There Are a Number of Ways for an ED to Responsibly Address Addiction

The extremely popular webinar originally held on October 17, 2018 and led by Dr. Michael Lynch is now available in our Webinar Library.

Presenter Dr. Lynch is a board certified emergency physician and medical toxicologist. He is the medical director of the Pittsburgh Poison Center and works clinically in two level one trauma center EDs and as a clinical toxicologist at five hospitals. He has led efforts to improve care for patients with substance use disorders both in the ED and in the hospital coupled with connection to ongoing treatment.

Entitled “Addressing Opioid Addiction in Acute Care Settings,” this webinar addresses the variety of ways that emergency departments can prevent, treat, and reduce harms associated with opioid use and opioid use disorder.

The outline below lists effective public health responses to the opioid epidemic; Dr. Lynch covers the underlined strategies.

Specifically, the webinar examines responsible opioid prescribing in the ED; the rationale for naloxone prescribing in the ED (and ways to improve the effectiveness of a take-home naloxone program); and the use of opioid agonists like buprenorphine and methadone to treat acute withdrawal and engage a patient in longer-term care for substance use disorder.

Through UPMC, Dr. Lynch participates in a number of progressive initiatives to address opioid use disorder and prevent overdose. This webinar provides a high-level look at some of his important work.