Journal Club - Emergency Department Initiated Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder

Journal Club - Emergency Department Initiated Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder

Recent data from the National Center for Health Statistics reveal that in the 12-month period ending in April 2021, more than 100,000 Americans died of an overdose, a staggering increase of nearly 30% the prior year. While the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to overdose deaths and taxed constrained ED resources, it has also clarified the important role that emergency physicians have in expanding access to life-saving medications to treat opioid use disorder. In this journal club, we review the evidence on ED-initiated buprenorphine, including barriers to implementing ED-buprenorphine here in rural Maine.

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