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.