Four Washington, DC attorneys have been selected to speak or moderate at the Rx Drug Abuse & Heroin Summit in Nashville next month.
Stacey Worthy, JD will join two nationally renowned addiction physicians in presenting, “Duking It Out Over Electronic Data-Sharing: Law, Ethics, and Best Practices in Addiction Medicine” on Monday, April 13:
Privacy regulations under 42 CFR Part 2 are intended to mitigate stigma, reduce discrimination, and encourage individuals to seek treatment for substance use disorders (SUDs). There is current debate over whether, in the era of electronic health records, Part 2’s protections are overly-broad, prevent care coordination, and result in inappropriate prescribing of controlled substances. In response, federal policymakers have begun taking action to loosen Part 2 protections and clarify ambiguities.
Ms. Worthy will provide an overview of health privacy laws, regulations, and recently proposed rules and legislation. H. Westley Clark, M.D., M.P.H., J.D. will provide arguments in support of the current regime and describe best practices involving privacy protections. Andrea Grubb Barthwell, M.D., DFASAM will provide arguments in support of a new regime that allows for greater data sharing among providers.
Shruti Kulkarni, JD will speak during the session entitled, “Innovative Treatments in Jails: What Correctional Administrators, Health Care Providers, and Advocates Need to Know” on Monday, April 13:
Two-thirds of individuals in jail meet the criteria for substance dependence or use. Nevertheless, correctional facilities have traditionally not been resourced adequately to provide SUD treatment, including medication when appropriate. Since 2018, numerous court cases have been filed that have helped draw attention to SUD treatment for incarcerated individuals at the national, state, and local levels.
Ms. Kulkarni will join John W. Thompson, M.D., Chair and Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Tulane University School of Medicine, and Sheriff Craig Apple of Albany County, New York in discussing timely medical, legal, and operational developments for SUD treatment in correctional settings.
Daniel McClughen, JD will co-present the session entitled, “Driving Change: Use of Mobile Medical Services and Technology to Improve Addiction Treatment Capacity” on Tuesday, April 14:
The use of mobile treatment resources and technology, such as telehealth, treatment vans, mobile apps, and screening kiosks, has the potential to positively impact the nation’s drug overdose crisis. Yet, there are many medical, legal, and practical issues that must be considered when implementing such resources in addiction treatment settings.
Mr. McClughen will explain how health care programs and clinicians can deploy mobile resources and technology in an evolving legal environment. He will co-present with Eric Weintraub, M.D., who will discuss his experience implementing a telemedicine program and mobile treatment unit (MTU) to deliver medication-based treatments to patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Dr. Weintraub will also share outcomes data and provide recommendations for implementing successful telemedicine and MTU programs. Michael Barnes, JD, a member of the Rx Summit advisory board since the conference’s inception, will moderate this session.
Mr. Barnes will also moderate two additional Rx Summit sessions:
– Stigma as a Barrier to Treatment and Recovery: Developing a Targeted Response, Wednesday, April 15
– OUD and the Americans with Disabilities Act: Eliminating Discriminatory Barriers to Treatment and Recovery, Wednesday, April 15