Opioid Overdose and Naloxone Kit Distribution: A Quality Assurance Educational Program in the Primary Care Setting

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Medical Education
• Pharmacology

Background:

• The opioid overdose epidemic in 2014 involved approximately 200,000 incidents nationwide.
• A knowledge deficit in opioid prescribing among primary care providers was identified by the 2016 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines as a factor contributing to the epidemic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To deliver education on opioid overdose and distribute naloxone kits.
• To improve primary care providers' knowledge and practices regarding opioid safety and overdose prevention at Veterans Administration facilities in the southeastern United States.

Main Methods:

• A quality assurance project utilizing a convenience sampling strategy.
• Primary care providers prescribing opioids or managing at-risk patients were invited to attend an educational presentation.
• A Likert scale survey was administered pre- and post-presentation to assess effectiveness.

Main Results:

• Provider comfort and perception regarding prescribing naloxone kits significantly improved post-presentation.
• Mean survey scores increased from 64% (32/50) pretest to 84% (42/50) post-presentation.
• Awareness of naloxone kit availability and CDC opioid prescribing recommendations increased.

Conclusions:

• Educational presentations can enhance providers' ability to identify at-risk patients prescribed opioids.
• This intervention supports improved patient safety and mitigation of accidental opioid overdose and death.