Skip to main content
Rural Health Information Hub

Rural Health
Resources by Topic: Prescription drug misuse

Mandatory Reporting of Fatal and Nonfatal Opioid Overdoses in a Rural Public Health Department
Describes a mandatory reporting initiative in rural Clallam County, Washington of fatal and nonfatal opioid overdoses. Offers data on reported cases from 2016-2017 including age, gender, participation in syringe exchanges, overdose characteristics, and public health services provided per case.
Author(s): Christopher J. Frank, Siri E. Kushner, David A. Doran, Jeanette Stehr-Green
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 108(12), 1646-1648
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
view details
Drug, Opioid-Involved, and Heroin-Involved Overdose Deaths Among American Indians and Alaska Natives — Washington, 1999–2015
Reports on trends and disparities in drug, opioid-involved, and heroin-involved overdose mortality rates for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) and non-Hispanic White people in Washington state. Includes data on total overdose deaths for AI/AN and White people by county of residence for metropolitan and nonmetro counties.
Author(s): Sujata Joshi, Thomas Weiser, Victoria Warren-Mears
Citation: MMWR (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report), 67(50), 1384-1387
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
view details
Red Flags and Warning Signs Ignored: Opioid Distribution and Enforcement Concerns in West Virginia
Report highlights a U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce investigation into the opioid crisis in West Virginia. Examines the policies of the various drug distribution companies who shipped opioids into the state, as well as the effectiveness of the Drug Enforcement Administration's (DEA) oversight.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: House Committee on Energy and Commerce
view details
Alaska Facts and Figures: 2017 Alaska Resident Drug Overdose Outpatient Visits and Inpatient Hospitalizations
Describes drug overdose outpatient visits and inpatient hospitalizations for Alaska residents in 2017 by gender, race, age group, and public health region.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Alaska Division of Public Health
view details
Public Health and Other Related Provisions in P.L 115-271, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act
Summarizes Title VII and VIII provisions in the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (SUPPORT Act). Addresses provisions affecting access to opioid abuse treatment and providers, data collection, child welfare, the Department of Justice, substance abuse prevention, and more. Sections highlighting rural authorize grants for first responder training, data collection on adverse childhood experiences, recovery support services, and reauthorization of the State and Tribal Response to the Opioid Abuse Crisis grant program with technical assistance for rural and underserved communities.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
view details
Buprenorphine and the Opioid Crisis: A Primer for Congress
Discusses the use of buprenorphine in Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) of opioid addiction. Report addresses questions for U.S. lawmakers to craft opioid treatment policy. Looks at the effectiveness, demand, and access of buprenorphine.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
view details
The Special Registration for Telemedicine: In Brief
Describes changes to the Controlled Substance Act (CSA) authorizing special registration for telemedicine to increase access to healthcare providers that can prescribe controlled substances using telemedicine, with the goal of helping address the opioid crisis and shortage of mental health providers. Outlines the seven categories for the practice of telemedicine under the authority of the CSA. The Drug Enforcement Administration plans to publish the related proposed rule to finalize the registration process and procedures.
Date: 12/2018
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
view details
Talking about Hepatitis C: FAQs from Young Adults who Inject Drugs
Highlights some common questions posed by rural young adults at high risk of hepatitis C (HCV) infection due to injectable drug use. Breaks down demographic data by sex, race, and education among other measures.
Author(s): Lauren L. Knight, Katherine Wagner, Yuridia Leyva, et al.
Citation: Health Promotion Practice, 19(6), 815-822
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
view details
A Large HCV Transmission Network Enabled a Fast-growing HIV Outbreak in Rural Indiana, 2015
Highlights a study of the co-infection of hepatitis C among HIV patients who inject opioids in rural Indiana. Details the age, race, and county of residence, as well as several risk factors of the patients.
Author(s): Sumathi Ramachandran, Hong Thai, Joseph C. Forbi, et al.
Citation: EBioMedicine, 37, 374-381
Date: 11/2018
Type: Document
view details