CFSRE: Medetomidine Rapidly Proliferating Across USA — Implicated In Recreational Opioid Drug Supply & Causing Overdose Outbreaks. Recent mass overdose outbreaks in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, and Chicago...drug products...have contained medetomidine... cfsre.org/nps-discovery/…

CESAR celebrates Abby Hines and her new Masters degree. She is a colleague at the Global Mental Health and Addiction Program. Global Mental Health and Addiction Program (GMAP)

CESAR celebrates our new PhD colleagues--Dr. Mary Kleinman and Dr. Alix Rose--from the Global Mental Health and Addiction Program. Global Mental Health and Addiction Program (GMAP)

RECALL: Hospira Inc. Issues A Voluntary Nationwide Recall For #Buprenorphine Hydrochloride Injection CarpujectTM Units and Labetalol Hydrochloride Injection, USP CarpujectTM Units Due to the Potential for Incomplete Crimp Seals fda.gov/safety/recalls…

Josh Siems Act--required routine fentanyl testing--in action: MD-EDDS finds 23-81% of overdose patients in 16 Maryland hospitals tested positive for fentanyl. In four hospitals, 68% or more of the specimens tested were positive for #fentanyl. cesar.umd.edu/sites/cesar.um…

MD-EDDS detects Xylazine in 2%-12% of hospital ED patients across Maryland; likely to be found with other drugs. Specimens containing #xylazine also often contained drugs such as fentanyl (77%), cocaine (77%), and/or morphine (67%). cesar.umd.edu/sites/cesar.um…

CBP officers in Arizona seize more than half a ton of #fentanyl --approximately 4 million blue fentanyl pills--in largest seizure in agency history cbp.gov/newsroom/local…

Kudos to our GMAP student colleague on her blue ribbon award for her poster: "Polysubstance Use and Methadone Adherence Among Racially Minoritized Patients Initiating Treatment"

CESAR, together w/the UMB Medical School and Henry  Ford Health System, have received over $6 Million in grants from NIH/NIDA. The two studies look at 1) peer-delivered SUD programs; and 2) depression as a common co-existing condition for people w/SUD. cesar.umd.edu/feature/cesar-…

Should drug use self-reports be the only measure of drug exposure in clinical trials? Study revealed using self-reports alone led to different results than urinalysis. Trials should use both self-reports & toxicologic tests to measure drug use or exposure. tandfonline.com/eprint/YDVDQC7…

CESAR’s Maryland EDDS project featured on WBAL-TV. Three members of the EDDS team--Dr. Eric Wish, Erin Artigiani & Amy Billing--talk about detailed drug testing, state drug use trends & the value of urinalysis in understanding what a user was exposed to. wbaltv.com/article/urine-…

The Equal Dose podcast interviews CESAR’s Dr. Eric Wish and Erin Artigiani on the EDDS analyses of data from participating hospital EDs, what is learned, use by public health, and how the results can impact public policy. (Beg 25:10) youtube.com/watch?v=5mDNyE…

#GivingDayUMD is nearly here. On March 5th you can make a difference in CESAR’s research addressing the behavioral health problems of substance use disorders (SUD), and informing policymakers, practitioners, and the general public about SUD. givingday.umd.edu/campaigns/cesa…

It is #GIVINGDAYUMD, a 24-hour fundraising event with a simple goal: engage our community to raise critical funding. CESAR’s action oriented projects--drug monitoring, recovery-to-work & peer support--are all grant-supported. See how you can contribute: givingday.umd.edu/campaigns/cesa…

EDDS dashboards for 27 hospitals updated thru 12/24, including trends in positive drug screens & polysubstance exposure. For example, 3 of 4 Scripps hospitals show fentanyl at or near series lows. data.cesaresearch.org/edds/

The Equal Dose podcast interviews Dr. Sarah Kattakuzhy & Dwayne Dean about their work in rural Maryland, from patient-engaged research on polysubstance use, to the ways peers support people in recovery amid the particular challenges of rural locations. youtube.com/watch?v=6rEpc-…

How do you get effective help to people with mental health and substance use problems? Globally and locally, you take it to the community level with peers--people who have been there, done that, and are trained & certified to support people along the way. usatoday.com/story/life/hea…