The Authors’ Own Words:
We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.
Julienne B. Pauly PharmD, BCPP; Christine M. Vartan PharmD, BCPS; & Abigail T. Brooks PharmD, BCPS
Substance Abuse Vol. 39, Iss. 2, 2018
“Being that accidental opioid overdose has become a national epidemic, it is important to educate all individuals who utilize opioids on risk mitigation strategy. Patients on chronic prescribed opioid therapy were referred to participate in this VAMC OEND programming; many were surprised to learn that despite being on an opioid regimen long-term, accidental overdose can still occur. Participants were encouraged to bring a significant other/friend to the education or identify someone to teach, as the bystander will likely be applying this life-saving information. The project authors also calculated the risk index for overdose (RIOSORD) and serious opioid induced respiratory depression (OIRD) score on all OEND participants. The RIOSORD/ORID is a novel tool that can be utilized by facilities seeking to target patients for OEND or similar programming. The findings and failures of this project can be utilized by other facilities who desire to allocate resources to OEND programming.”
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