Non-medical Opioid Use and Opioid Use Disorder in Adolescents

Sharon Levy, MD, MPH

Director, Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program
Associate Professor in Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School

The most common focus when people discuss substance use is the impact it has on infants and adults, despite evidence of the impact adolescent substance use has on adults, and the increasing number of adolescents who meet diagnostic criteria for a substance use disorder. This presentation will focus on the neurobiological effects of opioid use in adolescents, as well as primary prevention, secondary prevention and treatment options. The presentation was recorded at Effective Pediatric Pain Management and End of Life Care 2021, on March 6, 2021.

Objectives: 

At the conclusion of this educational program, learners will be able to:

1. Explain what part of the brain develops during adolescence and how that relates to substance use.
2. Describe how to screen for and intervene with teens that report non- medical opioid use.
3. Discuss the importance of medication assisted treatment for opioid use disorders.

In support of improving patient care, Boston Children’s Hospital is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.

Physician

Boston Children’s Hospital designates this live activity for a maximum of 0.5 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits ™. Physicians should claim only credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in this activity.

Risk Management

This activity meets the requirements for 0.5 Risk Management Credits as proscribed by the Massachusetts Board of Registration in Medicine and defined in 243 CMR 2.06(5)(d) I. Please check your individual state licensing board requirements before claiming these credits.

Nurse

Boston Children’s Hospital designates this activity for 0.5 contact hours for nurses. Nurses should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity. 

Physician Assistant

Boston Children’s Hospital has been authorized by the American Academy of PAs (AAPA) to award AAPA Category 1 CME credits for activities planned in accordance with AAPA CME Criteria. This activity is designated for 0.5 AAPA Category 1 CME credits. PAs should only claim credit commensurate with the extent of their participation.

Disclosure Policy

Boston Children’s Hospital adheres to all ACCME Essential Areas, Standards, and Policies. It is Boston Children’s policy that those who have influenced the content of a CE activity (e.g. planners, faculty, authors, reviewers and others) disclose all relevant financial relationships with commercial entities so that Boston Children’s may identify and resolve any conflicts of interest prior to the activity. These disclosures will be provided in the activity materials along with disclosure of any commercial support received for the activity. Additionally, faculty members have been instructed to disclose any limitations of data and unlabeled or investigational uses of products during their presentations.

Disclosure Statement

The following planners, speakers, and content reviewers, on behalf of themselves, have reported the following relevant financial relationships with any entity producing, marketing, reselling, or distributing health care goods or services consumed by, or used on patients: 

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