The Bottom Line New research shows a 21% reduction in fatal overdose rates in Massachusetts cities that offer post-overdose outreach programs that provide connections to a wide range of social services to address social determinants of health. Context In response to...
The Bottom Line When cities and towns in Massachusetts with high rates of emergency overdose responses implemented post-overdose outreach programs, those same municipalities were associated with lower opioid overdose death rates over time. Context Over the last...
At Faster Paths, a bridge clinic for substance use disorder at Boston Medical Center, the demand for methadone treatment last year came quickly and entirely through word of mouth. “Once we started, demand skyrocketed,” says Jessica Taylor, MD, medical...
The Bottom Line Checking arrest warrants prior to post-overdose outreach visits creates unintended barriers that undermine the goal of engaging overdose survivors. Outreach programs should consider limiting the practice. Context Surviving an overdose is a key risk...
Opioid-related overdose deaths rose in Massachusetts last year by 5% to a total of 2,104—marking the first increase in the state in three years and its highest peak, topping 2016’s peak of 2,102. This increase from 2019 to 2020 occurred amid the ongoing COVID-19...