The Opioid Epidemic: UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Confront the Crisis

UPMC/University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences

The Pittsburgh region is among the hardest hit by the growing epidemic of opioid use disorder. For years, scientists and clinicians with UPMC and the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences have been bringing their expertise together to explore the epidemic, care for the community and prevent further deaths. The opioid epidemic is a multi-faceted crisis and, as such, UPMC and Pitt have taken a multidisciplinary approach, bringing together researchers, addiction specialists, pain medicine clinicians, public health practitioners, emergency doctors, pharmacists and many others to better understand the problem and seek solutions.

The following are some of the results of those efforts.

RESEARCH:

June 27, 2018
70K Opioid-Related Deaths Likely Went Unreported Due to Incomplete Death Certificates

June 22, 2018 
Overdose Risk Quintuples with Opioid and Benzodiazepine Use

May 2, 2018
Infants Exposed to Hepatitis C Increasing, Yet Not Adequately Screened, MWRI Study Finds

February 2, 2018
Analyzing Street Drugs Points to Potential Early Warning System in Opioid Crisis

December 11, 2017
Experts Identify Management Strategies for Concerning Behaviors That Arise when Taking Opioids for Chronic Pain

August 22, 2017 
Only Modest Changes in Opioid Prescribing and Addiction Treatment After Overdose for Pa. Medicaid Recipients

June 30, 2017
Most Reproductive-Age Women Using Opioids Also Use Another Substance

June 5, 2017
1 in 5 Surgical Weight-loss Patients Take Prescription Opioids Seven Years After Surgery

May 9, 2017
UPMC Clinic for Pregnant Women Addicted to Opioids Improves Outcomes, Reduces Cost

April 22, 2016
Drug-Overdose Deaths Average 6.7 Percent Increase per Year, Hold Steady in Some High Drug Trafficking Areas

INITIATIVES:

July 2, 2018
Magee Opens Mom-Centered Program to Improve Outcomes of Newborns Experiencing Opioid Withdrawal

June 16, 2018
A Father’s Past, Son’s Love and a Brand New Start

March 20, 2018
Pitt Presents ‘Dealing with Drugs’ Conference

January 19, 2018
UPMC’s More to the Story: Magee’s Pregnancy Recovery Center

January 11, 2018
UPMC McKeesport to Open the Region’s First Combined Inpatient Detox and Rehab Unit

November 9, 2017
UPMC Physicians Publish Opioid Safety Guidelines for First Responders

October 24, 2017
UPMC and Pitt School of Pharmacy Host Drug Take-Back Days

October 11, 2017
New Project Uses Data to Prevent and Better Treat Pain and Addiction

September 14, 2017
Pitt Presents: ‘Modeling the Opioid Epidemic: Insights and Potential Solutions from Computational Science’

June 12, 2017
The Opioid Epidemic: Protecting Our Protectors

June 5, 2017
OverdoseFreePA Launches New Website Features and Partnerships

May 16, 2017
National Meeting Highlights Pitt Research into Mechanisms of Pain and Tolerance

April 26, 2017
Pitt Pharmacy’s OverdoseFreePA Project Expands

March 8, 2017
Magee’s Pregnancy Recovery Center Expands to Aid Expectant Mothers Struggling with Opioid Dependency

November 2, 2016
Pittsburgh Poison Center at UPMC to Offer Resource Help for Opioid, Other Addictions

October 31, 2016
Pitt Report on Policy to Prevent Opioid Overdose Presented at National Meeting

September 7, 2016
UPMC McKeesport Hosts Free Community Education and Training for Anti-Overdose Medication

August 30, 2016
Pitt Pharmacy Holds Opioid Overdose Prevention Demonstration

July 2, 2016
Pitt Pharmacy Partnership Addresses Opioid Epidemic

May 6, 2016
Sen. Bob Casey Tours Magee-Womens Hospital

March 30, 2016
The Opioid Epidemic: UPMC and Pitt Health Sciences Address the Issue

February 23, 2015
Pitt and UPMC to Assess Whether Medicine Used for Detox Can Help Older Depressed Adults

August 20, 2014
Magee-Womens Hospital of UPMC Launches First-of-its-Kind Recovery Center for Pregnant Women with Substance Use Challenges