The value of medications for opioid use disorder

March 4, 2022.Reading time 7 minutes.

Written by Troy Seibert, Public Health – Seattle & King County, Overdose Prevention and Response As we confront an alarming rise in overdose deaths, King County is working to expand access to a proven, life-saving intervention. Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD), specifically buprenorphine, lowers risk of death by about 50%. These medications, along with, […]

How a new federal rule change may make access to treatment for opioid use disorder easier

May 17, 2021.Reading time 9 minutes.

On April 27, the Department of Health and Human Services announced new regulatory changes for prescribing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD). We sat down with Brad Finegood, Public Health – Seattle & King County’s Strategic Advisor on Behavioral Health, to learn more about the new rule change and how it may impact treatment access in our community.

Overdose update: Recent increase in overdose deaths linked to fentanyl-laced pills and powders

September 26, 2019.Reading time 10 minutes.

Update October 3, 2019 – Public Health officials continue to be concerned about increases in fentanyl overdose deaths in King County, driven by fentanyl found in counterfeit pills and in powders. As we reported below, between mid-June and mid-September 2019, there have been 141 suspected and confirmed drug overdose deaths. Since September 26, 2019, there […]