News from the Node

November 17, 2022
12-1pm ET

Check out our Science Series archives here!

Research Assistant II

The primary purpose of this position is to implement activities for a National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)-funded study investigating a prevention strategy for opioid use disorder in primary care settings. This position is based at two primary care practices in Manchester and Bedford, NH.

For more information

Faculty Position in Application of Digital Health to The Treatment of Substance Use Disorders And/or Related Fields

The Department of Biomedical Data Science at the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth (Geisel) seeks an outstanding individual to join our faculty within the Center for Technology and Behavioral Health (CTBH). CTBH is an interdisciplinary research group whose mission is to inform the optimal development, scientific evaluation, and sustainable implementation of digital therapeutics for behavioral health. CTBH is a designated “Center of Excellence” by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH).

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Last week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released provisional data showing there were 107,622 overdose deaths in 2021, the highest annual death toll on record from drug overdose fatalities, and a 15% increase from the year prior.

“We lost over 107,000 individuals to drug overdoses in 2021, 295 individuals each day. It’s time to double down our efforts to address this epidemic, including prevention, treatment, recovery services and awareness about the risks of fentanyl,” shared Jessica Hulsey, Executive Director of the Addiction Policy Forum.

According to the National Center for Health Statistics, fentanyl was involved in the most overdose deaths in 2021.

To help, you can:

1. Learn about the dangers of fentanyl.

Learn more about fentanyl from trusted sources like the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).

2. Learn how to administer naloxone.

Learn more about how you can obtain and administer naloxone through the Naloxone Facts awareness campaign.

For more information

The purpose of the TOR program is to assist in addressing the overdose crisis in Tribal communities by increasing access to FDA-approved medications for the treatment of opioid use disorder (MOUD), and supporting the continuum of prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery support services for opioid use disorder (OUD) and co-occurring substance use disorders. The TOR program also supports the full continuum of prevention, harm reduction, treatment and recovery support services for stimulant misuse and use disorders, including for cocaine and methamphetamine.

Eligibility is limited to federally recognized American Indian or Alaska Native Tribe or tribal organizations. Tribes and tribal organizations may apply individually, as a consortium, or in partnership with an Urban Indian Organizations.

For more information

The Northeast Node is proud to announce its newest CTN study, CTN-0116: Implementing a Pharmacist-Integrated Collaborative Model of Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder (PharmICO).

On Thursday, August 26, 2021, the CTN-0116 Lead Team hosted an Informational Session for prospective sites to learn more about the study. You can view the recording of that session below.

In addition, Site Selection material were sent to the full CTN, including a Brief Study Overview, EHR Extraction Summary, and the Site Selection Survey itself. Surveys are due back to the Lead Team no later than Friday, October 1.

Slides from this presentation are available here:  CTN-0116_Site Information_2021-0826

The Northeast Node has 2 open positions for a new study based at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Addiction Treatment Program in Lebanon, NH.

The study is a clinical trial examining the retention, duration, and discontinuation of medication treatment for opioid use disorder; it will inform the science around how long patients with OUD stay in treatment as well as how medication discontinuation occurs in real-world settings.

The study is hiring two Research Assistants (RA) to join our team here in New Hampshire. We are hoping to hire people with research experience, as this study is complex and includes an Investigational New Drug (IND) for use of the CAM2038 extended-release buprenorphine product. Employment for these two positions would occur through the College and not D-H, though shared access will be granted for D-H systems needed to conduct the study.

 The RA position link is:  https://searchjobs.dartmouth.edu/postings/58366

Please share this notice within your networks, and with friends and family.

The Northeast Node was awarded a new CTN study: Pharmacist-Integrated Model of Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.

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Since 2011, October has been a time to highlight the vital role of substance use prevention in both individual and community health, to remember those who have lost their lives to substance use, to acknowledge those in recovery, as well as children, parents, family, and friends supporting them.

A description of this year’s proclamation can be found at the White House website.

There are resources available at the National Institute on Drug Abuse website, including Lessons from Prevention Research and some Easy-to-Read Drug Facts, and The National Child Traumatic Stress Network has compiled a list of resources for parents and caregivers of children affected by parental substance use.

Two recently published articles use large health datasets to examine the intersection of the COVID-19 pandemic and mental and substance use disorders.

Wang Q,  Xu R, Volkow ND (2020).  Increased risk of COVID-19 infection and mortality in people with mental disorders: analysis from electronic health records in the United States. World Psychiatry (Impact factor: 40.59).First published: 07 October 2020. https://doi.org/10.1002/wps.2080

Wang Q, Kaelber D, Xu R, Volkow ND (2020). COVID-19 Risk and Outcomes in patients with substance use disorders: Analyses from electronic health records in the United States. Molecular Psychiatry (2020) DOI https://doi.org/10.1038/s41380-020-00880-7.