Prescribing Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorders in the ED: A Review of Best Practices, Barriers, and Future Directions

A qualitative assessment of emergency physicians' experiences with robust emergency department buprenorphine bridge programs

OBJECTIVES

Emergency departments (EDs) are a critical point of entry into treatment for patients struggling with opioid use disorder (OUD). When initiated in the ED, buprenorphine is associated with increased addiction treatment engagement at 30 days when initiated. Despite this association, it has had slow adoption. The barriers to ED buprenorphine utilization are well documented; however, the benefits of prescribing buprenorphine for emergency physicians (EPs) have not been explored. This study utilized semistructured interviews to explore and understand how EPs perceive their experiences working in EDs that have successfully implemented ED bridge programs (EDBPs) for patients with OUD.

METHODS

Semistructured interviews were conducted with EPs from four geographically diverse academic hospitals with established EDBPs. Interviews were recorded and transcribed, and emergent themes were identified using codebook thematic analysis. Analysis credibility and transparency were confirmed with peer debriefing.

RESULTS

Twenty-two interviews were conducted across the four sites. Three key themes were constructed during the analyses: (1) provided EPs agency; (2) transformed EPs' emotions, attitudes, and behaviors related to treating patients with OUD; and (3) improved EPs' professional quality of life.

CONCLUSIONS

Participants in this study reported several common themes related to participation in their hospital's BP. Overall our results suggest that physicians who participate in EDBPs may feel a renewed sense of fulfillment and purpose in their personal and professional lives. These positive changes may lead to increased job satisfaction in hospitals that have successfully launched EDBP.

"If You Plant That Seed, It Will Grow": A Qualitative Study to Improve Linkage to Care among Patients with Methamphetamine Use Disorder in Emergency Department Settings

OBJECTIVES

Methamphetamine addiction is a serious and difficult-to-treat disorder. Existing treatment options are limited, and patient perspectives on effective strategies are lacking. Emergency departments (EDs) may be a critical entry point for individuals with methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) to be identified and linked to treatment. We aimed to understand patients' perspectives regarding their methamphetamine use and related ED experiences and how to improve linkage to substance treatment.

METHODS

Between July and November 2022, semistructured qualitative interviews were conducted with adult patients with MUD in an urban safety-net healthcare setting in Denver, Colorado. Interviews were recorded, summarized, and analyzed using the Rapid Assessment Process.

RESULTS

During the interviews, 18 patients shared their experiences. Participants described feeling stigmatized and experiencing a lack of communication from ED staff during their visit. Additionally, participants shared the perception that ED staff often did not take their health concerns seriously once substance use was identified. Participants were uncertain about overdose risk and felt that their psychiatric symptoms complicated treatment. Referrals to treatment were lacking, and participants supported a care navigation intervention that incorporates elements of contingency management. Participants also shared the importance of ED staff recognizing their social needs and being empathetic, trauma-informed, and flexible to meet patients where they are regardless of their readiness to seek treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Treatment options and entry points for individuals with MUD are currently limited. The patient perspectives described here are helpful in developing services to support, engage, and link individuals to MUD services after discharge from ED services.

Overview of best practices for buprenorphine initiation in the emergency department

In recent decades, opioid overdoses have increased dramatically in the United States and peer countries. Given this, emergency medicine physicians have become adept in reversing and managing complications of acute overdose. However, many remain unfamiliar with initiating medication for opioid use disorder such as buprenorphine, a high-affinity partial opioid agonist. Emergency department-based buprenorphine initiation is supported by a significant body of literature demonstrating a marked reduction in mortality in addition to increased engagement in care. Buprenorphine initiation is also safe, given both the pharmacologic properties of buprenorphine that reduce the risk of diversion or recreational use, and previously published literature demonstrating low rates of respiratory depression, sedation, and precipitated withdrawal. Further, barriers to emergency department-based initiation have been reduced in recent years, with publicly available dosing and up-titration schedules, numerous publications overviewing best practices for managing precipitated withdrawal, and removal of USA policies previously restricting patient access and provider prescribing, with the removal of the X-waiver via the Medication Access and Training Expansion Act. Despite reductions in barriers, buprenorphine initiation in the emergency room remains underutilized. Poor uptake has been attributed to numerous individual and systemic barriers, including inadequate education, provider stigma, and insufficient access to outpatient follow-up care. The following practice innovation aims to summarize previously published evidence-based best practices and provide an accessible, user-friendly initiation guide to increase emergency physician comfortability with buprenorphine initiation going forward.

Understanding Healthcare Providers' Care for Patients with Medications Treating Opioid Use Disorder in the Emergency Department: A Scoping Review

BACKGROUND

There is limited research exploring the changing clinical practices among healthcare providers (HPs) care for patients with Emergency Department (ED)-initiated Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD).

METHODS

This scoping review followed the methodological framework of Arksey and O'Malley to map relevant evidence and synthesize the findings. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, and Scopus for related studies from inception through October 12, 2022. Following the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, 16 studies were included. Subsequently, they were charted and analyzed thematically based on ecological systems theory.

RESULTS

The main determinants in the four ecological systems were generated as follows: (1) microsystem: willingness and attitude, professional competence, readiness, and preference; (2) mesosystem: ED clinical practices, departmental factors; (3) exosystem: multidisciplinary approaches, discharge planning, and (4) macrosystem: stigma, health insurance, policy. The findings have implications for HPs and researchers, as insufficient adoption, implementation, and retention of MOUD in the ED affect clinical practices.

CONCLUSIONS

Across the four ecological systems, ED-initiated MOUD is shaped by multifaceted determinants. The microsystem underscores pivotal patient-HP trust dynamics, while the mesosystem emphasizes interdepartmental synergies. Exosystemically, resource allocation and standardized training remain paramount. The macrosystem reveals profound effects of stigma, insurance disparities, and evolving policies on treatment access and efficacy. Addressing these interconnected barriers is crucial for optimizing patient outcomes in the context of MOUD.

Strategies to support substance use disorder care transitions from acute-care to community-based settings: a scoping review and typology

BACKGROUND

Acute-care interventions that identify patients with substance use disorders (SUDs), initiate treatment, and link patients to community-based services, have proliferated in recent years. Yet, much is unknown about the specific strategies being used to support continuity of care from emergency department (ED) or inpatient hospital settings to community-based SUD treatment. In this scoping review, we synthesize the existing literature on patient transition interventions, and form an initial typology of reported strategies.

METHODS

We searched Pubmed, Embase, CINAHL and PsychINFO for peer-reviewed articles published between 2000 and 2021 that studied interventions linking patients with SUD from ED or inpatient hospital settings to community-based SUD services. Eligible articles measured at least one post-discharge treatment outcome and included a description of the strategy used to promote linkage to community care. Detailed information was extracted on the components of the transition strategies and a thematic coding process was used to categorize strategies into a typology based on shared characteristics. Facilitators and barriers to transitions of care were synthesized using the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research.

RESULTS

Forty-five articles met inclusion criteria. 62% included ED interventions and 44% inpatient interventions. The majority focused on patients with opioid (71%) or alcohol (31%) use disorder. The transition strategies reported across studies were heterogeneous and often not well described. An initial typology of ten transition strategies, including five pre- and five post-discharge transition strategies is proposed. The most common strategy was scheduling an appointment with a community-based treatment provider prior to discharge. A range of facilitators and barriers were described, which can inform efforts to improve hospital-to-community transitions of care.

CONCLUSIONS

Strategies to support transitions from acute-care to community-based SUD services, although critical for ensuring continuity of care, vary greatly across interventions and are inconsistently measured and described. More research is needed to classify SUD care transition strategies, understand their components, and explore which lead to the best patient outcomes.

Inpatient Buprenorphine Induction for Opioid Use Disorder in Pregnancy

Objective Buprenorphine is a commonly used medication to manage opioid use disorder, however there is limited data to guide induction protocols specifically during pregnancy. Similar to non-pregnant patients the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS) is often used to guide induction and titration of buprenorphine in pregnancy. The objective of this retrospective descriptive study is to assess the inpatient buprenorphine induction patterns, treatment retention, and pregnancy outcomes among obstetric patients with opioid use disorder seeking treatment.  Study design This was a retrospective study of obstetric patients with opioid use disorder admitted for inpatient buprenorphine induction at a large academic center between May 2015 to 2020. A descriptive analysis of the cohort, induction patterns, and dose retention after discharge were evaluated in addition to obstetric and neonatal outcomes. Results Sixty patients were admitted for inpatient buprenorphine induction at a median gestational age of 16.7 weeks. The median COWS score on presentation was 9. The starting dose for half of the patients (30 out of 60 patients) was 8 mg of buprenorphine, while 24 patients were started at 4 mg. The median duration of hospitalization was three days (range 2-12). The median buprenorphine dose upon discharge was 10 mg (range 4-20). Only 13 of the 35 patients (37%) who desired prenatal care at our institution returned to receive routine prenatal care. Of the 12 (20%) patients who delivered at our institution, nine were live births (75%). Among the live births, the median gestational age at delivery was 37.4 weeks, birth weight 3085 grams, and only one (8%) developed neonatal abstinence syndrome. Conclusion When using the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale to guide inpatient buprenorphine titration for pregnant patients with opioid use disorder it takes approximately three days to establish a satisfactory maintenance dose with the median dose at discharge in this population being 10 mg. The majority of patients who followed up after hospital discharge did not need dose adjustments.

The impact of nursing on health outcomes of people receiving medication for opioid use disorder: An integrative review

INTRODUCTION

This integrative review aimed to understand the impact of nursing on the health outcomes of people with opioid use disorder (OUD).

METHODS

Whittemore and Knafl's (2005) integrative review methodology guided the review process. The authors searched PubMed, the Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), and OVID databases for peer-reviewed, English language articles describing nursing care for people receiving medications for OUD. The literature search followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses (PRISMA) guidelines.

RESULTS

A total of 773 articles were identified through the database searches after duplicates were removed; 15 articles met inclusion criteria and were included in the final review from the United States, Canada, Ireland, England, and the Netherlands. Two themes emerged: (1) The effect of nurse-led care on patient outcomes and (2) Nursing roles and the environment of care. Studies emphasized the aspects of nursing care that promote patient-centeredness and patient satisfaction.

CONCLUSIONS

The importance of the registered nurse in providing quality care for people receiving medications for OUD is clear from the literature reviewed. The studies in the review highlighted important aspects of the registered nurses' role in affecting outcomes for people receiving medications for OUD including communication and care coordination.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

This review highlights the need for role delineation and further development of nurse-sensitive indicators in the OUD treatment setting.

Follow-up after ED visits for opioid use disorder: Do they reduce future overdoses?

INTRODUCTION

Follow-up visits within 7 days of an emergency department (ED) visit related to opioid use disorder (OUD) is a key measure of treatment quality, but we know little about its protective effect on future opioid-related overdoses. The objective this paper is to examine the rate of 7-day follow-up after an OUD-related ED visit and the association with future overdoses.

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of Medicaid enrollees in 11 states that had an OUD-related ED visit from 2016 through 2018. Each state used Cox proportional hazard models to estimate the association between having a follow-up visit within 7 days of an OUD-related ED visit, and an overdose within 6 months of the ED visit. State analyses were pooled to generate global estimates using random effects meta-analysis.

RESULTS

Among 114,945 Medicaid enrollees with an OUD-related ED visit, 15.7% had a follow-up visit within 7 days. State-specific rates varied from 7.2% to 22.4% across the 11 states. Compared to those with no follow-up visit, enrollees with a follow-up visit were more likely to be female, non-Hispanic White, less likely to have had an overdose or other substance use disorder at the time of the ED visit, and much more likely to have been receiving MOUD treatment prior to the ED visit. Global estimates based on multivariate analysis showed that having a 7-day follow-up visit was associated with a lower likelihood of overdose within 6 months of the index ED visit (HR = 0.91, CI = 0.84, 0.99). However, states had considerable heterogeneity in this association, with only two states having statistically significant results.

CONCLUSIONS

Among Medicaid enrollees with OUD, having a follow-up visit 7 days after an ED visit is protective against fatal or nonfatal overdose within 6 months, although the association varies considerably across states. Although the association with future overdoses was relatively modest, both practitioners and policymakers should seek to increase the number of Medicaid enrollees with OUD who receive follow-up care within 7 days after an ED visit.

The Impact of a Peer-Navigator Program on Naloxone Distribution and Buprenorphine Utilization in the Emergency Department

Objectives: In recent years many emergency departments (EDs) have adopted interventions to help patients with opioid use disorder (OUD), particularly buprenorphine initiation and ED-based peer recovery support. There are limited data on the impact of peer navigators on provider naloxone kit distribution and buprenorphine utilization. We aimed to examine the impact of a peer recovery program on naloxone kit distribution and buprenorphine administration. Methods: This was a retrospective study analyzing the change in naloxone kits distributed as well as buprenorphine administrations. Data on naloxone kit and buprenorphine administrations was generated every month between November 2017 and February 2021. Time periods were as follows: implementation of guidelines for buprenorphine and naloxone kits, initiation of the navigator program, and first wave of COVID-19. Numbers of naloxone kits distributed and buprenorphine administrations per month were computed. Results: Between November 2017 and December 2020, there was a significant increase overtime among the 238 naloxone kits distributed (p < 0.0001). Between implementation of guidelines and introduction of peer navigators, there were 49 kits distributed, compared to an increase overtime among 235 kits when the navigator program began (p = 0.0001). There was also a significant increase overtime among 1797 administrations of buprenorphine (p < 0.0001). Administrations increased by 22.4% after implementation of the navigator program-a total of 787 compared to 643 post guideline (p = 0.007). Conclusion: Peer recovery support programs for patients with OUD can have an impact on administration of naloxone kits and buprenorphine. Future studies should determine whether these programs can cause a long-term culture change in the ED.

Barriers to Engagement in Opioid Use Disorder Treatment After Buprenorphine Induction

OBJECTIVES

Expanded access to buprenorphine induction, including via emergency departments, increases the likelihood of treatment engagement for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). However, longer-term retention among these patients remains a challenge. In this study, we aimed to identify barriers to engaging and retaining patients with OUD in care and additional services that might improve retention.

METHODS

We surveyed counselors at an urban safety net addictions treatment clinic.

RESULTS

Twenty-five of 27 (93%) eligible counselors responded. Counselors described patients who were homeless, had no prior treatment history, or lacked health insurance as hardest to retain in treatment. Housing assistance, residential treatment placement, regular access to a phone, and mental health services were thought to be most beneficial for improving retention. Respondents most often reported that screening for services should happen at intake, and almost all respondents agreed that "retention of patients receiving treatment for OUD would improve with a dedicated case manager and/or more coordinated case management services."

CONCLUSIONS

Engagement in OUD treatment would be improved with interventions to mitigate the significant social and psychiatric comorbidities of addiction. Community- and emergency department-initiated buprenorphine is a promising intervention whose full promise cannot be realized without interventions to improve treatment retention.

Thematic Analysis of Reddit Content About Buprenorphine-naloxone Using Manual Annotation and Natural Language Processing Techniques

BACKGROUND

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a major public health crisis for which buprenorphine-naloxone is an effective evidence-based treatment. Analysis of Reddit data yields detailed information about firsthand experiences with buprenorphine-naloxone that has the potential to inform treatment of OUD.

METHODS

We conducted a thematic analysis of posts about buprenorphine-naloxone from a Reddit forum in which Reddit users anonymously discuss topics related to opioid use. We used an application programming interface to retrieve posts about buprenorphine-naloxone, then applied natural language processing to generate meta-information and curate samples of salient posts. We manually categorized posts according to their content and conducted natural language processing-aided analysis of posts about buprenorphine tapering strategies, withdrawal symptoms, and adjunctive substances/behaviors useful in the tapering process.

RESULTS

A total of 16,146 posts from 1933 redditors were retrieved from the /r/suboxone subreddit. Thematic analysis of sample posts (N = 200) revealed descriptions of personal experiences (74%), nonpersonal accounts (24%), and other content (2%). Among redditors who reported tapering to termination (N = 40), 0.063 mg and 0.125 mg were the most common termination doses. Fatigue, gastrointestinal disturbance, and mood disturbance were the most frequent adverse effects, and loperamide and vitamins/dietary supplements the most frequently discussed adverse effects adjunctive substances/behaviors respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Discussions on Reddit are rich in information about buprenorphine-naloxone. Information derived from analysis of Reddit posts about buprenorphine-naloxone may not be available elsewhere and may help providers improve treatment of people with OUD through better understanding of the experiences of people who have used buprenorphine-naloxone.

Physician-Perceived Barriers to Treating Opioid Use Disorder in the Emergency Department

Objective We aimed to assess physicians' perceptions of barriers to starting medication-assisted treatment (MAT) in the Emergency Department (ED), views of the utility of MAT, and abilities to link patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) to MAT programs in their respective communities. Methods This was a cross-sectional survey study of American emergency medicine (EM) physicians with a self-administered online survey via SurveyMonkey (Survey Monkey, San Mateo, California). The survey was emailed to the Council of Residency Directors in Emergency Medicine (CORD) listserv and HCA Healthcare affiliated EM residency programs' listservs. Attendings and residents of all post-graduate years participated. Questions assessed perceptions of barriers to starting OUD patients on MAT, knowledge of the X-waiver, and knowledge of MAT details. Statistics were performed with JMP software (SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC) using the two-tailed Z-test for proportions. Results There were 98 responses, with 33% female, 55% resident physicians, and an overall 17% response rate. Residents were more eager to start OUD patients on MAT (71% vs 52%, p=0.04) than attendings but were less familiar with the X-waiver (38% vs 73%, p=0.001) or where community outpatient MAT facilities were (21% vs 43%, p=0.02). Conclusion Barriers in the ED were identified as a shortage of qualified prescribers, the lengthy X-waiver process, and the poor availability of outpatient MAT resources. EM residents showed more willingness to prescribe MAT but lacked a core understanding of the process. This shows an area of improvement for residency training as well as advocacy among attendings.

Facilitators of and barriers to buprenorphine initiation for people with opioid use disorder in the emergency department: protocol for a scoping review

INTRODUCTION

Buprenorphine-naloxone is recommended as a first-line agent for the treatment of opioid use disorder. Although initiation of buprenorphine in the emergency department (ED) is evidence based, barriers to implementation persist. A comprehensive review and critical analysis of both facilitators of and barriers to buprenorphine initiation in ED has yet to be published. Our objectives are (1) to map the implementation of buprenorphine induction pathway literature and synthesise what we know about buprenorphine pathways in EDs and (2) to identify gaps in this literature with respect to barriers and facilitators of implementation.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will conduct a scoping review to comprehensively search the literature, map the evidence and identify gaps in knowledge. The review will adhere to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Protocols Extension for Scoping Reviews and guidance from the Joanna Briggs Institution for conduct of scoping reviews. We will search Medline, APA, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Embase and IBSS from 1995 to present and the search will be restricted to English and French language publications. Citations will be screened in Covidence by two trained reviewers. Discrepancies will be mediated by consensus. Data will be synthesised using a hybrid, inductive-deductive approach, informed by the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research as well as critical theory to guide further interpretation.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

This review does not require ethics approval. A group of primary knowledge users, including clinicians and people with lived experience, will be involved in the dissemination of findings including publication in peer-reviewed journals. Results will inform future research, current quality improvement efforts in affiliated hospitals, and aide the creation of a more robust ED response to the escalating overdose crisis.

A practical review of buprenorphine utilization for the emergency physician in the era of decreased prescribing restrictions

INTRODUCTION

Opioid abuse and overdose deaths have reached epidemic proportions in the last couple decades. In response to rational prescribing initiatives, utilization of prescription opioids has decreased; however, the number of deaths due to opioid overdoses continues to rise, largely driven by fentanyl analogues in adulterated heroin. Solutions to the opioid crisis must be multifaceted and address underlying opioid addiction. In recent years, buprenorphine has become a cornerstone in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) and initiation of therapy in the emergency department (ED) has become increasingly common. There have also been calls by many organizations to remove the requirement for additional training and X-waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. In April 2021, the Biden Administration eased prescribing restrictions on the drug. These initiatives are expected to increase ED utilization of the buprenorphine. The purpose of this paper is to provide an updated overview of the role and use of buprenorphine in the ED setting so physicians may adapt to the changing practice environment.

OBJECTIVES

This is a narrative review describing the role of buprenorphine in the ED. A PubMed search was conducted using the keywords "opioid epidemic" "buprenorphine," and "medication assisted therapy", and "emergency department". All the articles that contained information on the opioid epidemic, medication assisted therapy, and the biological effects of buprenorphine, that were also relevant to pain management and the ED, were included in the review.

DISCUSSION

Multiple studies have pointed to the effective use of buprenorphine as a treatment for OUDs in ED patients and are superior to standard care; however, there are various barriers to its use in the ED setting.

CONCLUSION

Emergency physicians can influence opioid related morbidity and mortality, by familiarizing themselves with the use of buprenorphine to treat opioid withdrawal and addiction, particularly now that prescribing restrictions have been eased. Further ED research is necessary to assess the optimal use of buprenorphine in this care setting.

Refusal to accept emergency medical transport following opioid overdose, and conditions that may promote connections to care

BACKGROUND

Opioid overdose is a leading cause of death in the United States. Emergency medical services (EMS) encounters following overdose may serve as a critical linkage to care for people who use drugs (PWUD). However, many overdose survivors refuse EMS transport to hospitals, where they would presumably receive appropriate follow-up services and referrals. This study aims to (1) identify reasons for refusal of EMS transport after opioid overdose reversal; (2) identify conditions under which overdose survivors might be more likely to accept these services; and (3) describe solutions proposed by both PWUD and EMS providers to improve post-overdose care.

METHODS

The study comprised 20 semi-structured, qualitative in-depth interviews with PWUD, followed by two semi-structured focus groups with eight EMS providers.

RESULTS

PWUD cited intolerable withdrawal symptoms; anticipation of inadequate care upon arrival at the hospital; and stigmatizing treatment by EMS and hospital providers as main reasons for refusal to accept EMS transport. EMS providers corroborated these descriptions and offered solutions such as titration of naloxone to avoid harsh withdrawal symptoms; peer outreach or community paramedicine; and addressing provider burnout. PWUD stated they might accept EMS transport after overdose reversal if they were offered ease for withdrawal symptoms, at either a hospital or non-hospital facility, and treated with respect and empathy.

CONCLUSION

Standard of care by EMS and hospital providers following overdose reversal should include treatment for withdrawal symptoms, including buprenorphine induction; patient-centered communication; and effective linkage to prevention, treatment, and harm reduction services.