The New IEOCC Methamphetamine Pilot Workgroup is Underway
The last few weeks have seen the first two meetings of the new Methamphetamine Pilot Workgroup at the IEOCC.
Dr. Edward Pillar of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center, Dr. Louis Tran of Arrowhead Regional Medical Center and Dr. Jonathan Avalos of San Bernardino County Behavioral Health lead this workgroup. The group has agreed to focus on best practices in methamphetamine treatment medications and behavioral health interventions for the next six months. After the pilot phase, the workgroup may continue or be integrated into an existing workgroup.
In its first two meetings, the workgroup has set goals for moving forward for best practices and outreach. The workgroup plans to establish one to two medication-assisted treatment (MAT) modalities for methamphetamine to study (likely mirtazapine and Vyvans) and share information and best practices to refine treatment.
Participating in this group are clinicians, behavioral health specialists, substance use navigators, and public health department outreach staff from Riverside and San Bernardino Counties.
This new methamphetamine-focused workgroup reflects a thoughtful shift on the part of the IEOCC Steering Committee in late 2020. The transition to expanding the IEOCC’s charter to address other substances was no small decision to make for a coalition focused solely on the opioid crisis for over five years. However, recent data clearly show that the use of amphetamines exceeds the use of opioids in both Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Since these substances are often used together, according to IEOCC workgroup physicians and substance use navigators (SUNs), it was a natural and necessary next step for the IEOCC to adopt a new stimulant-focused workgroup.
This shift the IEOCC has made reflects a statewide trend of broadening the scope of the substance use crisis from a focus on just opioids to a broader focus on overdoses. The former California Opioid Safety Network (the Center for Health Leadership and Practice/Public Health Institute-led network of county safe prescribing coalitions of which IEOCC is a member) officially changed its name to the California Overdose Prevention Network in September 2020.
The Methamphetamine Pilot Workgroup plans to incorporate input from clinicians, SUNs and patients to inform their research to ensure that its efforts in outreach and education are well-received. The workgroup also has set the goal to develop a deeper understanding of the recovery community, acknowledging that medication is only one part of a mosaic of support that individuals of recovery need to be successful.
The Methamphetamine Pilot Workgroup will continue to meet through September, at which point the Steering Committee will evaluate next steps for the workgroup's evolution/continuation. We are grateful to Dr. Avalos, Dr. Pillar, and Dr. Tran for their presence and leadership as the IEOCC organization continues to grow its impact and prevent overdoses.