More than 31,000 calls, texts, and chats for support answered since 2018

The Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline reached a significant milestone this month – five years of connecting state residents experiencing substance use concerns with local services and support. This free and confidential service supported by a grant from the Department Health Services (DHS) and managed by 211 Wisconsin debuted in October 2018 as part of efforts by state officials to reduce drug overdoses. Since then, staff have answered 31,591 calls, texts, and chats from all 72 Wisconsin counties and nine of the 11 federally recognized Tribal nations with members in Wisconsin. These contacts resulted in 78,646 referrals to agencies providing substance use disorder assessment services, counseling, inpatient care, residential care, outpatient care, medication-assisted treatment, and supports from people in recovery from a substance use disorder trained to help others.

“For five years, the Wisconsin Addiction Recovery Helpline has offered people hope at a time when they may feel overwhelmed by what steps to take for health and healing,” said DHS Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson. “Staffed by caring, trained specialists, it is a safe, trusted resource to turn to for information. We are grateful for the work of 211 Wisconsin and all the people who have made this service a success.”

View the entire news release.

Dear WISAM Members,

Happy October! It is with both gratitude and hope that I share my outgoing newsletter as President of the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine. I wanted to take some time to reflect on the past two years.

As an organization, we have continued to be very active in educational, legislative, and treatment areas. We have published letters to the editor on salient topics, remain with representation on multiple state councils (SCAODA, MEB, WMS COL, CSB, Medicaid Advisory Committee), and have continued being part of the Good Samaritan Coalition to change how people are treated after an overdose.

We have had two annual conferences during my tenure, and the most recent in the Wisconsin Dells had many great first experiences for WISAM at this conference. This included poster presentations, art displays from people in recovery, and more regional representation than has ever occurred before! We are looking at being part of future regional conferences and it is a grand opportunity for us to find support from other states and discuss how to navigate the ever-changing landscape of the treatment of addiction. We were privileged to have national keynote speakers Yngvild Olsen, SAMHSA, and Dr. Brian Hurley, President of ASAM, interspersed among many intriguing discussions ranging from Harm Reduction (Dr. Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar) to Cannabis Legislation Considerations (Dr. Doris Gundersen).

The COVID pandemic has officially been sunsetted, but the impact on telemedicine and our ability to provide access to services continues to be noted. For instance, addiction treatment providers and researchers proved that people can effectively access life-saving treatment without needing in-person visits. The DEA has just extended pandemic-era waivers for controlled prescription prescribing until December 2024.

Wisconsin DHS changed requirements for treating substance use disorders. On the heels of those changes, federal law changed so that prescribers no longer need a Buprenorphine waiver to treat people with this treatment from any office. This paved the way for WISAM to develop and implement an 8-hour SUD-focused training for primary care providers. We will just need to hang on for the ride and support each other through the next inevitable changes with an eye towards novel partnerships and shared solutions!

It has been an honor to lead this organization for the past two years and be a part of good ideas becoming reality. I remain inspired by our membership and hope that we can continue to support each other moving forward in treating addiction and saving lives.

Thanks for your interest and participation with WISAM - please stay involved with Open Exchanges in 2024!

In gratitude,

Dr. Ritu Bhatnagar, MD MPH FASAM DFAPA

National Addiction Treatment Week is a pivotal, annual event that spotlights the addiction treatment gap and champions compassionate, evidence-based approaches to care. Supported by the Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine.  This weeklong initiative amplifies three life-saving messages:

1. Addiction is a chronic, treatable medical disease.
2. Effective treatments are available.
3. Recovery is not only possible but achievable.

By sharing the stories and experiences of dedicated practitioners who provide care to patients with addiction, we aim to end the stigma surrounding addiction and encourage medical professionals to embrace individualized, compassionate addiction care.

Why Should You Get Involved?

This year, we are showcasing how the treatment of addiction has a profound positive impact on both a physician's career and a patient's life. By actively participating, you can:

1. Learn from Your Peers: Gain invaluable insights from firsthand accounts shared by addiction medicine specialists who have made transformative differences in their patients' lives through evidence-based care.

2. Be a Stigma Buster: Your active engagement plays a pivotal role in eradicating the stigma attached to addiction and fostering a more supportive environment for individuals seeking help.

3. Inspire Lasting Change: By sharing these compelling stories, you inspire fellow medical professionals to explore the world of compassionate and individualized addiction care.

How Can You Participate and Access the Toolkit?

To take an active role in this important initiative and access the comprehensive toolkit, click here.

Your involvement will elevate awareness, reduce stigma, and ignite transformative change in the landscape of addiction treatment. Explore the toolkit, share your own experiences, and actively engage on social media using #TreatmentWeek.

Unlock the potential of National Addiction Treatment Week 2023 and join us in shaping a future where compassionate, evidence-based addiction care is accessible to all who need it. Your commitment is invaluable, and we are excited to embark on this remarkable journey with you.

ThedaCare (through generous support of the ThedaCare Family of Foundations and Wisconsin Society of Addiction Medicine) is pleased to offer a complimentary CME Event, Stemming the Tide of the Overdose Epidemic for a second time this year.

This CME event allows providers to meet the new requirement of 8 hours of addiction medicine training to renew and maintain DEA license. The day will consist of education and information on effective and evidence based treatment for substance use disorders, as well as interesting panel discussions and practical tips to help you implement substance use disorder treatment into your clinical practice.

We are very excited about the interest in this event.  We wanted to answer some questions that have come up about the CME event and provide some context for the new DEA requirement.  Attached are some answers to frequently asked questions as well as resources for additional training and support that is available.

Details and registration below:

Register Here

Thank you and hope to see you on October 28^th!

Dr. Ezra Lyon

Associate Medical Director or Integrated Addiction Treatment

Heather Pagel

Manager, Integrated Behavioral Health

Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, Chief Health Policy Advisor Dr. Ben Weston, Department of Health & Human Services (DHHS) Executive Director Shakita LaGrant-McClain, and Behavioral Health Services (BHS) are announcing the placement of 11 Harm Reduction Vending Machines to reduce injury and death from overdose, at locations across the county, informed by data and need. The machines provide free access to harm reduction and prevention supplies, including fentanyl test strips, nasal naloxone, medication deactivation pouches, medication lock bags, and gun locks. According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), harm reduction is an evidence-based practice to prevent death for people who use drugs. In 2022, there were 667 drug overdose deaths in Milwaukee County.

“The opioid epidemic reaches communities in all parts of the county. It crosses all socio-economic, demographic and age ranges – there is no ‘type’ of person who succumbs to opioid addiction. Last year’s opioid settlement allow us to get to work right away funding projects that will help save lives and mitigate continued suffering for residents and their loved ones,” said County Executive Crowley. “Milwaukee County has been on the frontlines of this battle for years in the court system, and now we take the next step in bringing crucial resources to the doorstep of the communities that need them the most. By following the data and investing in the communities with the highest need, I am optimistic we will make our communities safer and healthier and help residents begin or continue their road to recovery.”

Click Here for Vending Machine Locations

Click Here to Read More

August 31 is International Overdoes Awareness Day, the world’s largest annual campaign to end overdose.  Today we:

• Remember loved ones who have died from drug overdose and acknowledge the grief of the family and friends left behind;
• Take action to encourage support and recovery for everyone impacted by substance use and overdose; and
• End overdose by spreading awareness of overdose prevention strategies.

The following article was posted on the American Society of Addition Medicine on August 30.  It was written by Dr Nicholas Athanasiou (Editor-in-Chief) and summarizes the growing impact of overdoes in our world.

Drug use and overdose rates are a concern for the public’s health. A new report from the CDC looks at how overdose rates during the pandemic varied across different industries and work settings while highlighting significant health equity issues in the US (National Vital Statistics Report). It’s hard not to think about “deaths of despair” when reading this, but then an article from TIME reminds us that “deaths of despair” might be too narrow a view because there is more to "despair-ism" than originally conceptualized.

Data from Monitoring the Future found that young adults report using marijuana and hallucinogens at or near historically high levels while middle-aged adults report record levels of binge drinking (NIDA News). Maybe Generation X is responding to the difficulties of being sandwiched between two hippie generations. 

Cannabis is now the most commonly used illegal (federal) drug in pregnancy, which means that perinatal research needs to close the knowledge gap quickly -- both for maternal and paternal use -- so we can better guide clinicians, develop policy, and inform the public (JAMA). A review on nitrous oxide toxicity reminds us that use of a cheap and easily accessible substance should be included on our differentials, especially when seeing youth and young adults with unusual gait (CMAJ). 

More globally, Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria is looking to spread addiction and turmoil to global enemies by dealing a new amphetamine-type stimulant called captagon (The Messenger).  Evidently, drug use and overdose rates are a concern for geopolitical foes too.

Thanks for reading,

Nicholas Athanasiou, MD, MBA, DFASAM
Editor in Chief
with Co-Editors: Brandon Aden, MD, MPH, FASAM, Debra R. Newman, PA-C, MSPAS, MPH, Jack Woodside, MD, John A. Fromson, MD

Wisconsin Health News

A national philanthropic effort to fight the opioid crisis on Monday released more details on its work in Wisconsin.

The Bloomberg Philanthropies Overdose Prevention Initiative launched in 2018 in two states and expanded its work to five more, including Wisconsin, in 2021. To date, Bloomberg Philanthropies has put $170 million toward the overall initiative.

The initiative supports Vital Strategies, which is working in Wisconsin to help provide the anti-overdose reversal drug naloxone, fentanyl test strips and information resources. It's also supporting the Department of Health Services in how to best use funding and programming for overdose deaths. The effort also backs harm reduction services and awareness efforts in Black and Indigenous communities.

“Working together, we can avoid the loss of life from drug overdoses and help those with substance use disorder on the path to recovery,” DHS Secretary-designee Kirsten Johnson said in a statement.

On Monday, Vital Strategies said it is:

• Teaming up with Milwaukee radio stations on an educational campaign on how the overdose crisis is disproportionately impacting Black communities and how to access naloxone and other resources through the City of Milwaukee Office of African American Affairs.
• Providing technical assistance and funding to the Bad River Tribe's harm reduction supply delivery program and an initiative by NEXT Distro to expand access to harm reduction supplies in rural and Indigenous communities. 
• Supporting a workgroup composed of leaders on Milwaukee’s north side in disseminating a report they wrote on the unmet harm reduction and treatment needs in the city’s Black communities. 
• Partnering with Samad’s House, a Black-led organization that provides healthcare and supportive services to women in substance use disorder recovery, to support women with lived experience in distributing harm reduction supplies and providing information on treatment and referrals.
• Supporting Rebalanced-Life Wellness Association’s Black Barbershop Program to provide naloxone, fentanyl test strips, education and treatment referrals through its existing healthcare services in Black barbershops in Dane County.  

Wisconsin Medical Society | Medigram

The State of Wisconsin's Medical Examining Board (MEB) gave final approval to two administrative rules at its monthly meeting on August 16. One is the culmination of a multi-year exploration into establishing chaperone requirements; the other modifies current rules for physicians' continuing medical education (CME) responsibilities. 

Opioid CME Requirements

The new rule alters the current requirement that a physician complete two credits of coursework each reporting period in a specific area of controlled substances prescribing; the specific subject area has varied over the previous cycles. Under the new rule, the two-credit requirement can be fulfilled with coursework pertaining to "prescribing opioids and other controlled substances." While previous cycles required those courses to be approved by the MEB, the new rule eliminates that requirement. 

Since first establishing this subject-specific requirement, the MEB created each version of the rule with a sunset clause, meaning the requirement would expire if the MEB determined that specific prescribing education was no longer needed. As the state continues to experience overdose-related deaths – including an increase in synthetic opioid-related abuse – the MEB decided not to include a sunset clause for the new rule. Therefore, the requirement will remain until such time as the MEB decides to alter the rule. 

The new rule is expected to take effect on October 1, 2023, which means it applies to the current CME cycle. 

WI 2023 SB332 proposes to significantly change the alcohol laws in Wisconsin. If enacted, the bill would change Wisconsin laws for the production, regulation, and distribution of alcohol beverages and change how alcohol is regulated and oversight is provided. The attached memo, created by Wisconsin Alcohol Advocacy Project, outlines ten significant changes this bill creates for alcohol regulation.

The public hearing on AB 304/SB332 has been scheduled for Thursday, August 17, 2023, at the State Capitol at 9:30 am, 411 South. There are several bills in this hearing. AB 304/SB332 is third on the docket.

CLICK HERE to view the video from the Wisconsin Alcohol Policy Project webinar last week entitled “Changes to Alcohol Regulation in Wisconsin: Proposed increases to availability, accessibility and production of alcohol.”

Racial Equity Training - Announcement from the Overdose Prevention Program

WISAM is sharing this racial equity training designed for organizations and providers working with people who use drugs. The training, "Taking Action on Racial Equity in Drug User Health Programs," was developed in collaboration with In the Works and Reframe Health. It consists of three modules: 

• Racial Equity in Overdose & Drug User Health—This module will discuss race, racism and how overlapping systems of oppression can impact the lives of people who use substances, including its important to drug user health. 

• Addressing Institutional Racism within Organizations—This module will focus on institutional racism within organizations, specifically which practices and policies create inequity for BIPOC staff, and further explore how interpersonal interactions can contribute to inequity.

• Racial Equity in Planning, Data, and Action—This module will discuss integration of racial equity into service provision and external facing work, what kind of information can inform our work and how to identify goals and targets and work with community partners

The modules are available as a free e-course and can be taken at your own pace. The total course, including supplemental sections, will take approximately six hours to complete. There are supplemental resources provided, including downloadable handouts, worksheets, and a glossary. In order to access the course, you must enroll for the course through this link. 

We encourage you to also share this opportunity with other groups that you think will benefit from this resource. Please feel free to share any thoughts or suggestions you may have after accessing the modules. We hope this course will help meet the needs of your organization and improve programming.