This class reviews the current trend of opioid use and misuse. Pre-pandemic, people were dying of an unintentional overdose in numbers that grabbed the attention of public health and service providers around the globe. The situation has been labeled “The Opioid Crisis” and it is impacting communities, both urban and rural, in America and around the world. The 2020 Covid-19 Pandemic has exacerbated the Opioid Crisis and created substantial setbacks to progress made in recent years. Not just opioid addiction but all substance use disorders have been exacerbated in a climate of decreased access to addiction services combined with increased social isolation, anxiety, and depression caused by lockdown living circumstances required to navigate the Covid Pandemic. This program is intended to raise awareness regarding the magnitude of the problem and the strategies being deployed pre and post-pandemic to save lives and treat addiction. The reader will learn about natural and synthetic opiate/opioid drugs, the physiologic mechanisms that contribute to opioid addiction, and evidenced-based treatment for positive patient outcomes. Also reviewed are the symptoms of an overdose and the medical treatment for overdose including detailed instructions on the use of the opioid antidote, Naloxone.
Pre-registration required.
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This Brain Health Awareness Project is offered through the support of the Mental Health/Disability Services of the East Central Region. For more information, please visit www.ecriowa.org. In partnership with Kirkwood Community College & Northeast Iowa Community College. This class will be self-study online through Brightspace and managed by an instructor. Participants will receive information on how to log into the class. Iowa Board of Nursing Provider #7 awarding 8.0 contact hours or nurses and 9.6 CEHs for other healthcare disciplines.
Tags
- community events
- continuing education
- continuing education health
- continuing education online