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New in the PATHS Toolkit: Workbook on OUD and Pregnancy
The Prenatal Action for Taking Healthy Steps (PATHS) toolkit, developed out of protocol CTN-0080-A3 (led by the Ohio Valley Node), offers evidence-based educational resources about the use of medication to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) during and after pregnancy. Toolkit materials include flyers, info sheets, posters, an education video, social media images and short videos (“Reels”) for download and sharing, and a discussion guide that can be used to direct conversations about MOUD in pregnant/postpartum people either in a group or individual settings, as well as a set of external links and resources that can be helpful to the public. Materials are available in Spanish, as well as a version culturally adapted for American Indian/Alaska Native communities. New Workbook for Pregnant People The toolkit now also features a downloadable workbook: Steps to Set You and Your Baby on the PATH to Success. This 14-page workbook aims to help pregnant people learn more about managing opioid use disorder during pregnancy to ensure they and their baby are healthy. It includes information, activities to test their knowledge and help them think through their feelings and beliefs, and a resource list for learning more. The new workbook is also available in Spanish and a culturally-adapted version for AI/AN communities. Check out the PATHS Toolkit and new Workbook here!
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News from the Pacific Northwest Node: Low-Dose Ketamine Reduces Fentanyl Withdrawal Symptoms
A new Addiction Science and Clinical Practice paper co-authored by Pacific Northwest Node researchers Crystal Smith and Cindy Grande describes a new, reliable strategy that allows fentanyl users to start treatment without prolonged suffering: low-dose ketamine. Fentanyl continues to cause the majority of drug overdoses in the U.S. Buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder (OUD), is effective and saves lives, but people often avoid it for fear of painful opioid withdrawal symptoms that can occur when starting the medication. The paper, published in early February, reports on a (non-CTN) study that found an extremely low intramuscular dose of ketamine before starting patients on buprenorphine led to a rapid and significant reduction of withdrawal symptoms in nearly all patients using fentanyl — with no side effects. Most patients could then immediately start buprenorphine without a return of withdrawal symptoms. In emergency departments, a high dose of ketamine, causing intense drowsiness, has been shown to reverse withdrawal symptoms after starting buprenorphine. This study was the first to find that an undetectably low dose of ketamine could both relieve fentanyl withdrawal and prevent renewed symptoms after starting buprenorphine. Read the paper, published in Addiction Science and Clinical Practice Posted on March 3, 2026
