Gail D’Onofrio, MD, Professor and Chair, Department of Emergency Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine

Physicians, nurse practitioners or other advanced practice nurses, PAs, and pharmacists.

AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™, Nursing Contact Hours, AAPA Category 1 CME credit, and Pharmacy CE credit.

This webinar will focus on the crucial role of the emergency department (ED) in recognizing and treating opioid use disorder (OUD) patients with evidence-based medications for addiction treatment. Gail D’Onofrio, MD, will discuss her pioneering work in creating the evidence for initiating ED buprenorphine treatment with ED patients presenting with opioid use disorder. Overall, the opioid epidemic intertwined with the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly escalated the need to mitigate the morbidity and mortality associated with the rising rate of fentanyl use. Data supporting the use of buprenorphine in the ED setting as well as the consequences of not initiating treatment will be discussed. While the use of ED prescribed buprenorphine has increased, universal adoption has lagged. Barriers to implementation of ED buprenorphine will be discussed as well as strategies to overcome these challenges. Components of successful integration of an ED program with community partnerships will be outlined. Current research by emergency physicians regarding innovative strategies such as high-dose buprenorphine inductions and use of extended release 7-day formulation of buprenorphine will be discussed. Initiation of buprenorphine effectively reduces withdrawal symptoms, improves adherence to treatment, and saves lives.

• Evaluate outcomes for Opioid Use Disorder in patients receiving buprenorphine through the Emergency Department and discuss supporting evidence
• Identify barriers and solutions to initiating buprenorphine in the Emergency Department
• Apply harm reduction strategies and components of the buprenorphine integration pathway
• Utilize the Brief Negotiation Interview, an evidence-based intervention to increase consent with Opioid Use Disorder treatment
• Discuss innovative solutions for buprenorphine induction in the ED including different formulations of buprenorphine and high dose strategies

In order to receive maximum credit, learners must: 

1. Review the materials provided.
2. Complete knowledge-based assessment questions to assess both prior knowledge and knowledge change following the activity
3. Complete an evaluation to assess satisfaction and plans for individual and/or team practice change.
4. Follow instructions at the end of the course regarding how to retrieve a certificate.* 

*Credit will not be awarded unless all components of the program are completed.  Partial credit will not be awarded.