Opioid overdose is the leading killer of Americans under the age of 50. More than 2 million people in the United States have opioid use disorder (OUD), and more than 10 million report misusing opioids in the past year. While OUD is all-too-common, access to treatment is not. The vast majority of people with OUD do not receive evidence-based treatment, and many hospitals, emergency departments and health systems do not offer medication for addiction treatment (MAT).
MAT with methadone, buprenorphine or naltrexone dramatically improves patient care. The evidence behind MAT is robust and has been shown to:
Reduce mortality by as much as 70%
Decrease transmission of blood-borne pathogens (hepatitis B, hepatitis C, HIV)
Decrease the incidence of soft tissue infections and endocarditis
Decrease criminality by 80%
Dramatically improve the quality of life for people with OUD
SOC has the experience and expertise necessary to assist hospital systems and states in developing and implementing MAT programs.
In Colorado, SOC worked with the Colorado Hospital Association and the Colorado Office of Behavioral Health to create ColoradoMAT.org, a statewide plan with tools to implement MAT in hospitals statewide. Spearheading the CO’s CURE initiative, SOC developed MAT guidelines for more than a dozen medical specialties.
We have helped hospitals launch buprenorphine programs and collaborated with our partners at OpiSafe to help hospitals and MAT providers connect with one another to facilitate patient care. In addition,
Dr. Stader and SOC have been leaders in integrating recovery support specialists into Colorado emergency departments, securing grant funding to integrate recovery support into emergency department practice.
For health care clinicians and organizations whose aim is to develop and implement MAT initiatives, build systems of care for OUD or integrate recovery support specialists into their practice models, SOC’s consulting expertise is a valuable resource.