User:Kettie24/Opioid epidemic in the United States/Bibliography

Massachusetts
Boston Medical Center has changed its approach to addiction and overdose treatment, due to the pandemic. It now offers telehealth appointments which officials believe are more effective than tradition in-person treatment, as more people are participating. Additionally patients are able to get doses of methadone and addiction medications like buprenorphine without an in-person visit. The state's Department of Public Health indicated that there was a downturn in total overdose deaths in the first quarter of 2020 but that rates of overdose mortality among Black men and women, as well as Hispanic men's overdose incidents, showed a notable increase. A COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund disbursed grants to nonprofits serving opioid addiction sufferers and the Boston Resiliency Fund awarded $500K to similar groups. In 2016, the number of deaths within Massachusetts was the highest it had ever been and twice the national average with 29.7 deaths per 100,000. Bill H.4056 or the STEP Act was signed into effect on March 14,2016. In 2020, the rate overdoses related to opioid abuse was 30.2 per 100,000 people. This is about 1.6% lower than the rate in 2016.

According to the STEP Act or Bill H.4056 the following changes were made:


 * 1) Maximum seven day supply of opioid
 * 2) Partial fill of opioids at patients direction