Lead: Hospital Addiction Consultation Service and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

Lead: Hospital Addiction Consultation Service and Opioid Use Disorder Treatment

In this episode of This Week in Addiction Medicine, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) brings you the latest updates on the treatment and management of opioid use disorder (OUD). The focus is on a study published in JAMA Internal Medicine that evaluates the effectiveness of the Substance Use Treatment and Recovery Team (START) model in hospital settings.

The START model, which includes an addiction medicine provider and a care manager, aims to improve patient outcomes through motivational interviewing, discharge planning, and follow-up care. The results are promising, showing that patients receiving the START intervention are more likely to receive medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) and continue their care post-discharge. Additionally, the episode covers a comparative analysis of buprenorphine treatments published in the International Journal of Drug Policy.

The study reveals that sublingual buprenorphine has higher retention rates compared to extended-release formulations, highlighting the importance of treatment consistency and dosage. The Veterans Health Administration's efforts to increase MOUD utilization are also discussed, with findings indicating a reduction in hospital and emergency department visits following program implementation. However, the study notes that retention rates in treatment need improvement.

Another highlight is the clinical implementation of an AI-based screening tool for OUD risk in hospitalized adults, as detailed in Nature Medicine. This tool proves to be cost-effective and as reliable as manual screening methods, potentially freeing up valuable human resources. The episode also touches on the use of cannabis and cannabinoids for chronic non-cancer pain, with guidelines from the American College of Physicians advising caution due to limited long-term efficacy and potential harms.

Finally, discussions include the regulation of psilocybin dispensaries in Canada and the impact of cannabis edible packaging on young adults' perceptions. The episode wraps up with a commentary on integrating neuroscience and evidence-based practices to tackle the opioid crisis. Don't miss out on these critical insights into addiction medicine. Tune in to understand how these studies and interventions can shape future treatment approaches.