Philadelphia residents with opioid addiction receive medication from the “Bupe Bus” – a path to treatment is created

A mobile team that gives drug treatments to individuals with opioid use disorders showed promising leads to Getting patients in Philadelphia to come back back for follow-up appointmentsbased on a peer-reviewed study I co-authored and published within the September 2024 issue of
Journal of Substance Use and Addiction Treatment.

The team, which incorporates a physician, a case manager and social employees with personal experience with substance use disorders, worked out of a van parked at six locations in neighborhoods with high fatal and non-fatal overdoses. The goal was to get patients same-day prescriptions for buprenorphine, a life-saving medicines for the treatment of opioid use disorders. The van is operated by Prevention Point Philadelphiaa non-profit harm reduction organization that supports the homeless and Substance use disorder.

It is very important that the “Bupe Busas patients and staff call it, reached a various patient population. Nearly 60% were black and 15% were Hispanic in the course of the period we collected our data. Most didn’t have a primary care physician or mental health provider.

After their first visit, 86% of patients accomplished no less than one follow-up visit and 69% accomplished 4 or more visits within the van.

When it got here to connecting patients to more traditional inpatient programs, similar to outpatient addiction treatment programs or buprenorphine prescribed in primary care settings, success was lower. Half of patients made it to no less than one outside appointment for a buprenorphine prescription and 30% made it to 2 or more visits to more traditional clinics.

Why it will be important

As Doctor and researcher in addiction medicineI feel lots about learn how to provide effective treatment to the patients who need it most.

Philadelphia has the best overdose death rate amongst major U.S. cities. The majority of individuals with opioid use disorder – each in Philadelphia and nationwide – received no treatment. In addition, there are persistent racial disparities in treatment, with black and Hispanic patients receive drug treatment less continuously for opioid use disorder. Overdose deaths amongst black Philadelphians have exceeded that of the white residents lately.

The only treatment for opioid use disorder is a drugs, specifically methadone and buprenorphine, often known by the brand name Suboxone. These medications prevent withdrawal symptoms, control opioid cravings, and reduce the chance of overdose if a relapse occurs. Essentially, these medications break the cycle of addiction and permit people to feel normal and deal with the remaining of their lives.

What other research is being carried out

A lot of research papers describe Barriers in addiction treatmentThese include barriers to obtaining medical health insurance coverage, regulations that limit treatment options, and an absence of trained treatment staff.

In addition, many patients have no idea who to show to for addiction treatment, feel poorly treated there or are subjected to rigid and cumbersome Requirements for treatmentThese demands may include each day visits or regular counseling sessions, which may make it difficult to work, care for youngsters, or attend to other necessary life activities.

How we work

The Bupe bus is a so-called low-barrier or Low-threshold modelLow-barrier models aim to bring treatment on to the individuals who need it, without additional bureaucracy. This approach is predicated on the popularity that individuals more more likely to take medication for opioid use disorders in the event that they can access them quickly and these medications are effective without intensive consultation or other requirements And whether persons are abstinent from drugs or not.

This approach is consistent with the way in which healthcare providers treat other conditions similar to diabetes or hypertension. However, it’s less common within the treatment of substance abuse.