Opioid Use Disorder Treatment During COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities (On-demand webinar)

Note: This is a recording of a webinar held on April 28, 2021.

Training Overview

The epidemic of opioid use and related harms has been exacerbated by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Mitigation strategies for COVID-19 have led to disruption in the delivery of healthcare, increased social isolation, and rapid release of individuals from jails and prisons- all of which may increase the risk of overdose. Gaps in the continuum of care including access to mortality-reducing medication treatment for opioid use disorder have become more evident. In response, the federal government has made significant changes intended to provide more flexibility in how and where care is delivered for both methadone and buprenorphine treatment. Providers have welcomed these changes, and we will discuss several of these practice changes including how to utilize telemedicine and new long-acting injectable formulations to initiate and help retain patients in care.  

The course contains two modules: a content module and a resources and evaluation module. After accessing both modules, learners will earn a certificate of completion. When the certificate is available, learners will see a Certificate button on their dashboard.

This recording is approximately 90 minutes. There are no prerequisites. Participants will need a broadband internet connection (Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox are preferred browsers) and computer speakers. For technical support, please contact emoryphtc@emory.edu.

About the Trainer

Michelle Lofwall, MD, DFAPA, DFASAM, is a Professor of Behavioral Science and Psychiatry at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine in the Center on Drug and Alcohol Research. She is the Bell Alcohol and Addictions Endowed Chair and medical director of the First Bridge clinic, which provides comprehensive outpatient opioid use disorder treatment to patients discharging from emergency rooms and inpatient medical/surgical services.  Her research has been funded by NIH and industry and has recently focused on evaluation of long-acting buprenorphine formulations, including CAM2038/Brixadi.  She was an expert panel member on SAMHSA’s Treatment Improvement Protocol (TIP 63) for Medication Treatment of OUD, a past board member of the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) and President of the KY Chapter of ASAM, an invited speaker to the National Academy of Medicine, and recipient of several medical student teaching and mentorship awards.  

This project is supported by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) under grant number UB6HP31680, Public Health Training Centers for $4,348,992. This information or content and conclusions are those of the author and should not be construed as the official position or policy of, nor should any endorsements be inferred by HRSA, HHS or the U.S. Government.