On this episode, Kate Rodman (MS-2) and Will Hockett (MS-3) discuss advances in the treatment of opiate use disorder in the Emergency Department.

Opioid misuse and addiction have been on the rise ever since opioid pain relievers became widespread in the 1990s. In 2017, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declared a public health emergency to address the opioid crisis, and in that year alone over 47,600 people died in the United States due to overdosing on opioids. In addition to changing prescribing practices, Emergency Departments across the country are trying to combat addiction. A randomized control trial out of Yale in 2015 showed a spotlight on the potential for ED initiated buprenorphine treatment for patients presenting with opioid dependence. The results of this study, along with widespread interest in combatting opioid addiction, spurred emergency departments across the country to initiate programs to prescribe buprenorphine to patients at presentation. The ability to engage patients right away with treatment in the ED is an exciting new opportunity to combat the opioid crisis.

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