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Alcohol and Drug Use

Guidelines for Overdose Prevention Centers

The Health Department has released guidelines for operating overdose prevention center (OPC) services in NYC. These standards promote high quality services that are responsive to community needs. The Health Department encourages entities providing or seeking to provide OPC services to review and comply with the guidelines.


Screening, Brief Intervention, and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT)

SBIRT (Screening, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment) can be used to identify, and reduce unhealthy alcohol use in a variety of healthcare settings.

Modified Simple Screening Instrument for Substance Abuse (MSSI-SA)

The Modified Simple Screening Instrument for Substance Abuse (MSSI-SA) can be used to screen for alcohol and drug dependence, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines. You can view the screening tool below.

Reducing Substance Use Stigma

These videos support providers to enhance their understanding of how stigma impacts healthcare for people with opioid use disorder and include strategies for best practices to reduce stigma and improve health outcomes for patients.

Opioid Prescribing

Health care providers can play a central role in reversing the epidemic of opioid analgesic misuse and overdose deaths. Find resources for safe and judicious prescribing.

Overdose Prevention

In 2017, there were 1,487 unintentional drug overdose deaths in New York City. Learn what you can do to prevent overdoses.

Overdose Prevention in Pharmacies

Under a citywide non-patient specific prescription, pharmacists can dispense naloxone to individuals at risk of opioid overdose and their concerned family members and friends. Learn more about the overdose prevention initiative in pharmacies.

Find participating pharmacies by searching the NYC Health Map.

NYC Health Map

Care of Non-Fatal Overdose in Emergency Departments

The NYC Department of Health has guidance for how providers at NYC emergency departments should care for patients following a non-fatal overdose.

Treating Opioid Use Disorder

Opioid use disorder (addiction) is a treatable health condition. Learn more about treating opioid use disorder.

The Health Department's Buprenorphine Training and Technical Assistance Initiative provides free buprenorphine waiver training and technical assistance for physicians, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants practicing in NYC. Buprenorphine is an effective medication for treatment of opioid use disorders, and it can be prescribed in office-based primary care settings.

Physicians are required to complete an eight-hour training in order to apply for a waiver; nurse practitioners and physician assistants must take 24 hours of training (inclusive of the eight-hour training) in order to apply. This course fulfills the eight-hour training requirement. The half-and-half format will include approximately four hours of online training due prior to approximately four hours of in-person training. For more information, including dates of upcoming trainings, email buprenorphine@health.nyc.gov.

Online Training Modules

Treating Patients with Chronic Pain and Optimizing Provider Use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs

This e-learning series offers guidance for healthcare providers treating patients who are on or in need of opioid therapy. The modules present best practices for pain assessment, treatment planning, medication management and caring for patients with co-occurring health conditions, with a focus on utilizing Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs in clinical care.

  1. Optimizing Provider Use of Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
  2. Patient Assessment and Pain Management
  3. Pain Management for Patients with Complex Co-occurring Conditions
  4. Managing Pain in Special Populations
  5. Medication Management: Opioid Tapering and Reducing Polypharmacy

Opioid Crisis Response Online Trainings

This e-learning series offers local health departments and community partners guidance and resources on evidence-informed public health responses to the opioid crisis using a harm reduction approach.

  1. Local Health Departments and Public Health Emergencies
  2. Mortality Surveillance and Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs
  3. Lower-Threshold Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder
  4. Syndromic Surveillance and Rapid Assessment and Response
  5. Recovery-Oriented Systems of Care and Peer-Delivered Services
  6. Addressing Substance Use Stigma
  7. A Systematic Approach to Public Health Communications

Provider Guides

City Health Information

Additional Resources

COVID-19 Resources