Indigent Health

Alameda County Safety Net Working Group on Opioid Prescribing

Health Care Services Agency (HCSA) and our partners California HealthCare Foundation (CHCF) and the Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association launched a collaborative, multidisciplinary initiative aimed at improving care of chronic pain in Alameda County’s safety net while decreasing misuse of prescription opioid pain relievers.

In 2016, we are refocusing the work started in 2015 with CHCF funding to create three working groups: Community, Clinical, and Data. We welcome new participants to these groups. If you are interested in joining, please email Stacee Brackens for more information.

Safe Prescribing Tools

• Clinical Guidelines Flowchart (PDF - 395kb) *
• Non-Opioid Pain Management Resources (PDF - 326kb) *
• Patient's Guide to Taking Pain Meds Safely< (PDF - 470kb) */li>
• Opioid Fact Sheet for the Community (PDF - 281kb) *
• CDC Guidelines, 2016 (PDF - 696kb) *

Presentations, Resources, and Articles

• Prescription Drug Misuse Health Advisory, March 1 2016  (PDF - 1.6mb) *
• Prescription Drug Awareness Month Proclamation, March 1 2016  (PDF - 70kb) *
• Ranked List of Possible Interventions, 2015 (PDF - 205kb) *
• Opioid Reconvening Presentation, December 15, 2015 (PDF - 2.2mb) *
• CURES 2.0 Brief-Opioid Reconvening, December 15, 2015, Dr. Tom Sugarman (PDF - 419kb) *
• Opioid Indicator Trends: Alameda County 2005-2013, December 15, 2015, Dr. Jane Martin (PDF - 200kb) *
• Opioid Reconvening 12/15/2015 Event Agenda (PDF - 149kb) *
• ALACO Safety Net Working Group on Opioid Prescribing 5/28/2015 Event Agenda (PDF - 295kb) *
• Developing Guidelines for Opioid Interventions (PDF - 825kb) *
• The Art and (very Little) Science of Evaluating Risk and Tapering Opioid Medications, Dr. Rubinstein (PDF - 737kb) *
• Biopsychosocial Approach to Pain, Andrew Herring, MD (PDF - 3147kb) *
• Alameda Coalition Presentation, May 28, 2015, Drs. Pfeifer and Close (PDF - 2275kb) *
• Pros & Cons of 7 Possible Interventions (PDF - 171kb) *
• Prescription to End Painkiller Misuse: New Work Group Launched in Alameda County

Partners

• Alameda County Health Care Services Agency
• Alameda County MEDS Coalition
• Alameda County Public Health Department
• Alameda County Sheriff's Office, Coroner's Bureau
• Alameda-Contra Costa Medical Association
• California HealthCare Foundation
• Community Health Center Network
• Contra Costa Health Plan
• Tactical Diversion Squad, Oakland Resident Office, Drug Enforcement Administration
• National Coalition Against Prescription Drug Abuse (NCAPDA)

Opioid Overdose Facts

• Prescription opioid painkiller misuse and abuse is a public health issue with long-term health consequences, including limitations in daily activity, impaired driving, mental health problems, trouble breathing, overdose, and death.
• In 2011, over 1.4 million drug-related emergency department visits in this country were attributed to misuse or abuse of prescription drugs, exceeding the 1.25 million visits involving illicit drugs.
• In Alameda County, deaths from opioid misuse tripled between 2005 and 2014. Hospitalization for opioid-related, non-fatal overdoses increased by over 74%.
• In the last five years, Alameda County's Emergency Medical Services Division treated over 4,436 patients with naloxone to reverse the effects of drug overdoses.
• Alameda County Behavioral Health Care Services has worked to expand the availability of buprenorphine, a safer treatment alternative for those who are physically dependent on opiates.

Contact:

Kathleen A. Clanon, MD
Medical Director
Health Care System Planning & Improvement
Alameda County Health Care Services Agency (HCSA)
E-mail Dr. Clanon