The Authors’ Own Words: Internal medicine resident knowledge, attitudes and barriers to naloxone prescription in hospital and clinic settings.

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.

Internal medicine resident knowledge, attitudes and barriers to naloxone prescription in hospital and clinic settings.

J. Deanna Wilson, MD, MPH; Natalie Spicyn, MD, MHS; Pamela Matson, PhD, MPH; Anika Alvanzo, MD, MS; & Leonard Feldman, MD

Substance Abuse Vol. 37, Iss. 3, 2016

“Our manuscript, “Internal medicine resident knowledge, attitudes, and barriers to naloxone prescription in hospital and clinic settings” provides a novel and timely look at the knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs of Internal Medicine resident trainees regarding prescription of naloxone for overdose reversal in community settings, and towards addiction treatment more broadly. At a time when municipalities across the country are declaring states of emergency due to the opioid epidemic, it is more crucial than ever to examine how residents are trained on this potentially life-saving intervention, and to intervene with a targeted educational initiative during this influential period in their medical training, when the knowledge base and habits that inform their career are being shaped. The HOPE study is the first of its kind focusing specifically on physicians-in-training, and will help not only inform future educational initiatives, but will also serve as a proof-of-concept for the feasibility of implementing a successful overdose prevention program utilizing a harm-reduction paradigm from within the inpatient setting.”