Naloxone Distribution for Opioid Harm Reduction

People with opioid use disorder (OUD) or who experience opioid overdose or withdrawal often seek care in the emergency department. The emergency department is therefore a critical setting of care to intervene with practices that reduce harm from use of opioids. Studies have shown that risk of mortality is elevated after being discharged from the emergency department following an opioid overdose, demonstrating the opportunity to prevent injury and death with evidence-based care. The emergency department distribution of naloxone, an opioid overdose reversal medication, to those at risk of opioid overdose has been endorsed as a best practice by emergency medicine professional organizations like the American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) and national organizations like the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). To improve and standardize this practice, MEDIC, in partnership another Michigan-based organization, Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network (OPEN), supports the development and implementation of naloxone rescue kit distribution programs in its emergency department network. This collaborative quality improvement initiative has the potential to reduce morbidity and mortality related to opioid overdose in the patient populations served by our emergency departments.