Implementation of Academic Detailing for Pharmacists on Opioid Use Disorder and Harm Reduction

Author(s):  
Bethany A. DiPaula ◽  
Catherine E. Cooke ◽  
Cynthia J. Boyle ◽  
Raymond C. Love
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Noa Krawczyk ◽  
Adetayo Fawole ◽  
Jenny Yang ◽  
Babak Tofighi

Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a significant toll on the lives of people who use opioids (PWUOs). At the same time, more flexible regulations around provision of opioid use disorder (OUD) services have led to new opportunities for facilitating access to services for PWUOs. In the current scoping review, we describe new services and service modifications implemented by treatment and harm reduction programs serving PWUO, and discuss implications for policy and practice. Methods Literature searches were conducted within PubMed, LitCovid, Embase, and PsycInfo for English-language studies published in 2020 that describe a particular program, service, or intervention aimed at facilitating access to OUD treatment and/or harm reduction services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Abstracts were independently screened by two reviewers. Relevant studies were reviewed in full and those that met inclusion criteria underwent final data extraction and synthesis (n = 25). We used a narrative synthesis approach to identify major themes around key service modifications and innovations implemented across programs serving PWUO. Results Reviewed OUD treatment and harm reduction services spanned five continents and a range of settings from substance use treatment to street outreach programs. Innovative service modifications to adapt to COVID-19 circumstances primarily involved expanded use of telehealth services (e.g., telemedicine visits for buprenorphine, virtual individual or group therapy sessions, provision of donated or publicly available phones), increased take-home medication allowances for methadone and buprenorphine, expanded uptake of long-acting opioid medications (e.g. extended-release buprenorphine and naltrexone), home delivery of services (e.g. MOUD, naloxone and urine drug screening), outreach and makeshift services for delivering MOUD and naloxone, and provision of a safe supply of opioids. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic has posed multiple challenges for PWUOs, while simultaneously accelerating innovations in policies, care models, and technologies to lower thresholds for life-saving treatment and harm reduction services. Such innovations highlight novel patient-centered and feasible approaches to mitigating OUD related harms. Further studies are needed to assess the long-term impact of these approaches and inform policies that improve access to care for PWUOs.


Author(s):  
Sonal Batra ◽  
Noah Villegas ◽  
Erin Zerbo

Harm reduction is defined as a set of policies, programs, and practices aimed at reducing the negative health, social, and economic consequences associated with various behaviors. Although classically applied to the treatment of substance use disorders, its scope has broadened over time to include high-risk sexual activity, nonadherence to treatment, and other behaviors that may lead to negative consequences. In addition to providing relevant historical context for scenarios encountered, this chapter uses a case to demonstrate how a provider might take a nonjudgmental and humanistic approach to identifying maladaptive behaviors and apply evidence-based, realistic interventions to reduce associated harms. Specific topics discussed include opioid use disorder, tobacco use disorder, female sex work, and nonadherence to psychotropic medications.


CJEM ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (S1) ◽  
pp. S46-S46
Author(s):  
D. Webster ◽  
T. Meyer ◽  
C. Crain ◽  
J. Fraser ◽  
P. Atkinson

Introduction: Buprenorphine/naloxone (buprenorphine) has proven to be a life-saving intervention amidst the ongoing opioid epidemic in Canada. Research has shown benefits to initiating buprenorphine from the emergency department (ED) including improved treatment retention, systemic health care savings and fewer drug-related visits to the ED. Despite this, there has been little to no uptake of this evidence-based practice in our department. This qualitative study aimed to determine the local barriers and potential solutions to initiating buprenorphine in the ED and gain an understanding of physician attitudes and behaviours regarding harm reduction care and opioid use disorder management. Methods: ED physicians at a midsize Atlantic hospital were recruited by convenience sampling to participate in semi-structured privately conducted interviews. Audio recordings were transcribed verbatim and de-identified transcripts were uploaded to NVivo 12 plus for concept driven and inductive coding and a hierarchy of open, axial and selective coding was employed. Transcripts were independently reviewed by a local qualitative research expert and themes were compared for similarity to limit bias. Interview saturation was reached after 7 interviews. Results: Emergent themes included a narrow scope of harm reduction care that primarily focused on abstinence-based therapies and a multitude of biases including feelings of deception, fear of diversion, feeling buprenorphine induction was too time consuming for the ED and differentiating patients with opioid use disorder from ‘medically ill’ patients. Several barriers and proposed solutions to initiating buprenorphine from the ED were elicited including lack of training and need for formal education, poor familiarity with buprenorphine, the need for an algorithm and community bridge program and formal supports such as an addictions consult team for the ED. Conclusion: This study elicited several opportunities for improved care for patients with addictions presenting to our ED. Future education will focus on harm reduction care, specifically strategies for managing patients desiring to continue to use substances. Education will focus on addressing the multitude of biases elicited and dispelling common myths. A locally informed buprenorphine pathway will be developed. In future, this study may be used to advocate for improved formal supports for our department including an addictions consult team.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mary M. Tate ◽  
Daniel J. Bromberg ◽  
Kamiar Alaei ◽  
Saifuddin Karimov ◽  
Dilshod Saidi ◽  
...  

Abstract Tajikistan is in a unique geopolitical location along the global heroin trade route, exacerbating its own opioid use disorder and HIV epidemics. With one of the highest rates of opioid use disorder in the world, and 20,000-30,000 people who inject drugs in the country, Tajikistan’s government and international actors have provided harm reduction measures for people who use drugs, like narcology centers, needle and syringe programs, and methadone maintenance therapy. No implementation science studies have been conducted in Tajikistan and the current implementation gaps in service uptake are unknown. The purpose of this paper is to determine the prevalence of harm reduction service uptake among people who use drugs in Tajikistan, and determine which factors are associated with service uptake. Methods This paper uses data from the National AIDS Registry, subset to patients who use drugs (n=11,029) and cross-sectional data from a bio-behavioral survey conducted in 2017 (n=2,390). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to assess associations between study variables and probably of uptake of narcology center registration, uptake of needle and syringe programs, and registration into methadone maintenance therapy. Results Fewer than half of all people who inject drugs (42.4%) were registered with the narcology center , most people who inject drugs (88.6%) reported always having access to clean syringes, and only 5.3% of PWID had ever engaged in methadone treatment in Tajikistan. There were ethnic differences in service uptake – with ethnic Russians and Uzbeks less likely to use services than ethnic Tajiks. Men who have sex with men and people living with HIV were also more likely to access services than heterosexual or seronegative individuals. Conclusion Narcology center registration and clean needle coverage are high in Tajikistan. Methadone maintenance therapy uptake, however, is low, like in other countries in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. NGO and government initiatives that target risk groups (like LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV) seem to have been somewhat effective at recruiting their clientele into services. Future research might focus on the “positive deviancy” of these subgroups of people who use drugs to learn how to increase service uptake generally.


2020 ◽  
pp. 104973232097123
Author(s):  
Barbara Andraka-Christou ◽  
Olivia Randall-Kosich ◽  
Rachel Totaram

Treatment preferences of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) have been underexplored, especially among those with a history of utilizing medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Therefore, we sought to understand preferred characteristics of substance use disorder treatment centers among people recovering from OUD with a history of MOUD utilization. We recruited 30 individuals from eight states through snowball sampling initiated at three syringe exchange programs. Telephone interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed in 2018–2019. Inductive thematic analysis in Dedoose software occurred iteratively with recruitment. The following were “ideal” treatment center themes: a menu of treatment options, including MOUD and nonspiritual peer support groups; an integrated system with multiple care levels (e.g., outpatient, residential); a harm reduction approach, including for goal setting and success measures; adjunctive support services (e.g., housing); and employees with recovery experience and professional education. Many preferences directly related to core principles of person-centered care and harm reduction.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (Supplement_2) ◽  
pp. S83-S83
Author(s):  
Elana S Rosenthal ◽  
Laura Nussdorf ◽  
Aaron D’Amore ◽  
Christopher Brokus ◽  
Rachel Silk ◽  
...  

Abstract Background People who inject drugs (PWID) have significant morbidity and mortality associated with hepatitis C (HCV); however, harms associated with ongoing injecting drug use (IDU)—such as opioid overdose—may pose a more imminent risk, and often are not addressed as part of HCV treatment. Naloxone distribution is a simple, evidenced-based strategy to reduce mortality associated with opioid overdose. Methods ANCHOR is a single-center study embedded in an urban harm-reduction program evaluating treatment of HCV in PWID with chronic HCV, opioid use disorder (OUD), and IDU. Participants received HCV treatment and were offered collocated buprenorphine. At each study visit, patients self-reported experienced and witnessed overdose and were offered naloxone. Results The 100 enrolled participants are predominantly male (75%), median 57 years, black (93%) and inject opioids at least daily (58%). At baseline, 65% had ever experienced overdose, 91% had ever witnessed an overdose, and 35% had ever administered naloxone. Between day 0 and week 48, 15 patients (15%) experienced overdose; of which, 4 (4%) were fatal. The rate of experienced overdose was 15 overdoses per 100 person-years. In addition, 59 (59%) patients witnessed at least one overdose between day 0 and week 48. Seventy-three patients were dispensed naloxone at least once, and of those who witnessed an overdose, 48 (81%) administered naloxone. Nineteen (40%) patients who administered naloxone had never used naloxone before starting HCV treatment. Conclusion PWID with HCV, OUD, and ongoing IDU have high rates of personal and witnessed overdose during and after HCV treatment. Dispensing naloxone at HCV-related visits is highly acceptable among PWID, and results in high rates of naloxone utilization. To reduce morbidity and mortality in patients and their communities, ID providers should complement treatment of infections by prescribing naloxone for patients with OUD, ideally as part of a comprehensive package of harm reduction and OUD treatment. Disclosures All Authors: No reported Disclosures.


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