NASEM Releases Report on Opioid Use Disorder, Infectious Diseases

A report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identifies barriers to responding to the dual opioid and infectious disease epidemic that include workforce limitations, counter-productive policies, and funding gaps that pose challenges to providing integrated opioid use disorder and infectious disease services.

The report recommends actions, including expanded access to medications and fully lifting restrictions on the use of federal funding for syringe service programs, to address the challenges. The report, Opportunities to Improve Opioid Use Disorder and Infectious Disease Services: Integrating Responses to a Dual Epidemic, is downloadable and aligns with key evidence raised by infectious disease and HIV specialists working on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic.