News Releases

Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium Holds Quarterly Meeting

At its most recent quarterly meeting in February, the Northeast Ohio Hospital Opioid Consortium welcomed representatives from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Care Alliance Health Center and St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center to share updates within their organizations and present on various topics.

DEA Presentation Highlights New Drug Risks and Legislation

Responsible for the oversight and integrity of the closed system of distribution of controlled substances and the protection of the public health and safety, the DEA covered a variety of issues in their presentation, including the following:

Latest Licit and Illicit Drug Trends

Criminal drug networks are mass-producing fake pills and falsely marketing them as legitimate prescription pills to deceive the American public. These pills often contain deadly fentanyl or methamphetamine and other substances and are sold on social media and e-commerce platforms, making them available to anyone with a smartphone, including minors.

Elimination of the DATA-Waiver Program

Due to recent legislation passed by Congress, all prescriptions for buprenorphine only require a standard DEA registration number. There are no longer limits or caps on the number of patients a prescriber may treat for opioid use disorder with buprenorphine. Additional guidance on this change will be forthcoming.

Proper Disposal of Controlled Substances

DEA allows disposal of controlled substance waste if it is authorized under state law and if it is the remaining portion of used needles, syringes or other injectable products in a practitioner environment such as a hospital, clinic, physician office, etc.

St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center Updates

Thom Olmstead, director of external affairs at St. Vincent Charity, provided updates on its new ambulatory model, which places an even stronger emphasis on person-centered care. This includes mental illness, substance use disorder and primary physical care.

While emergency room services have closed, after working closely with the county, the space has been transformed into an urgent care and primary care services remain open. St. Vincent Charity continues to provide treatment and services for the following:

• Addiction, including medication-assisted treatment
• Outpatient psychiatry
• Psychiatric emergency services
• Primary care
• Outpatient pharmacy
• Food services
• Urgent care
• Occupational health
• 24/7 virtual urgent care

Supporting this new model, St. Vincent Charity Community Health Center continues to provide ancillary services such as transportation and legal aid. The medical-legal partnership allows an attorney and a clinician to engage patients on health-harming legal needs, which can include housing, income and family issues. The first in the county to utilize a web-based ride share program through Lyft, St. Vincent Charity continues to provide transportation to patients, primarily in the behavior health space.

The meeting also included a discussion and presentation featuring Dr. Claude L. Jones, president & CEO of the Care Alliance Health Center. A provider of medical, dental and behavioral healthcare, CAHC offers free transportation for patients, provides virtual appointments and routinely works with the homeless community.