• 12-month drug overdose death toll highest ever as Covid-19 quietly inflamed the opioid crisis.

• Urgent need for opioid prescribing CE among professionals. 

• Veterinary practices are part of the supply chain and can be a part of the solution.

The Associated Press recently reported from Huntington, W. Va.:

As the Covid-19 pandemic killed more than a half-million Americans, it also quietly inflamed what was before it one of the country’s greatest public health crises: addiction. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 88,000 people died of drug overdoses in the 12 months ending in August 2020 — the latest figures available. That is the highest number of overdose deaths ever recorded in a year.

The AP report (read the full story here) confirms the need for all sectors of society, including veterinary medicine, to get on board with battling the opioid crisis.

How does this affect veterinarians?

State legislatures are bringing veterinarians into the response to the opioid epidemic with Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) and mandatory Continuing Education (CE) regarding opioid use. A number of states now require veterinarians to receive controlled-substances CE, and most of those states specify training covering opioid prescribing, dispensing, and use. 

A drip.vet news release from April 9, 2020, included this:

Veterinarians in particular need to be prepared for the future due to Covid-19 resulting in new challenges in handling the opioid crisis.

The release announced drip.vet's Opioid 411 Anytime courses (see below), which are designed to help veterinarians in stopping drug abuse and to meet licensing requirements in states that mandate controlled substances CE.

No one is directly blaming veterinarians for the opioid crisis, but federal and state governments have called veterinary practices part of the supply chain and, therefore, part of the solution. One aspect of that solution is to increase training to veterinarians on the appropriate use and storage of opioids and other controlled substances.

Drip.vet has developed a web-based tool for veterinarians to easily find opioid CE requirements for their states. Drip.vet delivers simple and informative training with courses and resources designed specifically for veterinary professionals. 

Resources

Click on the image below to receive drip.vet's free client opioid education handout.

Courses

Opioid 411 courses are RACE-approved and available in 1-, 2- and 3-hour versions so veterinarians can be confident their course certificate is valid in their state. This course provides students with a broad range of expert-level knowledge on subjects including:

• The Opioid Crisis in America
• DEA Laws and Regulations
• Identifying and Stopping Misuse
• Opioids in Practice
• Best Practices

Opioid 411 1-hour $24.99 $19.99

Opioid 411 2-hour $49.99 $39.99

Opioid 411 3-hour $74.99 $59.99