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Rural Health Information Hub

Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – News

News stories from the past 60 days.

Jan 21, 2025 - Request for comments on a draft of the Mobile Crisis Team Services: An Implementation Toolkit. The document offers guidance and resources to plan, implement, and maintain mobile crisis teams supporting mental health and substance use-related behavioral health crises and includes rural-specific considerations. Comments are accepted through March 21, 2025.
Source: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Jan 17, 2025 - Notice of final rule from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) amending their regulations to increase access to buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorders (OUD) through a telemedicine encounter. This rule expands the circumstances under which individual providers are authorized to prescribe buprenorphine for OUD via telemedicine, including an audio-only telemedicine encounter. This final rule is effective February 18, 2025.
Source: Federal Register
Jan 10, 2025 - Analyzes Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data to discuss alcohol habits by region and rurality. Notes the challenges with measuring alcohol habits in surveys relying on self-reported health measures.
Source: The Daily Yonder

Last Updated: 1/21/2025