The East Bay Safe Prescribing Coalition is a collaborative effort by the East Bay medical community, consumers and community leaders to promote safe and appropriate prescribing practices and reduce drug misuse in our community.
The Coalition is co-sponsored by local organizations that represent the medical community: the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association (ACCMA), the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California, the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency, Contra Costa Health Services and the Alameda Health Consortium. These organizations serve as the steering committee for the Coalition.
For the latest information on CURES, click here.
The following webinars have been developed by the East Bay Safe Prescribing Coalition with support from local partner organizations.
Unfortunately for patients struggling with substance use disorder, and the physicians referring them, treatment facilities can be hard to locate. The national nonprofit organization, Shatterproof, has created a treatment facility locator called Treatment Atlas.
Treatment Atlas makes it possible to search for providers by location, by insurance or payment options, and even by the types of medications offered for opioid or alcohol use disorder. Treatment Atlas also displays information about the extent to which treatment facilities align with best practices outlined in the Shatterproof National Principles of Care – evidence-based practices that have been shown to improve outcomes for people with SUD.
With an integrated American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) 10-question assessment tool, the patient/physician can answer a few, simple and confidential questions to identify the type of treatment the individual might need. Those who have received treatment can leave reviews about their experience at a facility to provide consumer information to inform an individual’s search for care.
Visit https://treatmentatlas.org/ to find a treatment facility now.
The Medication Access and Training Expansion (MATE) Act passed in December 2022 eliminated the x-waiver requirement, and now requires all prescribers of schedule II-V controlled substances to complete a total of 8 hours of training on treating opioid use (OUD) and substance use disorders (SUD). Currently, many physicians hold prior eligibility and do not need to complete an additional 8 hours of training. Read more here.
Get Trained Free, self-paced training:
Looking for quick support? The National Clinician Consultation Center (NCCC) provides free consultation for any California health care providers seeking guidance on evaluation, management, and initiation of medications for opioid use disorder. To access expert advice on treating opioid use disorder, call the NCCC at (844) 326-2626.
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In 2017, the East Bay Safe Prescribing formed an Ad Hoc Committee on Opioid Best Practices with the goal of helping physicians manage patient’s pain safely. The committee consisted of community stakeholders such as physicians, pharmacists, and other prescribers, and together they created the Acute Pain Toolkit to assist physicians in managing short term pain in outpatient settings. The toolkit identifies five evidence-based interventions to promote safe treatment and limit new opioid prescriptions, as well as links to other best practice resources such as information on safe storage and disposal and safe prescribing guidelines.
The coalition also formed an Ad Hoc Committee on Chronic Pain Best Practices, an extensive collaboration with stakeholder engagement across the medical community. The committee developed a Chronic Pain Toolkit which offers key messages and resources for treatment of chronic pain for patients with varying levels of prior exposure to opioid therapy. The toolkit includes numerous links to resources which provide assistance, guidance and best practices for chronic pain management.
In 2012, Alameda County became the first jurisdiction in the country to pass a Safe Drug Disposal Ordinance, requiring pharmaceutical manufacturers to design, fund and implement a countywide take-back program for unwanted medications. The safe disposal of unwanted, unused, or expired medications is a critical tool in preventing misuse and abuse of opioids. Households with powerful narcotics left in medicine cabinets, especially those with children, are at much higher risk of diversion, accidental misuse, or even overdose. However, improper disposal of pharmaceuticals is harmful to the local environment. After facing resistance to the ordinance from pharmaceutical companies, the Supreme Court declined to hear the case in May 2015, ensuring that the ordinance would be implemented. Since then, 12 more Safe Disposal Ordinances have been passed throughout the United States, including in Contra Costa County in December of 2016.
In Your Corner
In Your Corner is part of a comprehensive opioid initiative funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Started in 2018, In Your Corner implemented an education and awareness initiative to reduce stigma, a major barrier to accessing treatment for youth in extended foster care.
In Your Corner worked with ACCMA to convene a Task Force comprised of representing county government agencies, non-profit organizations, and others working with youth in extended foster care. The Task Force sought to identify gaps and needs regarding services for youth in extended foster care in Alameda County. The Task Force partners developed a report highlighting recommendations and considerations for improving these services:
Distilling to Connection: Addressing Substance Use in Youth in Extended Foster Care
The California Overdose Prevention Network, founded by the California Health Care Foundation and currently managed by the Center for Leadership and Practice at the Public Health Institute, is a community of opioid safety coalitions committed to combating the harmful effects of opioid misuse and abuse statewide. Due to the support of the California Health Care Foundation, and the tireless efforts of the members of each individual coalition, the California Overdose Prevention Network has led to significant strides in the implementation of safe prescribing best practices, increasing access to naloxone, and expanding the use of medication-assisted treatment services for those seeking treatment for opioid use disorder.
To learn more about the California Overdose Prevention Network, click here.
The California Department of Public Health, the Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development, the Department of Justice, and the California Health Care Foundation have collaborated to create a database of opioid related statistics in California. The dashboard provides a detailed report on a variety of opioid statistics such as opioid-related prescriptions, emergency department visits, deaths, and hospitalizations. All dashboard data can be viewed at the statewide or individual county level. In addition to encouraging the exploration of the current data, the dashboard will continue to track opioid statistics in order to evaluate California’s progress in reducing opioid misuse and abuse.
We would like to thank our funders that without whom this effort would not be possible: