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NEWS & UPDATES

Stay posted on news, research and community efforts.

Monday, October 14, 2024

DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, October 26

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The drug overdose epidemic in theUnited States is a clear and present public health, public safety, and national security threat. DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day reflects DEA’s commitment to Americans’ safety and health, encouraging the public to remove unneeded medications from their homes as a measure of preventing medication misuse and opioid addiction from ever starting.

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Learn more:
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www.dea.gov/takebackday

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Find a medication disposal drop-off location near you >

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Tags:
Medication Disposal
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Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
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Category:
Preventing Overdose
Monday, May 15, 2023

Real Talk: Fake Pills, 100% Danger

National Fentanyl Awareness Day was recognized with numerous events to different demographics in the county. The Ventura County Office of Education teamed up with Ventura County Behavioral Health and invited all county high schools to participate in National Fentanyl Awareness Day on May 9.

The Behavioral Health Department prepared a 32-minute video presentation that spoke directly to youth in our county in a first-ever Youth Summit on this topic. “Real Talk: Fake Pills, 100% Danger,” was made available to every high school in Ventura County, and by the end of the week (May 12) had over 1,300 downloads by school districts and parents. This is the first in what will be an annual event to educate students in the dangers of illicit opioids and fentanyl.

See the presentation below:

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Local
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Fentanyl & Illegal Opioids
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Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
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Category:
Preventing Overdose
Tuesday, May 9, 2023

Prescribers Care May 9th Event

Continuing with the Prescribers Care Discussion Series in 2023, Ventura County Behavioral Health provided education and resources to Behavioral Health clinical staff, including therapists and physicians, during a morning presentation that also shared information about the growing fentanyl problem in our county.

It was followed by a lunchtime presentation that was championed by our own Dr. Joseph Vlaskovitz, a psychiatrist and director of the Behavioral Health Department’s Substance Use Treatment Services, again targeted to physicians throughout the county.  In the evening, a special panel presentation at Las Posas Country Club, which featured Medical Examiner Dr. Christopher Young, VCMC’s Addiction Specialist Dr. Tipu Kahn, VCSO’s Sergeant John Hajducko and Addiction Specialist Dr. Matthew Lamon, on the very real effects of the fentanyl crisis they see in their work.

Learn more about Prescribes Care →

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Category:
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Friday, April 7, 2023

Event – The Fentanyl Crisis: What You Need to Know Now

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The Fentanyl Crisis: What You Need to Know Now

Learn About Latest Trends and Burprenorphine in Primary Care for Our Patients

May 9, 2023 • 5:30–8:00 PM

Las Posas Country Club, Camarillo

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Ventura County faces a crisis of fentanyl deaths. In 2022 there were 181 accidental overdose deaths involving fentanyl. In just three short years our county has experienced a 445% increase in fentanyl fatalities. However, these deaths only represent a fraction of the total number of Ventura County individuals, families, and communities harmed by substance misuse, and suffering daily from chronic use disorders. We invite you to join us in changing this reality.

In facing our local crisis, the importance of practitioner training in substance use disorders cannot be overstated. All members of a patient’s care team play important roles, but primary care providers are pivotal in providing increased access to treatment. The recent elimination of the X-waiver requirement to prescribe buprenorphine for opioid use disorder offers the chance to expand access to treatment in primary care settings, which can turn the tide of the opioid crisis.

  • Hear from local experts and discuss with peers the latest overdose trends
  • Learn about recent legislative changes related to opioid use disorder treatment
  • Receive provider and patient resources that can assist in expanding access
  • Discuss factors at the provider, health system, and patient levels that serve as barriers to accessing buprenorphine-based treatment.
  • Learn skills needed to screen, counsel, treat, and coordinate care
  • Help us bend the trend!


Join the Discussion May 9th!

National Fentanyl Awareness Day

REGISTER HERE

  • www.PrescribersCare.org/Register

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Panelists:

  • ‍Chris Young, M.D.
    Ventura County Chief Medical Examiner‍
  • Sergeant John Hajducko
    Ventura County Sheriff’s Office
  • Joseph C. Vlaskovits, M.D.
    Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry, and Addiction Medicine, Program Director, Community Memorial Healthcare Psychiatry Residency Program; Faculty, Ventura County Medical Center Primary Care Addiction Medicine Fellowship; Medical Director, Substance Use Treatment Services, Ventura County Behavioral Health‍
  • Tipu Khan, M.D., FAAFP, FASAM
    Chief of Addiction Medicine at VCMC; Family, Emergency, and Addiction Medicine; Fellowship Director, Primary Care Addiction Medicine Fellowship; Faculty, Family Medicine Residency Program, Ventura County Medical Center; Adjunct Clinical Professor, USC Keck SOM‍
  • Mathew Lamon, D.O.
    Family and Addiction Medicine; Core Faculty, Ventura County Medical Center Family Medicine Residency Program; Associate Program Director, VCMC Primary Care Addiction Medicine Fellowship

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CME credits will be available for this event. Dinner and Refreshments will be served.

If you have questions regarding this series, please contact Ashley Nettles at Ashley.Nettles@ventura.org.

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Prescribers are key to creating change in our community.

Thanks to exceptional local collaboration, Ventura County has seen a decrease in opioid prescribing in recent years – a 24% reduction between 2017 and 2020 – as providers have employed safe prescribing practices and increased use of non-narcotic pain management strategies.

Unfortunately, overdose deaths continue to climb, largely due to illegal fentanyl, which has replaced much of the local heroin use and is contributing to the rising number of overdose emergencies. As a concerned local provider, we invite you to join the Prescriber Discussion Series:

  • Hear from local experts and discuss with peers the latest trends and best practices.
  • Get provider-focused resources to reduce misuse and opioid use disorder (OUD).
  • Learn the new State guidelines and latest tools for patient care and provider coordination.

Connecting because we care. For our patients and for our community.

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PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS

  • September 21, 2022
    Person-Centered Strategies to Reduce Opioid Overdose
    ‍
  • August 31, 2022
    Deprescribing is Good Prescribing
    ‍
  • June 8, 2022
    Evidence-based Safe Prescribing
    ‍
  • May 11, 2022
    Latest Trends in Overdose: What Prescribers Need to Know About Illicit Fentanyl

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‍LEARN MORE AND REGISTER:

  • www.PrescribersCare.org

‍

See full post →
Tags:
News & Events
|
Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
|
Fentanyl & Illegal Opioids
|
Category:
Safe Prescribing
Thursday, September 8, 2022

Prescribers Care Discussion Series – September 21, 2022

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SEPTEMBER 21, 2022
PERSON-CENTERED STRATEGIES TO REDUCE
OPIOID OVERDOSE

5:30–7:30 PM
Sterling Hills Golf Club, Camarillo

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Join the discussion on how as leaders in health care we can do our part in reversing the current opioid overdose death trend in our community. Learn more about the latest advances in opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, how new approaches to integrated care and cutting-edge harm reduction strategies
can reduce overdoses in our community. Discuss how to educate patients on what they can do to prevent opioid misuse.

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REGISTER HERE

  • www.PrescribersCare.org

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PRESENTED BY

  • Loretta L. Denering, DrPH, MS; Assistant Director, Ventura County Behavioral Health
  • Rachel McDuffee, PsyD; Regional Director Aegis Treatment Centers
  • Tipu V. Khan, MD, FAAFP, FASAM; Addiction Medicine Fellowship Director, VCMC

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‍

Register Now

‍

For more information: Ashley.Nettles@ventura.org

‍

‍

Prescribers are key to creating change in our community.

Thanks to exceptional local collaboration, Ventura County has seen a decrease in opioid prescribing in recent years – a 24% reduction between 2017 and 2020 – as providers have employed safe prescribing practices and increased use of non-narcotic pain management strategies.

Unfortunately, overdose deaths continue to climb, largely due to illegal fentanyl, which has replaced much of the local heroin use and is contributing to the rising number of overdose emergencies. As a concerned local provider, we invite you to join the Prescriber Discussion Series:

  • Hear from local experts and discuss with peers the latest trends and best practices.
  • Get provider-focused resources to reduce misuse and opioid use disorder (OUD).
  • Learn the new State guidelines and latest tools for patient care and provider coordination.

Connecting because we care. For our patients and for our community.

‍

PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS

  • May 11, 2022 • 5:30–7:30 PM
    Latest Trends in Overdose: What Prescribers Need to Know About Illicit Fentanyl
  • June 8, 2022 • 5:30–7:30PM
    Evidence-based Safe Prescribing
  • August 31, 2022 • 5:30–7:30PM
    Deprescribing is Good Prescribing

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‍LEARN MORE AND REGISTER:

  • www.PrescribersCare.org

‍

See full post →
Tags:
Local
|
News & Events
|
Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
|
Category:
Safe Prescribing
Wednesday, June 15, 2022

Prescribers Care Discussion Series – August 31, 2022

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August 31, 2022
DEPRESCRIBING IS GOOD PRESCRIBING

5:30–7:30 PM
Sterling Hills Golf Club, Camarillo

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Just as safe prescribing is an integral and effective strategy to prevent opioid use disorder, safe deprescribing is also key. In this workshop, we’ll discuss when, and how to safely and effectively taper patients from opioid usage. Is the deprescribing plan not working? Let’s talk about how to talk with patients about opioid use disorder and effective referrals to substance use treatment. 

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REGISTER HERE

  • www.PrescribersCare.org

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PRESENTED BY

  • Tipu V. Khan, MD, FAAFP, FASAM; Addiction Medicine Fellowship Director, VCMC
  • Kyle Stephens, DO, Family Medicine Specialist, Primary Care
  • George C. Chang Chien, DO, Director of Pain Management, Ventura County Medical Center

‍

‍

Register Now

‍

For more information: Ashley.Nettles@ventura.org

‍

‍

Prescribers are key to creating change in our community.

Thanks to exceptional local collaboration, Ventura County has seen a decrease in opioid prescribing in recent years – a 24% reduction between 2017 and 2020 – as providers have employed safe prescribing practices and increased use of non-narcotic pain management strategies.

Unfortunately, overdose deaths continue to climb, largely due to illegal fentanyl, which has replaced much of the local heroin use and is contributing to the rising number of overdose emergencies. As a concerned local provider, we invite you to join the Prescriber Discussion Series:

  • Hear from local experts and discuss with peers the latest trends and best practices.
  • Get provider-focused resources to reduce misuse and opioid use disorder (OUD).
  • Learn the new State guidelines and latest tools for patient care and provider coordination.

Connecting because we care. For our patients and for our community.

‍

UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS IN THE SERIES‍

  • September 21, 2022 • 5:30-7:30pm
    Person-Centered Strategies to Reduce Opioid Overdose

‍

PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS

  • May 11, 2022 • 5:30–7:30 PM
    Latest Trends in Overdose: What Prescribers Need to Know About Illicit Fentanyl
  • June 8, 2022 • 5:30–7:30PM
    Evidence-based Safe Prescribing


‍LEARN MORE AND REGISTER:

  • www.PrescribersCare.org

‍

See full post →
Tags:
Local
|
News & Events
|
Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
|
Category:
Safe Prescribing
Thursday, May 19, 2022

Prescribers Care Discussion Series – June 8, 2022

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‍

June 8, 2022
EVIDENCE-BASED SAFE PRESCRIBING

5:30–7:30 PM
Sterling Hills Golf Club, Camarillo

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Join us for a review of local opioid prescribing trends. We’ll discuss how safe prescribing and use of CURES can prevent or reduce opioid misuse and opioid use disorder (OUD) in our patients. Hear from Tipu Khan MD, an author of the newest California Guidelines for Safe Opioid Prescribing, on how to utilize the newest guidelines in our practices. Learn how other local Primary Care and Pain Management Specialist use effective safe prescribing strategies to treat patients at risk of opioid misuse or opioid use disorder (OUD).

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REGISTER HERE

  • www.PrescribersCare.org

‍

PRESENTED BY

  • Tipu V. Khan, MD, FAAFP, FASAM; Addiction Medicine Fellowship Director, VCMC
  • Kyle Stephens, DO, Family Medicine Specialist, Primary Care
  • George Chang Chien, DO, Director of Pain Management, Ventura County Medical Center

‍

‍

Register Now

‍

For more information: Ashley.Nettles@ventura.org

‍

‍

Prescribers are key to creating change in our community.

Thanks to exceptional local collaboration, Ventura County has seen a decrease in opioid prescribing in recent years – a 24% reduction between 2017 and 2020 – as providers have employed safe prescribing practices and increased use of non-narcotic pain management strategies.

Unfortunately, overdose deaths continue to climb, largely due to illegal fentanyl, which has replaced much of the local heroin use and is contributing to the rising number of overdose emergencies. As a concerned local provider, we invite you to join the Prescriber Discussion Series:

  • Hear from local experts and discuss with peers the latest trends and best practices.
  • Get provider-focused resources to reduce misuse and opioid use disorder (OUD).
  • Learn the new State guidelines and latest tools for patient care and provider coordination.

Connecting because we care. For our patients and for our community.

‍

UPCOMING DISCUSSIONS IN THE SERIES‍

  • August 31, 2022 • 5:30 7:30 PM
    Deprescribing is Good Prescribing
    ‍
  • September 21, 2022 • 5:30-7:30pm
    Person-Centered Strategies to Reduce Opioid Overdose

‍

PREVIOUS DISCUSSIONS

  • May 11, 2022 • 5:30–7:30 PM
    Latest Trends in Overdose: What Prescribers Need to Know About Illicit Fentanyl

‍


‍LEARN MORE AND REGISTER:

  • www.PrescribersCare.org
See full post →
Tags:
Local
|
News & Events
|
Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
|
Category:
Safe Prescribing
Thursday, October 28, 2021

COAST Newsletter - October 2021

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Every quarter we send out COAST Newsletters to keep you informed about our COAST grant efforts to address the Opioid crisis in Ventura County. Through the COAST grant, Ventura County agencies are working together to reduce illicit opioid supply, decrease opioid demand, and save lives. By sharing and comparing data, we can leverage information, analyze trends, and target resources to respond to this evolving public health crisis. In this newsletter, see the Interview with Dr. Christopher Young, MD, Ventura County Medical Examiner.

COAST Newsletter - October 2021

Opioid Data Dashboard, COAST Ventura County

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Fentanyl & Illegal Opioids
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Overdose & Naloxone
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Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
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Medication Disposal
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Category:
Working Together
Thursday, October 28, 2021

COAST Newsletter - October 2021

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Every quarter we send out COAST Newsletters to keep you informed about our COAST grant efforts to address the Opioid crisis in Ventura County. Through the COAST grant, Ventura County agencies are working together to reduce illicit opioid supply, decrease opioid demand, and save lives. By sharing and comparing data, we can leverage information, analyze trends, and target resources to respond to this evolving public health crisis. In this newsletter, see the Interview with Dr. Christopher Young, MD, Ventura County Medical Examiner.

COAST Newsletter - October 2021

Opioid Data Dashboard, COAST Ventura County

See full post →
Tags:
Fentanyl & Illegal Opioids
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Medication Disposal
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Overdose & Naloxone
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Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
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Category:
Working Together
Thursday, December 3, 2020

Rx Drop-off Day - December 5

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Drop off your unused and expired Rx Medications at the Oxnard Police Department's Rx Drop-Off Day on Saturday, December 5!

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Tags:
Medication Disposal
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Local
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Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
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Category:
Safety at Home
Tuesday, November 3, 2020

OK to Drive?

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Many medications can impair your ability to drive, making you an unsafe driver while you’re taking them. It’s against the law to drive when you’re impaired. A prescription doesn’t mean it’s OK to drive.

This campaign launched in partnership with the California Office of Traffic Safety to share the message that pain medication and driving don’t mix! This is part of our Dental Prescribing Toolkit and patient education materials.

Learn more:

Ventura County Responds

https://www.venturacountyresponds.org/safe-prescribing/dental-prescribing-toolkit

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Tags:
Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
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Category:
Safe Prescribing
Tuesday, July 21, 2020

2020 AMA Opioid Task Force Drug Overdose Report

Sharp reductions in prescription opioid supply, continued increases in PDMP use, but staggering increase in fatalities involving illicit opioids, methamphetamine, heroin and cocaine were demonstrated last year. AMA calls on policymakers and others to remove barriers to evidence-based care for patients with pain and those with a substance use disorder.

Although fatal opioid overdoses hit a record high in 2019 — and the Covid-19 pandemic threatens to make matters worse — the latest report from the American Medical Association's Opioid Task Force finds that prescriptions for these drugs decreased last year for the sixth year in a row. There was a 37% decrease in opioid prescriptions last year — from more than 244 million in 2014 to around 154 million in 2019. Other trends also point to higher scrutiny of these prescriptions: There was a 64% increase since 2018 in physicians' use of state drug monitoring programs, for instance, which are online databases meant to track prescriptions of controlled substances. And more doctors are also prescribing naloxone: More than 1 million prescriptions of the drug were dispensed last year, which is more than double the number in 2018.

> 2020 AMA Opioid Task Force Drug Overdose Report

> End the Epidemic, American Medical Association (AMA) website

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Tags:
Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
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Overdose & Naloxone
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Category:
Safe Prescribing
Monday, March 23, 2020

COVID-19: Potential Implications for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders

As people across the U.S. and the rest of the world contend with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the research community should be alert to the possibility that it could hit some populations with substance use disorders (SUDs) particularly hard. People with opioid use disorder (OUD) and methamphetamine use disorder may also be vulnerable due to those drugs’ effects on respiratory and pulmonary health.

> Read the article.

Source: NIDA. (2020, March 12). COVID-19: Potential Implications for Individuals with Substance Use Disorders. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/about-nida/noras-blog/2020/03/covid-19-potential-implications-individuals-substance-use-disorders on 2020, March 20

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Prescribing & Prescription Opioids
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Category:
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