Implementing a pharmacist-integrated collaborative model of medication treatment for opioid use disorder in primary care: study design and methodological considerations.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacists remain an underutilized resource in the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). Although studies have engaged pharmacists in dispensing medications for OUD (MOUD), few studies have evaluated collaborative care models in which pharmacists are an active, integrated part of a primary care team offering OUD care. METHODS: This study seeks to implement a pharmacist integrated MOUD clinical model (called PrIMO) and evaluate its feasibility, acceptability, and impact across four diverse primary care sites. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research is used as an organizing framework for study development and interpretation of findings. Implementation Facilitation is used to support PrIMO adoption. We assess the primary outcome, the feasibility of implementing PrIMO, using the Stages of Implementation Completion (SIC). We evaluate the acceptability and impact of the PrIMO model at the sites using mixed-methods and combine survey and interview data from providers, pharmacists, pharmacy technicians, administrators, and patients receiving MOUD at the primary care sites with patient electronic health record data. We hypothesize that it is feasible to launch delivery of the PrIMO model (reach SIC Stage 6), and that it is acceptable, will positively impact patient outcomes 1 year post model launch (e.g., increased MOUD treatment retention, medication regimen adherence, service utilization for co-morbid conditions, and decreased substance use), and will increase each site's capacity to care for patients with MOUD (e.g., increased number of patients, number of prescribers, and rate of patients per prescriber). DISCUSSION: This study will provide data on a pharmacist-integrated collaborative model of care for the treatment of OUD that may be feasible, acceptable to both site staff and patients and may favorably impact patients' access to MOUD and treatment outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: The study was registered on Clinicaltrials.gov (NCT05310786) on April 5, 2022, https://www. CLINICALTRIALS: gov/study/NCT05310786?id=NCT05310786&rank=1.

Research Priorities for Expansion of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in the Community Pharmacy.

In the last decade, the U.S. opioid overdose crisis has magnified, particularly since the introduction of synthetic opioids, including fentanyl. Despite the benefits of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), only about a fifth of people with opioid use disorder (OUD) in the U.S. receive MOUD. The ubiquity of pharmacists, along with their extensive education and training, represents great potential for expansion of MOUD services, particularly in community pharmacies. The National Institute on Drug Abuse's National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (NIDA CTN) convened a working group to develop a research agenda to expand OUD treatment in the community pharmacy sector to support improved access to MOUD and patient outcomes. Identified settings for research include independent and chain pharmacies and co-located pharmacies within primary care settings. Specific topics for research included adaptation of pharmacy infrastructure for clinical service provision, strategies for interprofessional collaboration including health service models, drug policy and regulation, pharmacist education about OUD and OUD treatment, including didactic, experiential, and interprofessional curricula, and educational interventions to reduce stigma towards this patient population. Together, expanding these research areas can bring effective MOUD to where it is most needed.

Population health management in a small health system: Impact of controlled substance stewardship in a patient-centered medical home.

PURPOSE: The success of a patient-centered medical home in providing population health management (PHM) services through controlled substance stewardship is described. SUMMARY: In 2013, Penobscot Community Health Care (PCHC), in Bangor, Maine, was fully engulfed in the prescription opioid crisis. At PCHC, patients' opioid doses were startlingly high. Within the organization, measures to ensure that prescriptions were being used as prescribed, and not diverted, were underutilized. PCHC responded to these challenges by developing a comprehensive approach to controlled substance stewardship, defined as a coordinated effort to promote the appropriate use of controlled substances, improve patient outcomes, reduce misuse and abuse, and decrease patient morbidity and mortality attributed to these high-risk medications. Since the establishment of the program, over 1,300 patient reviews have been conducted. During this time, the number of PCHC patients receiving chronic opioids has decreased by 67.2% and continues to drop, with a corresponding 65.6% decrease in the number of patients receiving benzodiazepines. Premature deaths were reviewed to identify associations with opioids prescribed at the time of death, which revealed a decline of 50% between 2013 and 2015. Since program inception, the reviews conducted based on internal quality-improvement reports have been expanded to include patients on combinations of opioids and benzodiazepines, high-dose opioids, and carisoprodol. CONCLUSION: Systematic approaches addressing areas of critical need in high-risk populations are integral to PHM efforts in small health systems. The pharmacy team can serve a unique role in identifying, developing, and implementing key PHM services. Coupled with strategic community partnerships, successful PHM integration can assist in the financial survival of small health systems.