Maryland’s Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Spring 2019 - 10

UMMC
SPOTLIGHT:

FIGHTING THE
OPIOID EPIDEMIC

J

HOW UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND MEDICAL CENTER IS BATTLING
MARYLAND'S DEADLY PUBLIC HEALTH CRISIS
ane Smith,* 39,

LOOKING INWARD

struggled with opioid

For many people, addiction

addiction after being

begins in the doctor's office.

prescribed Percocet for

UMMC's Opioid Stewardship

chronic pain that arose after

Task Force was established

major surgery.

in 2017 with this in mind.

"My prescription made

One of the task force's top

me feel better emotionally,"

priorities is to educate physi-

Smith says. "I felt that I wasn't

cians on how to responsibly

doing drugs because I wasn't

prescribe opiates.

touching the street stuff. It

"We produce a monthly

was just the medication that

report that shows providers

the doctors gave me."

what medications they're

Over time, Smith needed

prescribing. If someone

more Percocet to function

utilizes opiates more than

normally. "If I didn't have four

their colleagues, we address

to six Percocet every four

their prescribing practices

hours, I'd feel so sick that I

and work to cut down on

couldn't get out of bed," she

their opiate prescribing,"

says. As a mother of seven,

says Christopher J. Welsh,

Smith needed to be able to

MD, associate professor of

take care of her kids-even if it

psychiatry at the University of

meant taking more Percocet.

Maryland School of Medicine

After building up a toler-

she enrolled in a program

Smith's story is familiar to

(UM SOM) and medical direc-

ance to her prescription,

at the Center for Addiction

many Marylanders. The opioid

tor of Outpatient Addiction

she began buying opioids

Medicine (UM CAM) at

crisis touches every part of the

Treatment Services. "We're

off the street and was even-

the University of Maryland

state. Harford County saw a

increasing our training of all

tually arrested and incar-

Medical Center (UMMC)

173 percent increase in opioid-

clinicians across the board,"

cerated. "My children were

Midtown Campus. She cur-

related deaths from 2013 to

he says. To bolster this effort,

separated. My marriage

rently takes buprenorphine,

2017, and Baltimore City saw

the task force has streamlined

suffered. I lost my house.

a medication that blocks

a 69 percent increase. Similar

processes so doctors can

I lost everything," she says.

opioid cravings, and

statistics are found in counties

better understand patients'

attends counseling.

across Maryland. Opioid over-

opioid histories.

While incarcerated, Smith
committed herself to enter-

"I'm finally going back to

dose is among the state's

The task force has also

ing treatment for her addic-

the person that I used to be,"

top four causes of death.

created processes within

tion disease. When she was

Smith says. She has been in

UMMC has taken many

released from incarceration

recovery since entering UM

steps to combat Maryland's

(ED) at both campuses

and returned to her family,

CAM's program in 2017.

opioid epidemic.

to address opioid abuse.

10

 MARYLAND'S HEALTH MATTERS

the emergency department

*Not her real name.
Maryland’s Health Matters - Upper Chesapeake - Spring 2019

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