Case study Margo is a 27-year-old patient who has been admitted to the critical care unit with COVID-19 despite vaccination. She has struggled with polysubstance use disorder off and on since she was in eighth grade, when she experienced soccer injury and the doctor prescribed hydrocodone for pain relief. Subsequently, she was introduced to marijuana in high school and began to experiment further and further. She has a two-year old who was delivered as asmall for gestational age baby following an abruptio placenta. The child now lives with her mother and is being cared for by family as Margo has recently relapsed and is homeless. Caleb is taking care of Margo in the critical care unit and is concerned for the overall well-being of the patient following her recovery from COVID-19. Questions 1. What is Caleb’s responsibility as it relates to Margo’s polysubstance use disorder? 2. While Caleb can involve multiple disciplines to assist Margo, what are some other means by which Caleb can get involved as it relates to local and state options for someone like Margo? 3. What resources are available for patients like Margo who need options to overcome their polysubstance use disorder? Discussion 1. Even though Margo is recovering from COVID-19, it is important that Caleb understand how Margo’s polysubstance use disorder has placed her at greater risk for COVID-19 and the gravity of the potential outcome as it relates to comorbidities. It is the responsibility of each healthcare professional to know the facts, know the laws, understand screening, provide the best care, and take an active role in preventing, reporting, and caring for individuals who need help kicking the problem. It is the Resources ● Addiction Severity Index , providing a structured clinical interview designed to collect information about substance use and functioning in life areas from adult clients seeking drug abuse treatment. https://adai.washington.edu/instruments/pdf/Addiction_ Severity_Index_Baseline_Followup_4.pdf ● Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) , including resources specific to substance abuse and COVID-19 and online store with additional products. ○ https://www.samhsa.gov/coronavirus ○ https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/ reports/rpt29393/2019NSDUHFFRPDFWHTML/ 2019NSDUHFFR1PDFW090120.pdf ○ https://www.samhsa.gov/resource/dbhis/samhsa-store ● Clinical Trials , providing information on federally and privately supported clinical trials. https://clinicaltrials.gov ● National Criminal Justice Reference Service (800) 851-3420 or (202) 307-2942 https://nij.gov/Pages/welcome.aspx ● National Institute for Drug Addiction (NSDUH) https://drugabuse.gov ● National Institute of Drug Addiction https://www.drugabuse.gov ● National Institute of Mental Health https://www.nimh.nih.gov/index.shtml ● NIDA DrugFacts: Treatment Approaches for Drug Addiction (2019), fact sheet covering research findings on effective treatment approaches for drug abuse and addiction. https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/drugfacts/ treatment-approaches-drug-addiction
responsibility of all healthcare professionals to advocate for their clients and promote access to healthcare for everyone. 2. The disease of drug addiction impacts all ages in all communities, so health professionals today must work to bring drug addiction out of the shadows. Healthcare professionals and community resource agencies can identify and refer at-risk individuals and struggling families to social services for prevention and treatment programs. Once identified, these families can benefit from early intervention programs, including healthcare, counseling, assistance with parenting, and discipline to support healthy family interaction. Healthcare professionals must participate in prevention and treatment programs in the community through fundraising activities, lobbying local officials and state legislators, conducting community outreach activities to identify and offer services to young people and adults at risk, educating the public about the disease, and working with the media to develop effective campaigns to combat negative cultural influences. 3. Using a multidisciplinary approach, healthcare professionals can close the drug treatment gap and increase prevention efforts. As advocates, health professionals, government agencies, and politicians must collaborate to write policies and increase funding for prevention and treatment programs for all drug types to stop the escalating cycle of addiction and relapse. Advocating for funding is necessary to increase the accessibility and ease of treatment to encourage families and individuals to seek help to stop the cycle of addiction and prevent it in the future. There is no way to put a price on the mounting death toll from this epidemic, and healthcare professionals are the front line of defense. The epidemic of drug addiction is a massive problem that requires effort on the part of every healthcare professional, and Caleb needs to remain vigilant to identify what he can do to help break the cycle of addiction in his community. ● NIDA DrugPubs: Research Dissemination Center , provides publications and treatment materials. Staff-provided assistance in English and Spanish. ○ (877) NIDA-NIH (877-643-2644); TTY/TDD: (240) 645- 0228 ○ Fax: 240-645-0227 ● NIDA Public Information Office (301) 443–1124 ● NIDA Publication #13-7764: Seeking Drug Abuse Treatment: Know What to Ask (n.d.) https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/seeking-drug- abuse-treatment-know-what-to-ask/introduction ● NIH Publication #11-5316: Principles of Drug Abuse Treatment for Criminal Justice Populations: A Research- Based Guide (Revised 2014). ○ Email: drugpubs@nida.nih.gov ○ https://drugpubs.drugabuse.gov https://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/principles-drug- abuse-treatment-criminal-justice-populations/principles ● NIH Publication #15-4877: Research Report Series: Therapeutic Communities ( Revised 2015), providing information on the role of residential drug-free settings and their role in the treatment process. https://d14rmgtrwzf5a.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/ therapueticcomm_rrs_0723.pdf ● NIH Publication #18-DA-5605: Drugs, Brains, and Behavior: The Science of Addiction, providing an overview of the science behind the disease of addiction. https://d14rmgtrwzf5a.cloudfront.net/sites/default/files/soa. pdf
Page 48
Book Code: RPTTX2024
EliteLearning.com/Pharmacy-Technician
Powered by FlippingBook