This year’s International Overdose Awareness Day (August 31st) marks an important milestone for the UMass Memorial Division of Medical Toxicology – one year since the launch of the Overdose Prevention Fund. In an effort to express our appreciation for those who have already pledged their support to the Fund’s mission of eradicating overdoses, we hung up our stethoscopes and reflected on the past 12 months.
In the past year, the Overdose Prevention Fund has:
- supported two studies on fentanyl detection after opioid overdose
- provided experts to community organizations, like the Auburn Elks, to discuss naloxone use
- sent toxicologists to the Sutton Middle School to talk about opioid addiction and drugged driving
- funded summer research assistantships for medical students interested in addiction medicine
- conducted research on naloxone dosing after overdose, biosensor profiles after opioid overdose, and outcomes after ED-based substance use evaluations
- accelerated our collaboration between emergency physicians, medical toxicologists, and outpatient providers in innovative patient care.
We are so grateful for your support of the Overdose Prevention Fund, yet there is much work to be done.
- How do we prevent opioid addiction before it occurs?
- How do recognize opioid tolerance and cravings among our patients?
- How do we optimize care for patients who present to the Emergency Department after overdose?
- How do we reach out to children and adolescents about opioids?
We’re rolling up our sleeves. To support our mission, select Overdose Prevention Fund from the dropdown menu here.