Expert Faculty on Commissioning confirms speakers for ‘ EXCO ’, the first joint congress on excellence in commissioning for opioid use disorder
Excellence in Commissioning for Opioid Use Disorder Services • Manchester , 22 June 2018
COMMISSIONERS CALL FO TO OPIOID USE DISORDER
Expert Faculty on Commissioning confirms speakers for ‘ EXCO ’, the first joint congress on excellence in commissioning for opioid use disorder
THE EXPERT FACULTY ON COMMISSIONING will hold the first integrated meeting for commissioners and other experts focused on opioid use disorder ( OUD ) care . The event on 22 June 2018 is entitled ‘ Excellence in Commissioning for Opioid Use Disorder ’ and includes 75 experts from across England who will debate the future of addiction care for people with serious drug problems .
Senior experts including Rosanna O ’ Connor ( director of alcohol , drugs and tobacco , Public Health England ), Prof Rod Thomson ( director of public health , Shropshire ) and Mark Moody ( chief executive , Change , Grow , Live ) will lead the discussions in the meeting with commissioners responsible for designing and overseeing drug treatment services .
Terry Pearson , responsible for commissioning drug and alcohol services for Northamptonshire Country Council and joint lead for the Expert Faculty , commented : ‘ There is significant innovation in the treatment of opioid use disorder – commissioners must act to ensure that we make the most appropriate use of new treatments and technologies avoiding unnecessary delays .’
INSIGHTS
The ‘ new ’ Drug Strategy 2017 defines the goals and scope of OUD care in England and identifies the future challenge : ‘ Progress has been made in supporting people to recover from their dependence on drugs , but we need to go further .’ The 2017 ‘ Orange
Book ’ or Drug misuse and dependence UK guidelines , Public Health England ( PHE ) and the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs ( ACMD ) inform the debate on best practice in OUD care .
It is noted that ‘ despite successes with falling numbers of young people currently developing heroin dependence , the morbidity , mortality and
long-term needs of an ageing cohort of patients with long-term heroin dependence problems means that treatment is increasingly complex …’
The environment is not static – there is important change in progress and commission ers of drug treatment services must ensure the decisions they make reflect the new options innova tion can deliver . For example , depot forms of medication , which do not have the inherent risks of oral treatments , may be approved in England . Commissioners in each of the local authority public health departments can now work together in the expert faculty for the first time . This collabor ation will be key in the future ; I encourage all commissioners and others involved in decision-making for drug treat ment services to participate in the expert faculty .
Jayne Randall ( drugs and alcohol strategic commissioner , Shropshire )
Development in the last 20 years led to a treatment system for OUD that achieved important successes , saving many lives and avoiding public health crises .
Some now observe the approach to treatment today has remained unchanged for many years and there is a need for innovation to address some of the problems experienced by those using the treatment system .
Problems with treatment reported include that many people are not in care , and some in treatment face worsening health and find it hard to get optimal care . Others may still be using on top or be involved in diversion of medications . Treatment is still associated
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