Content comparison of campus medical amnesty policies.

Objective: To describe common components of medical amnesty (MA) policies and examine how MA policies differ across institutions. Participants: 50 U.S. colleges and universities with current MA policies. Methods: A checklist was developed to compare and assess the campus MA policies of 50 institutions. Descriptive statistics, chi-square, and regression analyses were used to examine common policy components and differences across types of institutions. Results: 40% of policies did not include a purpose statement. 42% of policies had no mention about how to use the policy. 48% did not mention restrictions on amnesty. 32% did not mention follow-up actions. 24% of policies mentioned extending amnesty for additional person(s) present. There were no significant differences in policy components across school characteristics. Conclusions: Many policies lacked detail, highlighting the need for guidelines and best practices to develop MA policies. Future research could examine the effects of these policy components on help seeking intentions.

Effects of Workplace Variables on Workers Intentions to Misuse Prescription Opioids.

OBJECTIVE: Workers in industries with high rates of opioid dispensing as well as those with high rates of non-fatal work-related injuries are at greater risk for opioid misuse, which can lead to addiction, overdose, or death. METHODS: Using secondary cross-sectional data collected from 856 healthcare workers, this pilot study examines a conceptual model for workers' intentions to seek out prescription opioids and intentions to use opioids at higher doses over longer periods. RESULTS: Results showed significant protective effects of beliefs, injunctive and subjective norms, and behavioral control on intentions to seek out opioids. On intentions to use higher doses over a longer time, knowledge, beliefs, behavioral control, patient-provider communication, workplace safety, and workplace autonomy had significant protective effects. CONCLUSIONS: Findings from this study could be used to inform future multilevel interventions to prevent opioid misuse among employee populations.