Session: Abstracts of Distinction: Implementation and Evaluation of Primary Care and Payer Strategies for Addressing the Opioid Overdose Epidemic (Society for Prevention Research 25th Annual Meeting)

Since 1999, there have been over 165,000 deaths involving opioid pain medication in the United States (CDC, 2016). Inappropriate prescribing has been documented as a key driver of the opioid overdose epidemic. To address this growing safety issue, approaches for integrating prevention strategies into health care systems have been developed and implemented to ensure the safer use of opioid therapy for patients. Panelists highlight three strategies for addressing the epidemic: (1) provider prescribing guidelines, (2) clinical decision supports, and (3) insurer strategies. Specifically, public health researchers describe a comprehensive dissemination and implementation plan for a prescribing guideline that builds capacity, enhances partnership, and facilitates integration across systems. Health care researchers share how adding an alert to an electronic health record has promoted judicious opioid prescribing and improved patient outcomes. Researchers report on the impact of a state Medicaid policy to foster more appropriate prescribing.

The panelists describe integration, implementation, and sustainability of evidence-based initiatives. Detailed implementation steps and evaluation results from each featured project are shared. The important role that research and practice partnerships play in each project is underscored. Discussion provides insight into the effectiveness of these three strategies and highlight real-world implementation lessons from clinical practice and policy settings. This body of research can assist in identifying effective evidence-based practices that primary care, policy makers, state health departments, insurers, and health care systems can implement.