More Hospitals Respond to Opioid Crisis—Should Urgent Care, Too?

We told you recently about an innovative, urgent care-centric program Boston Medical Center launched to get patients who are addicted to opioids the care they need as efficiently as possible. Now more hospitals are jumping on the bandwagon to fight the addiction epidemic. Patients who are treated for overdoses at SSM Health St. Mary Hospital in Madison, WI are invited to meet with “recovery coaches” on staff in the emergency room. Initiatives have even gone to the community level, as Manchester, NH created a program called Safe Station, wherein addicts can go to any city firehouse to get connected to support and services. Urgent care has long been a popular destination for doctor-shopping addicts trying to find new prescribers. Given that, it may be time to forge relationships with area treatment centers and detox programs, and to ensure staff is up-to-date on recognizing drug-seeking behavior and signs of overdose. (For more updates on the state of pain treatment, visit the JUCM Acute Pain Resource Center.)