69 Initiation of an Emergency Department Buprenorphine Induction and Medication-Assisted Treatment Referral Program in the COVID-19 Pandemic

Document Type

Conference Proceeding

Publication Date

10-1-2021

Publication Title

Ann Emerg Med

Keywords

buprenorphine, opiate, adult, conference abstract, controlled study, coronavirus disease 2019, drug therapy, drug withdrawal, electronic medical record, emergency ward, female, hospital patient, human, major clinical study, male, medical record review, outpatient, pandemic, patient referral, retrospective study

Abstract

Study Objective: The prevalence of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) has been rising in the United States. Buprenorphine induction for OUD in the emergency department (ED) setting has been shown to be a safe and effective treatment. The COVID-19 pandemic has strained the limited outpatient resources and access to care for patients with OUD. We report 1-year results on implementation of an electronic medical record (EMR) based Screen, Brief Intervention and Referral to Treatment (SBIRT) program with ED-based peer recovery coaches to assist with warm handoffs to treatment. Methods: This was a single-center, retrospective chart review in an urban academic ED from March 2020 through April 2021. The EMR was reviewed and ED visits in which a patient was administered a dose of buprenorphine were identified. ED visits in which patients received a dose of buprenorphine were further reviewed to determine whether the medication was for buprenorphine induction or a continuation of home medication and whether a warm handoff to a treatment program was provided. Results: We identified 148 ED visits in which a patient was administered a dose of buprenorphine in the ED over the 13-month study period. Of those visits, 78 patients (55%) were determined to have received a dose of buprenorphine for induction of Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) of OUD. All 78 were linked to a treatment program with a warm handoff. Of those 78 patients, 51 (65%) were referred to outpatient programs and 27 (35%) were referred to inpatient programs. Conclusion: The implementation of our buprenorphine induction and medication-assisted treatment program coincided with the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the program successfully initiated treatment of OUD in opioid withdrawal with linkage to treatment facilities.

PubMed ID

Not assigned

Volume

78

Issue

1097-6760, 0196-0644

First Page

S28

Last Page

S29

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