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Oct 2021
An Opioid Epidemic in the Pandemic
More than 96,000 Americans and 4,500 Texans died of drug overdoses last year, according to preliminary Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data. In Texas, that’s a 37% increase from 2020 to 2021.
Two online educational programs from UT Health San Antonio and Texas A&M Health Science Center are addressing the rising opioid epidemic by connecting physicians of all specialties with experts in addiction care. Texas Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (TxMOUD) and Empower TeleECHO offer a series of free webinars presenting best practices for identifying and treating substance use disorders.
With health care resources stretched thin amidst the pandemic, particularly in low-income and rural areas, online access to interactive continuing medical education is critical in a state as large and diverse as Texas.
Addiction can happen to anyone, even patients you have known for years, but treatment and recovery can start with you. Always check the Texas Prescription Monitoring Program before prescribing controlled substances and take the time to expand your knowledge at public-health.tamu.edu/echo and txmoud.org.
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