Opioid Addiction in Women Task Force

Educational programs (existing and in development) for healthcare providers address:

• Risks of opioid addiction in women, including from prescription medications,
• Sex differences in pain experience and opioid response that could lead to addiction
• Differences in care between women and men who have similar conditions associated with pain (e.g.,  orthopedic procedures)
• Possible solutions such as
  • Using non-opioid alternatives to manage pain
  • Focusing on improving patient function rather than pain scores
  • Offering LARCs to reproductive age women who use opioids chronically, including those undergoing medication-assisted treatment, at the time of accessing the healthcare system (with Medicaid coverage)
  • Identifying and preventing neonatal abstinence (withdrawal) syndrome
• Need for training of broader range of healthcare professionals who care for women in medication assisted treatment

Educational programs (existing and in development) for the public address:

• Administration of Naloxone
• Use of non-opioid alternatives (medications, physical therapy, acupuncture, and other non- pharmacological alternatives) for management of pain for patients with or without opioid addiction
• Education of women of reproductive age and pregnant women about contraception options, opioid addiction and risks to the fetus, including neonatal abstinence syndrome

PowerPoint Materials

• Post-Operative Pain: The role of patient expectations, pre-operative counseling, and non-opioid treatment options
• Pain and Pain Management in Women- Impact of sex and gender
• Sex Differences in Pain and Opioid Addiction

Events / News

• AMWA’s Opioid Task Force Acknowledges World Hepatitis Day