In this commentary, Aditya Narayan, BS and Rajesh Balkrishnan, PhD draw attention to substance use and opioid access during the ongoing crisis, given the potential for breakdowns in treatment access for addiction, the growing concern of mental health comorbidities, and the lack of access for those who require opioids for adequate pain management. As well as offer policy and practice recommendations that may be implemented to provide more equitable distribution of care.
“We find ourselves embroiled in a pandemic that has deeply taxed our healthcare and broader societal infrastructures. To better serve patients who suffer from addiction, we have responded by creating a number of policy changes that move towards more equitable substance use care. In this commentary, we discuss further policy and practice changes that may be of interest to many working in the substance use space amidst the pandemic.”
You can read this commentary in SAj Volume 42, Issue 2 or online.
Follow us on twitter to stay up to date with new publications!