Opioid abuse advisory committee update

Pills and capsules in medical vial

The fifth meeting of the Opioid Abuse Advisory Committee was held on September 13. The committee was developed to coordinate activities of a CDC Prescription Drug Overdose grant that the state received. The goal of the CDC grant was to ramp-up the stateā€™s planning strategy and to determine state needs. Key work of the committee has included: a review of existing opioid abuse data to determine areas of opportunity, including the possibility of enhancing current data; a review of the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), including available data and number of registered users; and the development and collection of a needs assessment data.

Thank you to the SDAHO members that completed the needs assessment survey this past spring.Ā  The committee is now using the needs assessment data to develop strategies and action steps needed to drive change with opioid abuse. The committee also serves as the advisory committee to the more recent State Targeted Response to Opioid Crisis (Opioid STR) grant received by the Department of Social Services from the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).Ā  Both the CDC and the STR grants will assist our state in targeting areas of need.Ā  More information on the work of the advisory committee can be found here.