U.S. flag

An official website of the Department of Health & Human Services

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 105

3 Things to Know About Substance Use and Suicide Mortality

The article explains that substance use and suicide deaths have risen nearly 40% over the past decade, became the third leading cause of death in the United States in 2024, and remain a major concern as many people still face barriers to accessing mental health and substance use treatment.
Format
Report/Paper/Issue Brief
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
KFF
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Access to Naloxone Can Save a Life During an Opioid Overdose

This FDA consumer update explains how naloxone can quickly reverse an opioid overdose, describes the signs of overdose, and encourages broad access to naloxone as a safe, lifesaving tool for people at risk and those who may witness an overdose.
Format
Web Page
Audience
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Source
U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
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

Opioid Overdose Prevention Toolkit (PDF - 808 KB)

Describes opioid overdose reversal medications in some detail, including a comparison of available formulations (Table 1, page 6), ending with information directed at a variety of audiences.

Format
Toolkit
Audience
Behavioral Health Providers
Communities
Medical Providers
Policymakers and Payers
Source
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration
Year
Resource Type
PDF

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)

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

Tracking Medicaid-Covered Prescription Fills for Medications That Treat Opioid Use Disorder | Urban Institute

This Urban Institute data tool tracks national and state Medicaid prescription fills for buprenorphine, naltrexone, and naloxone to measure how access to medications for opioid use disorder and overdose prevention is changing over time and to inform policy and treatment efforts.
Format
Web Page
Audience
States
Policymakers and Payers
Medical Providers
Source
Urban Institute
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Behind the Numbers: Making Sense of Trends in the Drug Supply and Overdose Rates

This webinar recording explores why novel psychoactive substances and new markets have emerged in recent years and breaks down recent overdose data trends and gaps.
Format
Webinar/Video
Audience
States
Policymakers and Payers
Medical Providers
Behavioral Health Providers
Communities
Source
Overdose Prevention Network
Year
Resource Type
Web Page

Evolving Overdose Response (PDF - 1771 KB)

These webinar slideshelp programs update their overdose response protocols when sedatives are in their local drug supply. Contents include xylazine basics, responding to an overdose with sedatives on board, different forms of naloxone, compassionate comebacks, and other tools programs may consider when responding to overdoses.
Format
Other
Audience
Communities
States
First Responders
Families
Source
Thomas Jefferson University
Year
Resource Type
PDF