The impact of early dispensing of methadone maintenance therapy on hospital outcomes for patients with opioid use disorder
OA Version
Citation
Abstract
Opioid use disorder (OUD) and its treatment are frequently discussed topics due to the high morbidity, mortality, and economic burden they pose. Patients with OUD have a high risk of overdose death and an increased all-cause mortality rate. They are also more likely to experience patient directed discharges (PDDs) and 30- and 90-day readmissions. These increased risks are compounded by the stigma that exists around OUD, both expressed by providers and perceived by patients. There are several FDA approved medications for OUD (MOUDs) with the most common being methadone, an opioid agonist that reduces withdrawals and cravings. Use of MOUDs has been associated with a decrease in risk of PDDs and 30/90-day readmissions for patients with OUD. Much of the current literature focuses on initiation of MOUDs and there is limited data regarding continuation of maintenance therapy while admitted. The proposed project is a single-center retrospective cohort study to determine if there is a relationship between appropriately timed dispensing of methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) while inpatient and reduced risk of negative patient outcomes, which includes withdrawal, PDDs, and 30/90-day readmission. If there is an association between MMT timing and outcomes, this study will provide a rationale for development of systems to minimize the time it takes to verify and dispense MMT.
Description
2024