Background: There were approximately 46,000 opioid overdose deaths in 2017. It is known that opioid overdose risk is increased in patients with a diagnosis of substance use disorder, prior opioid overdose, and high suspicion of risk as assessed by clinical teams. The Risk Index for Overdose or Serious Opioid-Induced Respiratory Depression (RIOSORD) is a validated [...]

Background: Prior studies have found racial disparities in how patients are assessed for pain and prescribed opioids from emergency department and surgical settings. However, we do not know whether similar disparities exist among general medicine inpatients. We examined opioid prescriptions at discharge among adults admitted to the general medicine service at our medical center, with [...]

Background: The US has a heavy burden of deaths from opioid overdoses, and New Mexico is not excepted from this. Treatment options for opioid use disorder (OUD) are buprenorphine/naloxone (“Suboxone”), methadone, naltrexone, counseling, and/or behavioral therapy. Long-acting oral opioids like Suboxone, are the most effective methods for treating opioid withdrawal and OUD. They are often [...]

Background: Persons with opioid use disorders (OUD) represent a disproportionately high percentage of hospitalized patients, have greater lengths of stay and readmissions, can incur higher costs, and are at greater risk of drug-related death immediately post-discharge. Further, despite the availability of effective medications for OUD, patients often are not offered treatment during the inpatient encounter. [...]

Background: Prescription opioids have come under increasing scrutiny in recent years due to the rise in use and misuse which has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality. There have been several efforts by government agencies to address this such as the FDA issuing a Risk Evaluation Mitigation Strategy (REMS) for extended release/long acting (ERLAs) opioids [...]

Background: New Mexico has a long-standing history of implementing harm reduction strategies for the prevention of opioid overdose. Most recently, on June 14, 2019, SB221 added language to the New Mexico Pain Relief Act requiring health care providers prescribing opioid analgesics for 5 days or longer to co-prescribe an opioid antagonist along with written information [...]

Background: Agency of Healthcare Research and Quality reported an increase in Opioid-related hospitalizations from 2005 to 2014. Previous studies in patients undergoing surgery have shown an increased risk of readmission with opioid dependence. This study was intended to identify the all-cause 7 and 30-day readmission rates of hospitalizations with opioid-related disorders, and potential predictors of [...]

Background: Drug overdose deaths involving opioids are on the rise in the setting of the current opioid epidemic in the United States (US).1 In 2017 there were ~46.6 drug overdose deaths a day in the US involving prescription opioids.1 Naloxone is a proven and effective opioid antagonist that is FDA approved for use in the [...]

Background: In an effort to combat the national opioid crisis, our state legislation passed House Bill 451 effective July 1, 2019. It addresses medication overprescribing to decrease morbidity and mortality from opioid misuse, abuse, and overdose. The law has several requirements including discussion of non-opioid treatment alternatives, review of the Prescription Monitoring Drug Program (PDMP) [...]

Background: Inpatient addiction consultant services are an innovative and proliferating tool used to confront the opioid epidemic. As healthcare systems seek to address gaps in care for patients with substance use disorder (SUD), the inpatient setting is increasingly understood as a unique opportunity for counseling, referral for treatment, and initiation of medication assistance treatment (MAT) [...]