TY - JOUR
T1 - Dispensing Methadone at Hospital Discharge
T2 - One Hospital's Approach to Implementing the “72-hour Rule” Change
AU - Skogrand, Emily
AU - Sharpe, Jackie
AU - Englander, Honora
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2023 American Society of Addiction Medicine.
PY - 2024/1/1
Y1 - 2024/1/1
N2 - Objectives: Methadone for opioid use disorder treatment in ambulatory settings is restricted to federally licensed opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in the United States. However, these restrictions do not apply during hospitalization. A recent change to the rule governing methadone in non-OTP settings created an opportunity to dispense methadone at hospital discharge for up to 72 hours. Methods: Here, we describe one hospital's approach to dispensing methadone at discharge in alignment with the “72-hour rule,” including implementation challenges and considerations for other hospitals planning on adopting this practice. Implementation included creating a workflow and detailed documents outlining dispensing procedure, educating interprofessional staff, and coordinating with local OTPs. Results: Our experiences highlight the importance of pharmacy champions to support implementation and interdisciplinary staff education, the need to consider electronic health record capabilities, and the importance of having policies and practices that support appropriate interpretation of the “72-hour rule” renewal timeline. Conclusions: Exceptions to federal regulations allow greater flexibility in discharge planning for patients with opioid use disorder; however, dispensation workflow falls outside standard hospital care and may be challenging to implement.
AB - Objectives: Methadone for opioid use disorder treatment in ambulatory settings is restricted to federally licensed opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in the United States. However, these restrictions do not apply during hospitalization. A recent change to the rule governing methadone in non-OTP settings created an opportunity to dispense methadone at hospital discharge for up to 72 hours. Methods: Here, we describe one hospital's approach to dispensing methadone at discharge in alignment with the “72-hour rule,” including implementation challenges and considerations for other hospitals planning on adopting this practice. Implementation included creating a workflow and detailed documents outlining dispensing procedure, educating interprofessional staff, and coordinating with local OTPs. Results: Our experiences highlight the importance of pharmacy champions to support implementation and interdisciplinary staff education, the need to consider electronic health record capabilities, and the importance of having policies and practices that support appropriate interpretation of the “72-hour rule” renewal timeline. Conclusions: Exceptions to federal regulations allow greater flexibility in discharge planning for patients with opioid use disorder; however, dispensation workflow falls outside standard hospital care and may be challenging to implement.
KW - hospital discharge
KW - methadone
KW - opioid use disorder
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U2 - 10.1097/ADM.0000000000001246
DO - 10.1097/ADM.0000000000001246
M3 - Article
C2 - 37994453
AN - SCOPUS:85184295562
SN - 1932-0620
VL - 18
SP - 71
EP - 74
JO - Journal of addiction medicine
JF - Journal of addiction medicine
IS - 1
ER -