Substance Use and Misuse in Rural Areas – Resources

Rural America in Crisis: The Changing Opioid Overdose Epidemic
Discusses the history of the opioid epidemic from 1999 through 2017 and its effect on rural communities, as well as key functions of public health programs that can help prevent opioid overdoses. Lists several resources regarding opioids and overdose prevention.
Author(s): Rita Noonan
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Rural Youth Fight for Tobacco-Free Communities
Highlights teen-led programs to prevent tobacco use in rural Kentucky, Vermont, and Montana. Discusses the impact youth can have on local and state policy related to tobacco, and well as the effectiveness youth have in reaching their peers on this issue.
Author(s): Allee Mead
Citation: Rural Monitor
Date: 11/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Rural Health Information Hub
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Rural Versus Urban Use of Traditional and Emerging Tobacco Products in the United States, 2013–2014
Details a study on tobacco usage in rural and urban areas from 2013-2014. Discusses usage of traditional tobacco products, such as cigarettes and smokeless tobacco, and emerging tobacco products, such as e-cigarettes and cigarillos. Breaks down data by gender, poverty level, and area of residence, among other factors.
Author(s): Megan E. Roberts, Nathan J. Doogan, Cassandra A. Stanton, et al.
Citation: American Journal of Public Health, 107(10), 1554-1559
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
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Silence Surrounding Hepatitis C Status in Risk Relationships among Rural People Who Use Drugs
Highlights a study on hepatitis C (HCV) status among rural people who use drugs by injection (PWIDs). Discusses the rates at which HCV-positive PWIDs disclosed their diagnosis to their partners, close friends, and family.
Author(s): Megan G. Hofmeister, Jennifer R. Havens, April M. Young
Citation: The Journal of Primary Prevention, 38(5), 481-494
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
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Prescription Opioid Misuse among Rural Community Pharmacy Patients: Pilot Study for Screening and Implications for Future Practice and Research
Examines rural and urban community pharmacy patients in Pennsylvania to describe and compare patterns of opioid medication misuse. Identifies demographic and risk factors associated with rural and urban opioid medication misuse. Includes demographic statistics by rural and urban areas, such as education, employment status, and misuse behaviors. Offers recommendations to address opioid medication misuse.
Author(s): Gerald T. Cochran, Rafael J. Engel, Valerie J. Hruschak, Ralph E. Tarter
Citation: Journal of Pharmacy Practice, 30(5), 498-505
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
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The Opioid Epidemic and Federal Efforts to Address It: Frequently Asked Questions
Provides an overview of America's opioid problem, including information on abuse and supply, and discusses federal agencies and programs that address opioid abuse. Also discusses recent federal legislation and state-level policies that seek to combat the opioid problem.
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Congressional Research Service
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Illicit Drug Use, Illicit Drug Use Disorders, and Drug Overdose Deaths in Metropolitan and Nonmetropolitan Areas — United States
Reports on trends in illicit drug use, illicit drug use disorders, and overdose deaths in large metropolitan, small metropolitan, and nonmetropolitan areas, based on 2003–2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) data and 1999–2015 National Vital Statistics System Mortality (NVSS-M) data. Includes metro/nonmetro illicit drug use data by sex, age group, race/ethnicity, and household income. Includes data on metro/nonmetro drug overdose deaths by sex, race/ethnicity, intent (unintentional, homicide, suicide, undetermined), and age group.
Author(s): Karin A. Mack, Christopher M. Jones, Michael F. Ballesteros
Citation: MMWR Surveillance Summaries, 66(19), 1-12
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
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Implementing Medication-Assisted Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Rural Primary Care: Environmental Scan Volume 1
Details challenges and barriers to implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in a primary care setting, such as healthcare policy, workforce, and financing, among others. Includes 250 tools and resources to help overcome barriers and support implementation MAT in rural areas.
Additional links: Volume 2: Tools and Resources
Author(s): Garrett E. Moran, Caroline M. Snyder, Rebecca F. Noftsinger, Joshua K. Noda
Date: 10/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality
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In Focus: Expanding Access to Addiction Treatment Through Primary Care
Discusses the lack of access to treatment for drug addiction and presents models for implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for addiction, including one in a rural community health center. Looks at barriers to expanding MAT in primary care, as well as methods for overcoming those barriers.
Author(s): Martha Hostetter, Sarah Klein
Citation: Transforming Care: Reporting on Health System Improvement
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: Commonwealth Fund
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Tackling the Opioid Crisis in a Rural Community
Discusses a partnership between a rural hospital physician and the director of a community counseling center to establish a medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction in rural Maine. Presents the program's support structure, as well as the advantages of having an integrated treatment approach.
Date: 09/2017
Type: Document
Sponsoring organization: American Hospital Association
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