Adding Fentanyl Testing to Hospital Toxicology Assays
This webinar will provide an overview of the guidance released by the Maine Opioid Response Clinical Advisory Committee to hospital leadership, substance use treatment providers, and pharmacy communities regarding recommendations for adding fentanyl testing to routine hospital toxicology testing. From the guidance document: ‘Despite the increased prevalence of fentanyl and related complications, not all healthcare facilities or providers of laboratory services in Maine currently employ toxicology testing that includes an assay for fentanyl.’ See the link below to read the rest of the statement and recommendations:
Objectives
Presenters will:
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- Promote the recommendation of the Maine Opioid Response Clinical Advisory Committee (per the above-linked document) that hospitals add fentanyl testing to their routine toxicology testing panels
- Help to answer questions and clarify any confusion in the hospital, provider, and pharmacy communities about the need to have this type of testing routinely available in hospitals
Audience:
Prescribing clinicians and their teams
Continuing Medical Education
This activity has been planned and implemented in accordance with the accreditation requirements and policies of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) through the joint providership of the Maine Medical Education Trust and CCSME. The Maine Medical Education Trust is accredited by the Maine Medical Association Committee on Continuing Medical Education and Accreditation to provide continuing medical education for physicians.
The Maine Medical Education Trust designates this regularly scheduled series for a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™. Physicians should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.
*Nurses and Nurse Practitioners will be awarded a certificate of participation with a maximum of 1 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™.
Contact Hours
1 contact hour for social workers, licensed clinical professional counselors, and behavioral health professionals.
1 contact hour for Alcohol and Drug Counselors pending approval from the Maine Board of Alcohol and Drug Counselors.
1 Category I contact hour for psychologists. CCSME is a pre-approved sponsor and provider of Professional Education Activities for Psychologists.
1 contact hour CHES. CCSME is a designated provider of continuing education contact hours (CECH) in health education by the National Commission for Health Education Credentialing, Inc.
Speakers
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Alane O'Connor DNPDr. Alane O’Connor DNP is the Director of Perinatal Addiction Medicine at MaineHealth Maine Medical Center and served as the medical director of the Maine Maternal Opioid Misuse (MaineMOM) Initiative, a 5-year, $5 million federal grant to expand access to substance use treatment for pregnant and postpartum women. She has trained hundreds of resident physicians and fellows and is core faculty in Maine’s only addiction medicine fellowship. Dr. O’Connor has published more than a dozen peer-reviewed manuscripts on maternal and infant outcomes following treatment with medication for opioid use disorder during pregnancy as well as related postpartum healthcare utilization and health policy. , She developed a partnership with Portland Fire Department’s Mobile Medical Outreach (MMO) team after recognizing that some of her most at-risk pregnant women were not accessing health care in traditional settings. Project Lifeline is a nationally innovative medical and community paramedicine program that delivers street medicine services to unhoused pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorder who live in tents, shelters, vehicles, and on the street.
Beyond caring for pregnant women, Dr. O’Connor works in the correctional system as the Director of Addiction Medicine at Somerset County Jail and Franklin County Detention Center and is the clinical advisor to the Maine Sheriffs’ Association. In this capacity, she developed and implemented a nationally innovative program using a monthly injectable medication (rather than a daily pill) to treat incarcerate individuals with opioid use disorder. The outcomes, published in Health & Justice, showed that the injectable medication expanded access to treatment during incarceration, improved treatment continuation after release and reduced the risk of post-release drug overdose death. The project gained nationwide attention and was featured on the front page of the New York Times and a related podcast.
Dr. O’Connor lectures regionally and nationally on substance use disorder to a variety of audiences including medical providers, the child welfare system, the correctional system and judiciary, as well as law enforcement. She is a member of the Maine Maternal Fetal and Infant Mortality Review Panel and co-chairs Maine’s Opioid Response Clinical Advisory Committee which advises the state’s opioid response director on clinical and public policy issues.Director of Addiction Medicine Somerset County Jail
– Director of Addiction Medicine Franclin County Detention Center
– Director, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Perinatal Addiction Medicine
– Director, MaineHealth Maine Medical Center Correctional Addiction Medicine
– Assistant Clinical Professor, Tufts University School of Medicine
– MaineHealth Comprehensive Addiction Medicine -
Robert CarlsonMDDr. Carlson is a physician executive, leader and board certified practicing pathologist with more than 30 years of experience in broad areas of medicine and laboratory services. Dr. Carlson has extensive commercial laboratory experience coupled with leading laboratory operations for large regional healthcare systems. In addition, Dr. Carlson has four years of Medical Affairs experience supporting global clinical trials and is experienced in successful startup ventures both within a larger organization and independent companies. Dr. Carlson is currently serving as the Chief Medical Officer at NorDx and the Co-Director of the Center for Applied Science and Technology at the MaineHealth Institute for Research.
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Scott LowellMHA, MLS (ASCP)Scott Lowell is a Laboratory Director and Military Veteran with 25 years of proven Laboratory experience. He has accomplished measurable results while leading large teams in dynamic and fast-paced environments. He possess a comprehensive background in the Medical Laboratory derived from conducting domestic and global operations in US, Kuwait, and Afghanistan, as well as extensive knowledge in regulatory requirements, budget management, and risk mitigation. He is the recipient of multiple awards for outstanding performance and professionalism. He currently serves as the Laboratory Director at MaineGeneral Health.
