Governor Newsom Releases Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis

Mon, Mar 20, 2023

Governor Newsom has invested over $1 billion to tackle the crisis
Through CalRx, California will seek to manufacture its own Naloxone
Master Plan provides comprehensive approach to save more lives

SAN DIEGO COUNTY – Today, following a visit to the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Governor Gavin Newsom released his administration’s Master Plan for Tackling the Fentanyl and Opioid Crisis. Recognizing the opioid and fentanyl crisis as a multifaceted public health and public safety issue, Governor Newsom’s Master Plan provides a comprehensive approach to save lives. The Master Plan builds on the Governor’s $1 billion investment to tackle this crisis — including an expansion of California National Guard-supported operations that last year led to a 594% increase in seized fentanyl. The Master Plan outlines aggressive steps to support overdose prevention efforts, hold the opioid pharmaceutical industry accountable, crack down on drug trafficking, and raise awareness about the dangers of opioids, including fentanyl.

WHAT GOVERNOR NEWSOM SAID: “Over 150 people die every day in our nation from overdoses and poisonings related to synthetic opioids like fentanyl. Enough. With this Master Plan, California is doubling down to combat this crisis and save lives. Our comprehensive approach will expand enforcement efforts to crack down on transnational criminal organizations trafficking this poison into our communities — while prioritizing harm reduction strategies to reduce overdoses and compassionately help those struggling with substance use and addiction.”
View the Master Plan

Read More…

DEA Announces Important Change to Registration Requirement

Tue, Jan 31, 2023

On December 29, 2022, with the signing of the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 (the Act), Congress eliminated the “DATA-Waiver Program.”

All DEA registrants should be aware of the following:

A DATA-Waiver registration is no longer required to treat patients with buprenorphine for opioid use disorder.
Going forward, all prescriptions for buprenorphine only require a standard DEA registration number. The previously used DATA-Waiver registration numbers are no longer…

Read More…

End of Buprenorphine X-Waiver

Wed, Jan 25, 2023

After almost twenty years of intense medication specific government regulation buprenorphine is now just like other schedule III medications. The era of limited numbers of treatment slots that started at 30 patients per provider who had completed 8 hours of specific training, requirements to maintain lists of patients who received prescriptions and even in person visits by DEA agents to a large…

Read More…

CSAM News – October 2022

Thu, Oct 06, 2022

The CSAM News was recently published! Featured articles include Conference Photos, Like Minded Docs, President’s Message, CSAM 50th Anniversary Bash & More!

Read More…

CSAM Sponsored Legislation Heads to the Governor for Signature

Wed, Aug 03, 2022

California Society of Addiction Medicine

One Capitol Mall, Suite 800, Sacramento, CA 95814 | 415/764-4855 | Fax 916/444-7462 www.csam-asam.org

A specialty society of physicians founded in 1973. Since 1989, a State Chapter of the American Society of Addiction Medicine

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Kim Andosca
kandosca@amgroup.us

SB 57 (Wiener) – Overdose Prevention Program Passed by the California Senate

CSAM Sponsored Legislation Heads to the Governor for Signature

SACRAMENTO – The California Society of Addiction Medicine (CSAM) is pleased to announce that SB 57 (Wiener) was passed by the California Senate on August 1, and now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom for his consideration. The Governor has until the end of September to sign or veto the bills passed by the state Legislature at the end of this 2021/2022 legislative session.

SB 57, sponsored by CSAM and authored by Senator Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), is life-saving legislation that would allow the City and County of San Francisco, the City and County of Los Angeles, and the City of Oakland the discretion to authorize overdose prevention programs where adults may use controlled substances under the supervision of staff trained to prevent and treat overdose, prevent HIV and hepatitis infection, and facilitate entry into drug treatment and other services.

“The California Society of Addiction Medicine, which represents physicians who care for substance use disorders, is pleased that the California Senate has passed SB 57. Our organization is a co-sponsor of SB 57, and we believe this bill will save lives here in California,” said Randolph Holmes, MD, FAAFP, DFASAM, Chair of Public Policy for CSAM. “We urge Governor Newsom to sign this bill into law as quickly as possible so we can move forward with these necessary services for our community.”

Overdose prevention programs (OPPs) — also known as supervised consumption services (SCS) — such as those that could be established under this bill, provide a sanctioned, safe space for people to consume pre-obtained drugs in controlled settings under the supervision of trained staff. These staff have access to sterile consumption equipment and tools to check participants’ drug supply for the presence of fentanyl. Participants can also receive health care, counseling, and referrals to health and social services, including drug treatment.

“If Governor Newsom signs this bill into law, he will not only save uncounted lives from unnecessary death but will also create a pathway into treatment for thousands of Californians for whom there is currently little hope of recovery,” said David Kan, MD, DFASAM, Past President of CSAM.

###

The mission of CSAM is to advance the ethical and compassionate treatment of addiction through physician-led education of health professionals, patients, and the public. The Society promotes practice, research, prevention, and implementation of evidence-based treatment and sound drug policy. We advocate for our patients, their families, and other support systems at all stages of care.

More

FDA Responds to Dr. Albanese’s April 19, 2021 Letter

Tue, Jul 20, 2021

The FDA has responded to Dr. Albanese’s letter to them from April 19, 2021.

CLICK HERE to view the response!

FDA Commits to Evidence-Based Actions Aimed at Saving Lives and Preventing Future Generations of Smokers

Fri, Apr 30, 2021

FDA NEWS RELEASE:
April 29, 2021

FDA Commits to Evidence-Based Actions Aimed at Saving Lives and Preventing Future Generations of Smokers

Efforts to ban menthol cigarettes, ban flavored cigars build on previous flavor ban and mark significant steps to reduce addiction and youth experimentation, improve quitting, and address health disparities

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced it is committing to advancing two tobacco product standards to significantly reduce disease and death from using combusted tobacco products, the leading cause of preventable death in the U.S. The FDA is working toward issuing proposed…

Read the Full Article…

More

CSAM Newsletter – Vol. 45 Issue #2 (Winter 2020)

Thu, Dec 31, 2020

The Newest Issue of the CSAM Newsletter is available. If you haven’t seen it yet, CLICK HERE to read it!

This issue features the President’s message by CSAM President, Anthony Albanese; 2020 Public Policy Report; and Updates from the Education Committee!

The ABPM & ASAM Announce a Four-Year Extension of the Practice Pathway for Addiction Medicine

Wed, Dec 09, 2020

Chicago, IL, November 30, 2020: The American Board of Preventive Medicine (ABPM) and the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) jointly announced today the American Board of Medical Specialties’ (ABMS) approval of a four-year extension of the practice…

Click Here to Read the entire article.

DEA Issues Interim Final Rule Clarifying MAT Dispensing

Fri, Nov 06, 2020

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) issued an Interim Final Rule to clarify sections of the 2018 SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. The provisions in the Rule seek to further expand providers’ abilities to prescribe medication assisted treatment (MAT) to individuals suffering from opioid use disorders.

Key items addressed in the Rule include:

Providers can prescribe MAT for up to 100 patients immediately, if the provider holds credentialing in addiction medicine or provides MAT using covered medications in a qualified practice setting. This updates prior rules which mandated a waivered provider could only treat up to 30 patients in their first year of the waiver before applying to treat up to 100 patients.
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants had previously been granted the ability to be waivered to prescribe MAT on a temporary basis. The Interim Final Rule made this provision permanent.
The definition of a “qualifying provider” eligible to prescribe MAT was expanded to include clinical nurse specialists, certified registered nurse anesthetists, and certified nurse midwives. These providers are eligible to prescribe MAT on a temporary basis, through October 1, 2023. Waivered providers are eligible to treat up to 30 patients.
A physician is eligible to receive a waiver to prescribe MAT if the physician recently graduated from a medical school that included at least 8 hours of training on treating and managing opioid-dependent patients.This shifts new waivers from post-residency continuing medical education to medical school or residency training.
Pharmacies can permanently provide medications for maintenance or detoxification treatment to providers’ registered locations for use in treatment. Pharmacies previously were only allowed to deliver medications to the ultimate user or research subject.

Please send feedback on the Interim Final Rule to Chris Regal (cregal@ahip.org) by December 3. We will circulate draft comments prior to the December 10 Opioid Addiction Prevention and Treatment Work Group meeting.

We look forward to your feedback. Please be in touch with questions. Thank you.

Article provided by AHIP.