SAFE Glen Cove Coalition: Adolescent Opioid Overdose

A recent article published in medical journal JAMA Pediatrics discusses a research study on nonfatal opioid overdoses in teens. These overdoses offer a critical window for intervention in young people who have never received a diagnosis of opioid use disorder (OUD). The study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, analyzed more than 4 million Medicaid records. Results suggest most teens enrolled in the Medicaid program who have been treated for an overdose did not receive evidence-based follow up treatments and have high rates of recurrent overdoses.

Scientists identified more than 3,600 youth aged 13-22 who experienced nonfatal overdoses and remained continually enrolled in Medicaid for at least 30 days after the overdose. They found that less than one-third of these young people received any timely addiction treatment after overdose, and only 1 in 54 received the OUD medications buprenorphine, naltrexone, or methadone. The Medicaid claims from 16 states were filed between 2009 and 2015. Young people who experienced a heroin overdose were significantly less likely than those who overdosed on other opioids to receive any treatment.

The researchers cite recommendations by the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Substance Use and Prevention to improve access to medication assisted treatment for adolescents and young adults with OUD. They also cite several probable obstacles to treatment, including a lack of pediatricians familiar with treating opioid overdose and addiction, a scarcity of treatment facilities that accept youth and offer pharmacotherapy, and multiple hurdles faced in finding treatment centers that accept Medicaid. Research findings suggest that interventions are urgently needed to link youths to treatment after overdose.

JAMA Pediatrics is a monthly peer-reviewed medical journal published by the American Medical Association. It covers all aspects of pediatrics.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the nation's medical research agency and includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.

SAFE, Inc. is the only alcohol and substance abuse prevention, intervention and education agency in the City of Glen Cove. Its Coalition is conducting an opioid prevention awareness campaign entitled, "Keeping Glen Cove SAFE," in order to educate and update the community regarding opioid use and its consequences. To learn more about the SAFE Glen Cove Coalition please follow us on www.facebook.com/safeglencove or visit SAFE’s website to learn more about the Opioid Epidemic at www.safeglencove.org.