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: The American opioid epidemic is a public health emergency, with over 100,000 opioid-related overdose deaths occurring in 2021 (1). Harm reduction treatment models, formulated with the goal of reducing the negative consequences of opioid use, have been implemented as an alternative approach in minimizing opioid overdose and mortality (2). With approximately 4-11% of hospitalized [...]

Background: Naloxone is a medication that reverses opioid overdose in emergency situations and prevents deaths. A group of 55 Eastern Virginia Medical School (EVMS) medical students were trained by REVIVE!, a program that educates on how to recognize and respond to an opioid overdose emergency with the administration of naloxone. We evaluated whether there is [...]

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: What happens when “best practice” is not practiced? Prescribing naloxone to patients at high risk of opioid overdose is considered best practice by the United States Department of Health in order to decrease the risk of overdose and maximize patient safety. Research also shows that patients who receive naloxone may successfully use it on [...]

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: Driven by the current opioid epidemic, drug overdose has become the leading cause of unintentional death nationwide. Efforts are underway to decrease unnecessary opioid prescribing. Hospitalists care for many patients with preexisting opioid prescriptions or appropriately prescribed new opioids at discharge. Though naloxone decreases the morbidity and mortality associated with opioid overdose, most patients [...]

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: Background Fatalities caused by drug-overdose have increased in recent years across the US and are now the leading cause of injury-related death in the United States. Drug related deaths with cointoxicants are being seen more often and the increase in prevalence of opioid overdoses with possible concomitant medication use is a public health concern [...]

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 [...]