Buprenorphine Microdosing: Innovations in Opioid Overdose Prevention from the Front Lines
Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, overdose deaths have risen to unprecedented highs in British Columbia (BC), confirming the ongoing and heightened urgency of the public health crisis related to overdose deaths.
This session will describe a research project aiming to expand access to buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone) from emergency departments (EDs) using a novel microdosing approach to inductions. ED buprenorphine increases retention in addictions care and decreases illicit drug use among patients with opioid use disorder. Yet, barriers prevent widespread uptake in Canadian EDs, including patient discomfort associated with standard dosing approaches. Microdosing, a novel approach seeking to improve patient comfort, could mitigate many barriers to buprenorphine/naloxone initiation.
Learning Objectives:
- Recognize the importance of emergency departments as key locations to identify people at risk for overdose and to offer preventative interventions;
- Recognize the importance of designing interventions that minimize access barriers in the public health response to the opioid overdose crisis.
