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LEE RADOSH, MD, FAAFP, FASAM, Chief, Section of Addiction Medicine, Reading Hospital, Reading, PA

FUNDED CONTENT BY WILEY


This educational activity is supported by an independent medical educational grant from Indivior.


This grant-funded resource is made available by the AAFP to provide convenient access to information that may be of interest. It should not be considered an AAFP endorsement or recommendation of the grantor’s products, services, policies, or procedures. Journal editors were not involved in the development of this content.


CME Bulletin - November 2025


Am Fam Physician. 2025;112(5):512A-512D

Medical writing support was provided by Dr M James.

Disclaimer: The faculty member involved in this activity has not received any financial support, honorarium, or funding in relation to their participation

CME Quiz available at https://health.learning.wiley.com/courses/cme-bulletin-opioid-overdose. 1.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and AAFP Prescribing Credit

Introduction to and Epidemiology of the Opioid Crisis

Opioid overdose remains a critical public health issue in the United States and has gone through many phases over the past several decades. Initially fueled by overprescription of opioid pain relievers in the late 1990s, the crisis transitioned to heroin use (second phase). Although overdose mortality from heroin and prescription opioids has plateaued and even decreased (CDC), in 2021, synthetic opioids, especially fentanyl (third phase), were involved in more than 80 percent of opioid overdose deaths.1 Recently, deaths from the combined use of synthetic opioids and stimulants (fourth phase) has sharply risen.2

Learning Objectives

  • Increase knowledge in recognizing the signs and symptoms of opioid overdose, particularly those associated with synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, to enhance early intervention and improve patient outcomes.

  • Demonstrate competence in transitioning from acute overdose management to long-term opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment using FDA-approved medications, including new pharmacological approaches such as extended-release injectable partial opioid receptor agonists/antagonists.

  • Increase competence and confidence in addressing barriers to effective opioid overdose response and treatment, such as stigma and limited access to care, by integrating harm reduction strategies and collaborating with community-based programs.

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