Congratulations to Dr. Andrew Kestler for his recent VCHRI Innovation and Translational Research Award for his study, “Buprenorphine/naloxone to-go and intensive outreach team follow-up for emergency department patients with opioid use disorder”. Dr. Kestler has received $75,000 to be used over 2 years.
St. Paul’s Hospital ED launched a pilot program in December 2018 to distribute buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) to go packs to patients with opioid use disorder. We already know that Suboxone reduces overdose deaths and that Suboxone can be successfully initiated from EDs. We also know that Suboxone adherence drops without close community-based follow-up. In this prospective cohort study, we will track Suboxone adherence in patients offered Suboxone to-go and a program of close community follow-up for one year. Lessons learned from our program will inform the provincial implementation of Suboxone to-go and community outreach programs, and we hope, improve the health and survival of people with opioid use disorder across the province and beyond.