Making Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Work in Primary Care: Playbooks, Resources, and Lessons Learned

Drug overdose deaths in the United States have risen steadily over the past two decades, initially from prescription opioids and then from increases in heroin and synthetic opioid use. This session will share information about the tools, resources, and programs that the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has developed to help primary care practices successfully implement medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). After a brief overview of AHRQ’s substance use disorder initiatives and resources, presenters will turn to the Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for Opioid Use Disorder Playbook, a practical step-by-step guide with embedded tools and resources for implementing MOUD in primary care and other ambulatory care settings. This interactive, web-based product has the latest guidance and resources to address key aspects of implementation and is designed to be useful for practices implementing any array of MAT services. Then, they will present lessons learned from the AHRQ-funded Rural Access to MAT in Pennsylvania (RAMP) and RAMP Expansion projects. These projects ― which involved the Pennsylvania State Department of Human Services, the Pennsylvania Department of Drug and Alcohol Program, and the University of Pittsburgh ― developed protocols, tools, training programs, and resources that have become network standards for outpatient MOUD care at three Pennsylvania Health Systems: Lehigh Valley Health Network, St. Luke’s University Health Network, and NEPA Community Health Care.