Background: Despite evidence that the use of medications for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) leads to reduced mortality and improved engagement in outpatient addiction treatment, these life-saving medications are underutilized in the hospital setting. This study reports the outcomes of a hospitalist-led interprofessional and multidisciplinary inpatient program, known as the B-Team (buprenorphine team), to [...]

Background: Patients with Substance Use Disorder (SUD) are a nationwide concern. They have significant morbidity, mortality & for several reasons, such as comorbid psychiatric conditions, medication noncompliance, low income or poor access to healthcare services, have an increased risk of hospital readmissions. Processes aimed at reducing readmission rates in this population are important for improving [...]

Background: Hospitalizations among patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) have skyrocketed in the past 10 years (1). These patients represent an ever-growing portion of the typical hospital medicine census and often have readmission rates greater than expected for their age and other health status. Discharge against medical advice (AMA) is common in this population, and [...]

Background: Biases related to people with substance use disorder (SUD) actually increase during time spent in formal medical education, and continue into practice. Leading health professional education groups across medicine, nursing, pharmacy, and social work, including the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC), have recognized addressing substance use disorders including stigma and bias as a [...]

Background: Opioid overdose in the United States continues to rise. Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that is FDA-approved for reversing opioid overdose. Current CDC guidelines recommend prescribing naloxone to patients at high risk of opioid overdose, including patients with concurrent benzodiazepine use, a prior history of overdose, and those receiving high doses of opioids (>50 [...]

Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic relapsing disease that has become an epidemic in the United States. Overdoses of prescription and illicit opioids have killed almost 450,000 Americans between 1999-2018 (1). Guidelines on OUD management recommend, in combination with behavioral therapy, opioid agonist therapy as the first-line treatment option with antagonist therapy as an alternative option. OUD-related inpatient admissions represent [...]

Case Presentation: AS is 36-year-old woman with methamphetamine and opioid use disorder (OUD) hospitalized with endocarditis who is evaluated by the Addiction Consult Service (ACS), and started on sublingual Buprenorphine/naloxone (Bup/nx) for treatment of OUD. Urine drug screens continue to be inappropriately positive for methamphetamine inpatient. Extended Release Buprenorphine (Bup-XR) is discussed and with her [...]

Background: Despite evidence that the use of medications for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD) leads to reduced mortality and improved engagement in outpatient addiction treatment, these life-saving medications are underutilized in the hospital setting. This study reports the outcomes of a hospitalist-led interprofessional and multidisciplinary inpatient program, known as the B-Team (buprenorphine team), to [...]