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AHRQ: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality

Substance Use Tools & Resources   

Read the Guide

This collection of tools and resources is for providers, staff, and patients who offer or use services to address substance use, and other interested stakeholders. This collection was originally established following an environmental scan on implementing medication-assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) in rural primary care. (See PDFs of Volume 1 (PDF - 609 KB) and Volume 2 (PDF - 1.3 MB) of that scan). Items have been continuously added to this collection since then, and the collection has expanded to cover substance use more broadly, rather than just MAT for OUD.

Displaying 1 - 10 of 107

Drug Overdose Deaths in the United States, 2023–2024 (PDF - 616 KB KB)

This CDC data brief reports that U.S. age‑adjusted drug overdose death rates fell significantly from 2023 to 2024 across all demographic groups and drug categories, marking the largest annual decline in the past decade.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
Policymakers and Payers
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Year
Resource Type
PDF

Free Mind Campaign Partner Toolkit

The Free Mind campaign was created to raise awareness about the connection between youth substance use and mental health. The campaign toolkit provides resources and information on preventing substance misuse, educating youth on risks, and articulating the impact of mental and behavioral health issues.
Format
Toolkit
Audience
Children
Families
Communities
Patients
Source
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Medetomidine in the U.S. Illegal Fentanyl Supply Increasing Risk for Overdose and Severe Withdrawal Syndrome

This advisory warns that the veterinary sedative medetomidine is increasingly being found mixed with illicit fentanyl, leading to higher overdose risk and prolonged sedation unresponsive to naloxone, and urges clinicians and public health officials to enhance surveillance and preparedness.
Format
Advisory
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Patients
First Responders
States
Source
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

NDEWS Weekly Briefings

The website releases the weekly briefings that curate recent news, research, surveillance data, and emerging drug trends from the U.S.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Other Team Members
Policymakers and Payers
States
Source
National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Optimizing Opioid Overdose Response

This video series provides brief, practical guidance for clinicians on recognizing opioid overdose and implementing evidence‑based response strategies, including timely naloxone use and patient-centered follow‑up care.
Format
Webinar/Video
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Other Team Members
Source
American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Overdose Risk Assessment Tool: A Guide for Loved Ones and Allies (PDF - 595 KB KB)

This tool is a 15‑question self‑assessment designed to help people who use drugs (PWUD) identify factors that increase their risk of overdose and to support conversations with loved ones or allies about safety.
Format
Instrument/Protocol
Audience
Patients
Families
Communities
Source
National Council for Mental Wellbeing
Year
Resource Type
PDF

Sentinel Site Reports

This page provides monthly and archived Sentinel Site Reports from the National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS), summarizing local drug‑use trends, emerging substances, overdose patterns, and other surveillance findings from communities across the U.S.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Other Team Members
Policymakers and Payers
States
Communities
Source
National Drug Early Warning System (NDEWS)
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Xylazine Detection in Drug Supply (PDF - 267 KB KB)

This one‑pager explains what xylazine is, the risks it poses when found in the drug supply, and how to correctly use and interpret xylazine test strips to reduce overdose.
Format
Fact Sheet/Brochure
Audience
Medical Providers
Patients
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction
Year
Resource Type
PDF