This is a rural health policy brief from the CDC, as a companion to its Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report article Illicit Drug Use, Illicit Drug Use Disorders, and Drug Overdose Deaths in Metropolitan and Non-metropolitan areas, providing policy recommendations for rural areas in addressing the opioid crisis related to increasing adherence to evidence-based prescribing practices, expanding access to medication-assisted treatment, and increasing the availability of overdose-reversing drugs such as naloxone. Case studies of community programs are highlighted in this document. 

This is a report for primary care providers on what they can do to address the opioid crisis and what treatment options are available depending on the patient’s willingness to engage in treatment. It also summarizes literature on SBIRT and opioid use disorder (OUD) and, more generally, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment in primary care.

This is a website from Johns Hopkins University on how to use principles to guide states, counties, and local communities on how to most effectively and efficiently abate the opioid crisis with opioid settlement money. 

This is a brief report from the National Academy of Medicine that provides and expands upon key priorities to mitigate the worsening of the opioid crisis and other substance use disorders during the coronavirus pandemic. 

This is an academic paper that uses a simulated model to predict the impact of different interventions to reduce opioid-related mortality. No single intervention had a substantial impact, but combining interventions that increase capacity for treatment with medications for opioid use disorder, improve retention on these medications, and increase naloxone distribution had a significant impact, highlighting the need for a portfolio of evidence-based policies and interventions. 

A toolkit which provides guidance on coordination of opioid response services for public health officials, law enforcement, criminal justice officials, and first responders. This resource was developed to aid these separate local jurisdictions in reducing opioid overdose deaths by increasing collaboration and coordination among all sectors. The three goals of this toolkit are to create a shared understanding, optimize capacity, and increase shared accountability for these different branches. 

This is an academic paper that provides an overview of Oregon’s multidimensional approaches towards the opioid crisis, which achieved 20% reductions in opioid prescribing and a 30% reduction in the opioid overdose fatality rate. This comprehensive state response is framed in cautious opioid prescribing, increasing access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and overdose prevention with naloxone. 

This is a report from the Public Library Association and OCLC that describes how public libraries are supporting their communities through the opioid crisis and how libraries are partnering with organizations to meet local needs. The responses of eight public libraries across the nation are discussed in detail within this document. 

This is an article from NASHP that describes Louisiana's statewide response to ensure access to harm reduction services, which include syringe service programs, overdose prevention, and infectious disease testing. Funding allocation, the use of telemedicine, and addressing disparities is discussed. 

Naloxone is an opioid receptor antagonist that reverses life-threatening effects of opioid overdose. This study analyzed the quality and stability of expired naloxone doses to assess their remaining efficacies and potential risks, finding that there was no significant degradation detected across all samples, even those stored up to 30 years.

Given that stigma and judgment around drug use can lead to being treated differently by doctors and medical staff, this is a booklet developed by the Harm Reduction Coalition that has been written for people who use drugs in order to make going to the doctor and getting other kinds of health care easier. 

This is a website from the research center RAND that serves as a source for innovative research in opioid policy science. Tools and information on responses to the opioid crisis that target a wide range of stakeholders are provided, which includes a database of academic literature.