  Participants in the study describe their personal experiences with opioid use over time, starting with prescription opioid use.  As the opioid crisis became a public health crisis, many new measures and policies were quickly initiated to limit the prescribing, diversion, and nonmedical use of prescription opioids.  The course describes the unintended consequences from these policy changes, including an escalation of opioid use for some people.  Discontinuation of prescription opioids and pain management are discussed and include common misconceptions about pain managment.  A second reading covers the topics of identifying OUD, diagnostic criteria, evidence-based treatment, and nonopioid therapies for pain management.

This course is recommended for social workers and counselors and is appropriate for beginning and intermediate levels of practice.  

Reading 1:  The effects of opioid policy changes on transitions from prescription opioids to heroin, fentanyl and injection drug use:  a qualitative analysis Authors: Julia Dickson-Gomez, Sarah Krechel, Antoinette Spector, Margaret Weeks, Jessica Ohlrich, H. Danielle Green Montaque and Jianghong Li Publisher: Substance Abuse Treatment Prevention, and Policy BMC

Reading 2:  Opioid Use Disorder: Diagnosis, Opioid Use Disorder: Treating, Opioid Use Disorder and Pain Management Publisher:  CDC

“Book  Open the Course Reading Here.

Course Objectives:  To enhance professional practice, values, skills and knowledge by highlighting experiences of prescription opioid use over time in the context of policy changes.

Learning Objectives: Describes experiences of opioid use in the context of prescription opioid policy changes.  Describe misconceptions related to pain management for people with OUD or MOUD.  Describe diagnostic criteria and evidence-based treatment for OUD.

Course Available Until: July 31, 2027.

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1: Beginning in the ___________, nonmedical use of prescription opioids became a major public health crisis.
 
 
 
 
2: PDMPs were instituted to decrease the __________ of POs.
 
 
 
 
3: Escalations in heroin overdoses are temporally associated with __________ opioid prescribing.
 
 
4: Results//  Participants in this study used opioids for _________ year(s) on average.
 
 
 
 
5: Participants described a gradual process starting about 2010 to 2016 by which POs became more difficult to acquire as doctors became less likely to prescribe them, which in turn led to
 
 
6: Participants described that the POs
 
 
 
 
7: After the changes in the law, many participants who had been prescribed opioids for long-term pain were
 
 
 
 
8: How many participants in the study had a doctor ask if they wanted to go to a drug treatment program after refusing to prescribe an opioid?
 
 
 
 
9: Discussion//  Most participants initiated opioid use with
 
 
 
10: Which of the following is recommended for patients who appear to use POs nonmedically?
 
 
11: MOUD on its own is sufficient to control pain.
 
 
12: Long term opioid use including MOUD use is likely to make patients ________ sensitive to pain.
 
 
13: It is estimated that less than _________ of people with OUD receive MOUD.
 
 
 
 
14: Reading 2//  Treating with opioids for pain is associated with increased risk for OUD, particularly if opioids are prescribed for more than _________ days.
 
 
 
 
15: Which medication is used for opioid overdose reversal?
 
 
 
 
16: Which is a nonopioid treatment option for chronic pain?
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

In order to purchase or take this course, you will need to log in. If you do not have an account, you will need to register for a free account.

After you log in, a link will appear here that will allow you to purchase this course.

Review our pre-reading study guide.

G.M. Rydberg-Cox, MSW, LSCSW is the Continuing Education Director at Free State Social Work and responsible for the development of this course.  She received her Masters of Social Work in 1996 from the Jane Addams School of Social Work at the University of Illinois-Chicago and she has over 20 years of experience.  She has lived and worked as a social worker in Chicago, Boston, and Kansas City.  She has practiced for many years in the area of hospital/medical social work.  The reading materials for this course were developed by another organization.

Course Available Until: July 31, 2027.
Filed under: Addiction, Opioids