December 06, 2017
December Meeting Minutes
• Announcements
• Introductions
• Speaker: Cheryll Moore, Medical Care Administrator at the Erie County Health Department
She is assisting with the Health Department’s Community Health Improvement Plan
She also is assisting with coordinating the opioid epidemic effort in Erie County
o ISTOP Program
Started in January 2014
NYS specific
Health care providers look a patient up in the ISTOP system to see if they have received a prescription for an opioid within the last 30 days. If the patient has, a new prescription will not be written
• Health care providers send the script electronically to the pharmacy
Pharmacy workers also check ISTOP before filling a prescription
o 10-20% of the population has a genetic predisposition for an addiction
o Pain
Pain is not a vital sign, it is a symptom
Have to be asking questions about whether the pain is from the actual injury or from withdrawal symptoms
• Runny nose, diarrhea, back pain can all be withdrawal symptoms
o Addiction is a disease of functionality and maintenance
The body stops producing certain things if it can get something from somewhere else, i.e. a drug
A person who has an addiction to an opioid needs that opioid to feel ok
o Treatment
People who use medications to manage recovery have to have those medications closely monitored and adjusted
• It can take about 6 months for a person to become stabilized on Methadone
In-patient vs. out-patient services, the success of treatment depends on several things
Have to have services available where people are – rural, city, suburban
o What the current research shows
Opioids are impacting all races and ethnicities
Opioid addiction is a male driven disease
In 2017, it is estimated that there will have been a death a day from an opioid overdose in Erie County
• Prescription drugs are just as deadly as street drugs
Research is being done to show that patients should only get a 3-5 day prescription for an opioid from a dentist, for example
Finding that most people with an addiction want help, but don’t know where to find it
o Moving forward
Have to work on changing the public perception and inform the public that addiction is a medical disease
Working on changing prescribing at the front end by using medications that are more appropriate to treat the issue and lessening the pill count
The Health Department is working with law enforcement and nursing homes to dispose of the expired medications to protect them from theft
The Health Department is starting to look into how nursing homes are monitoring older adults and their opioid medications
o How we can help our clients
Be sure to use the universal precautions when working with clients in their homes
Learn the symptoms of withdrawal
Assist clients with making sure their pills are being monitored
Recommend that they find a way to dispose of their old and expired medications
• Sarah Duval attended the Elder Justice Coalition Meeting and gave information about the Vulnerable Elder Protection Team (VEPT) that is in a hospital in NYC. It is a 24/7 multi-disciplinary team in an emergency department that can be activated if a doctor suspects elder abuse. The goal is to improve identification, assessment and treatment of elder abuse.
• The date for the next meeting in January is TBD
