Publications by authors named "James L David"
Article Synopsis
- - The HEALing Communities Study (HCS) aimed to reduce opioid overdose deaths in 67 affected communities by implementing health campaigns focused on opioid use disorder (OUD), overdose prevention, and stigma reduction, developed with community input.
- - Surveys conducted via Facebook/Instagram indicated that participants in HCS communities experienced reduced stigma related to OUD and improved beliefs about the efficacy of naloxone, though recognition of campaign messages was not significantly different from control communities.
- - The study suggests a connection between recognizing campaign messages and achieving positive outcomes, but it also raises concerns about the effectiveness of traditional evaluation methods for social media health campaigns.
Introduction: Little is known about how pharmacists' attitudes and stigma toward naloxone and Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) influence effective linkage to treatment. We examine the psychometrics of a new Pharmacist Opioid Use Disorder Perceptions Questionnaire (P-OUDP-Q), a multidimensional measure to examine pharmacists' stigma and perceptions related to MOUD in the New York State (NYS) site of the HEALing Communities Study.
Methods: The study recruited a sample of 324 pharmacists from 16 counties in NYS between January and June 2022.
Article Synopsis
- The Communities That HEAL (CTH) intervention aimed to boost naloxone distribution in communities severely affected by opioid overdoses compared to standard care.
- A study involving 67 communities in Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio revealed that naloxone distribution was significantly higher (79% more) in the CTH intervention group than in the usual care group over a year of monitoring.
- The findings suggest that the CTH intervention effectively increased naloxone distribution, supporting its role in reducing opioid-related overdose deaths.
Community-Based Cluster-Randomized Trial to Reduce Opioid Overdose Deaths.
N Engl J Med
September 2024
Article Synopsis
- The study examines a community-based intervention aimed at reducing opioid-related overdose deaths by increasing the adoption of evidence-based practices including overdose education and naloxone distribution, medication treatment for opioid use disorder, and prescription safety.
- In a cluster-randomized trial, 67 communities across Kentucky, Massachusetts, New York, and Ohio were assigned to either receive the intervention or serve as a control group during a period marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and an increase in fentanyl overdoses.
- Results showed no significant difference in opioid-related overdose death rates between the intervention and control groups, with both averaging similar rates, indicating that the community-engaged strategies did not have a measurable impact during the study period.
Importance: Buprenorphine significantly reduces opioid-related overdose mortality. From 2002 to 2022, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA 2000) required qualified practitioners to receive a waiver from the Drug Enforcement Agency to prescribe buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder. During this period, waiver uptake among practitioners was modest; subsequent changes need to be examined.
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