Events

The Vermont Center on Behavior and Health is excited to welcome Gail D’Onofrio, MD, MS, Professor and Chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Yale University and Physician-in Chief of the Emergency Services at Yale-New Haven Hospital, to the #VCBHLectureSeries on Wednesday, November 17, 2021 at 12 PM ET. Dr. D’Onofrio will present “Emergency Department-Initiated Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder.“

This presentation will focus on the crucial role of the emergency department (ED) in recognizing and treating opioid use disorder (OUD) patients with evidence-based medications for addiction treatment. Dr. D’Onofrio will discuss her pioneering work in creating the evidence for initiating ED buprenorphine treatment with ED patients presenting with opioid use disorder. Overall, the opioid epidemic intertwined with the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly escalated the need to mitigate the morbidity and mortality associated with the rising rate of fentanyl use. Data supporting the use of buprenorphine in the ED setting as well as the consequences of not initiating treatment will be discussed. While the use of ED prescribed buprenorphine has increased, universal adoption has lagged. Barriers to implementation of ED buprenorphine will be discussed as well as strategies to overcome these challenges. Components of successful integration of an ED program with community partnerships will be outlined. Current research by emergency physicians regarding innovative strategies such as high-dose buprenorphine inductions and use of extended release 7-day formulation of buprenorphine will be discussed. Initiation of buprenorphine effectively, reduces withdrawal symptoms, improves adherence to treatment, and saves lives.

Gail D’Onofrio is internationally known for her work developing and testing interventions for alcohol, opioids and other substance use disorders, and serving as PI on several large NIH, SAMSHA, and CDC studies that have changed clinical practice. She is currently the PI on two NIDA Clinical Trial Network grants including the recently funded ED-INNOVATION that tests the implementation of ED-initiated buprenorphine in 30 diverse EDs across the country and compares different formations of buprenorphine in engaging patients in treatment.