opioids

Carfentanil Detected in Counterfeit Tablets and Powders: What the Substance Use Workforce Should Know

Community update

A new health alert reports carfentanil in counterfeit “M30” tablets and powders seized at the United States Southwest border. Carfentanil is an extremely potent synthetic opioid, and some tablets contained it without any fentanyl. The findings highlight how the appearance of an illicit tablet or powder cannot reliably indicate its contents or strength. Prevention, treatment and recovery professionals should reinforce overdose awareness, naloxone access and timely connections to care. Law enforcement, laboratories and public health partners should follow safe handling protocols, test comprehensively and share emerging drug market information quickly.

CFSRE NPS Discovery programme April 2026 Synthetic Opioid Alert

Driving Distance From US Jails to Opioid Treatment Programs

Scientific article

31 March 2026

Source: Saloner, B., O’Rourke, A., Ruelas-Vargas, K., Song, M., Ramsey, K. S., & Bandara, S. (2026). Driving Distance From US Jails to Opioid Treatment Programs. JAMA Network Open, 9(3), e264044-e264044. Discussion In this study, 51.5% of...

Initial stakeholder perceptions around opioid settlement funds in Pennsylvania

Scientific article

16 October 2025

Background The opioid epidemic continues to pose significant challenges in the United States, with over 75% of nearly 107,000 drug overdose deaths in 2022 involving opioids. Recently, efforts to curb the epidemic have made strides...

"Addressing Underlying Trauma in Opioid Use" with speaker Tanya Saraiya, PhD

22 April 2025

- Online

Trauma exposure and the subsequent development of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently co-occur with opioid use disorder (OUD).

Frontal White Matter Changes and Craving Recovery in Inpatients With Heroin Use Disorder

Scientific article

18 December 2024

Abstract Importance Amidst an unprecedented opioid epidemic, identifying neurobiological correlates of change with medication-assisted treatment of heroin use disorder is imperative. White matter impairments in individuals with heroin use...

Factors Associated With the Availability of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in US Jails

Scientific article

24 September 2024

Abstract Importance In 2023, more than 80 000 individuals died from an overdose involving opioids. With almost two-thirds of the US jail population experiencing a substance use disorder, jails present a key opportunity for providing...

Pharmacological and Behavioral Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

Scientific article

1 April 2019

Abstract Objective: Opioid use disorder (OUD) in the United States has surged, with an estimated 2.5 million needing treatment. The aim of this article is to provide a clinical overview of the key pharmacological and behavioral treatments...

Tools to implement measurement-based care (MBC) in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD): toward a consensus

Scientific article

28 February 2024

Abstract Background The prevalence and associated overdose death rates from opioid use disorder (OUD) have dramatically increased in the last decade. Despite more available treatments than 20 years ago, treatment access and high...

New guidelines for the health management of opiates

7 November 2023

Washington, D.C.

United States

The Inter-American Commission on Drug Abuse Control (CICAD), the Valencia, Spain City Council, and the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) invite you to join the webinar “New guidelines for the health management of opiates” this Tuesday, November 7, starting at 10:00 (Washington, DC time).

Synthetic Opioids: Navigating a Changing Landscape in the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder

Guide

This 35-minute module focuses on how primary care providers can navigate the changing landscape of opioid use disorder in relation to synthetic opioids.