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Opioid Use Disorder: Principles of Treatment
The opioid epidemic was declared a national public health emergency in 2017. Drug overdoses have become the leading cause of death for Americans under age 50. The rise in drug overdose deaths is largely attributable to the use of synthetic opioids, particularly illicit fentanyl. It is essential for physicians to familiarize themselves with current treatment approaches in patients affected by opioid use disorder. The Drug Enforcement Administra1on (DEA) issued new requirements in 2023 which requires all DEA prescribers to complete 8 hours of education on the treatment of patients with opioid or other substance use disorder.
Learning Objectives:
1. Summarize diagnostic criteria for Opioid Use Disorder
2. Review pharmacology of Buprenorphine
3. Understand the phenomena of precipitated withdrawal
4. Evaluate the utility of different treatment induction strategies
After completing a Master of Science Degree in Biophysics and Physiology at Georgetown University, Dr. Melmer graduated from the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, VA. She completed an Emergency Medicine residency at University of South Carolina/Grand Strand Medical Center in Myrtle Beach, SC where she stayed on as a clinical teaching faculty before moving to Virginia. Dr. Melmer is currently an attending physician in the Department of Emergency Medicine at Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital in South Boston. She is also completing a fellowship in Addiction Medicine at Virginia Commonwealth University Health in Richmond, VA.
Disclosures: None
