D.C. Update – March 8, 2016

Around the Agencies

  • CMCS and HRSA release informational bulletin on maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting services coverage
  • CDC and Governors seek stricter limits on painkiller prescribing
  • CDC releases new Prevention Status Report
  • NIAAA study finds significant increase in marijuana use and marijuana use disorders between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013

In the News

  • NDCI releases prescription drug misuse fact sheet
  • Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine releases substance use resources for parents and adolescents

News from NASADAD

  • NASADAD requests comments on 42 CFR Part 2 Proposed Rulemaking

Around the Agencies

CMCS and HRSA release informational bulletin on maternal, infant, and early childhood home visiting services coverage
The Center for Medicaid & CHIP Services (CMCS) and the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) released an informational bulletin describing best practices for the development of evidence-based home visiting programs for maternal, infant, and early childhood services last week. The bulletin aims to help States design benefit packages for pregnant women and families. The Affordable Care Act created the first national Maternal, Infant, and Early Childhood Home Visiting program, allowing States, tribal organizations, and non-profit organizations to apply for federal grants assisting evidence-based home services. Services include child and adult screening for mental health and substance use disorders, case management, and caregiver training. The program has more than doubled in size since its creation, and is now implemented in 26 percent of counties across the United States as of July 2015.

Read the full bulletin here.

CDC and Governors seek stricter limits on painkiller prescribing
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) along with the National Governors Association (NGA) are seeking stricter limits on painkiller prescribing, as reported by the Pew Charitable Trusts. The CDC recently issued a draft proposal that would change prescribing guidelines to encourage doctors to utilize drug-free treatment options and non-opioid pain relievers for chronic pain and related conditions before prescribing opioid pain medication. The NGA unanimously approved the CDC initiative, with Governor Peter Shumlin of Vermont noting that opioid pain medication presents the biggest drug control problem currently facing the United States. The CDC’s proposed guidelines advise prescribing three days’ worth of pain medication instead of the commonly prescribed 30-day supply in order to prevent diversion of extra pills.

Read the full article here.

CDC releases new Prevention Status Report
Last week the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a new Prevention Status Report for all 50 States and Washington, DC. The CDC’s Prevention Status Report outlines the current status of public health policies as well as best practices for dealing with notable public health problems. This Prevention Status Report contains information on alcohol-related harms, prescription drug overdose, and tobacco use. The reports for each State compare State-level data versus national averages and provide ratings on the regulations surrounding each State’s prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMP).

Access the new Prevention Status Report here.

NIAAA study finds significant increase in marijuana use and marijuana use disorders between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) has published a study finding a significant increase in both marijuana use and marijuana use disorders between 2001-2002 and 2012-2013. Past-year prevalence of marijuana use was 4.1 percent in 2001-2002 compared to 9.5 percent in 2012-2013. Past-year prevalence of marijuana use disorders experienced a similar increase, with 1.5 percent past-year incidence in 2001-2002 compared to 2.9 percent in 2012-2013. Both increases were found to be statistically significant. The study asserts that “nearly 3 of 10 marijuana users manifested a marijuana use disorder in 2012-2013.” This increase was attributed to the growing prevalence of marijuana use among adults.

Read the full study here.

In the News

NDCI releases prescription drug misuse fact sheet
The National Drug Court Institute (NDCI) has released a new fact sheet on prescription drug misuse. The fact sheet, titled “Understanding and Detecting Prescription Drug Misuse and Misuse Disorders” outlines the characteristics of the most commonly misused prescription drugs and their associated symptoms of misuse. The NDCI fact sheet also includes treatment suggestions, including medication assisted treatment (MAT), for individuals who may have developed a substance use disorder.

Read the full fact sheet here.

Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine releases substance use resources for parents and adolescents
The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine (SAHM) has released new resources on substance use for parents and adolescents. The resources compile existing SAHM resources on substance use, support groups, and treatment service locators for both adolescents and their parents. Both resources also provide external links to other organizations working on issues related to substance use and substance use disorders.

Access the SAHM resource for adolescents here.

Access the SAHM resource for parents of adolescents here.

News from NASADAD

NASADAD requests comments on 42 CFR Part 2 Proposed Rulemaking
During last Monday’s NASADAD’s All States Public Policy call, guests from the Legal Action Center spoke about 42 CFR Part 2 and the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking by HHS, which was published in the Federal Register on February 9th. During the call, it was suggested that NASADAD consider commenting on the proposed rule as an Association. Comments on the proposed rule are due by 5 pm on Monday, April 11th.

In order for NASADAD to meet the deadline, we request that any comments for the Association’s consideration be submitted by COB Friday, March 18th to swickramatilake@nasadad.org. Comments will then be summarized for the Board of Directors to review at their next meeting March 24th-25th. The Board may also review other groups’ statements that have been made available at that point. The Legal Action Center will be releasing a template for the field to use in crafting comments on the proposed rule. The template will likely be released in the next 2 weeks, and NASADAD will send it to membership as soon as possible.

More information about confidentiality can be found on the NASADAD website, including comments by other organizations regarding potential changes to 42 CFR Part 2.

Should you have any questions, or require additional information, please do not hesitate to contact Robert Morrison, Executive Director, (202) 293-0090 or Shalini Wickramatilake-Templeman, Public Policy Associate, at (202) 293-0090.