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Okla. medical professionals address state’s opioid crisis head-on amid pandemic

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Posted at 2:23 PM, Sep 07, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-08 11:24:53-04

TULSA, Okla. — Local and regional medical professionals are hoping to address the state’s opioid crisis head-on. Oklahoma State University’s National Center for Wellness and Recovery is hosting a virtual Addiction Medicine Conference starting Tuesday Sept. 8th through Sept. 13th.

This year’s discussion will focus on a variety of topics including: Addiction in Native America, Addiction and the Law, and Addiction Medicine.

The highlight of the conference will be on the state of addiction with a panel discussion on Thursday.

Dr. Jason Beaman D.O., conference panel member and Dept. Chair of Oklahoma State University’s Dept. of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences said the pandemic has exacerbated the opioid crisis.

“Once we find our way out of the current pandemic, we’re going to have to pick up on mental health and addiction because our problems there are going to be much worse,” Dr. Beaman said.

The goal of the event is to bring awareness to medical experts and help them find better ways to treat and mitigate addiction. “We want our physicians to be equipped with the tools that they need around the state to be able to recognize and treat any addictive problems that they may come across in their practice,” Dr. Beaman said.

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, you can find out more information by calling 1-800-662-HELP. You can also find more information by visiting the national Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration website.

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