Take-Home Naloxone Program Implementation: Lessons Learned From Seven Chicago-Area Hospitals

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Emergency Medicine
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Consensus recommendations support dispensing naloxone to emergency department (ED) patients at risk for opioid overdose.
• Significant logistic, financial, and administrative barriers hinder the implementation of take-home naloxone programs in hospitals.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe the collective experiences of seven Chicago-area hospitals in implementing take-home naloxone programs.
• To identify key barriers and facilitators for establishing hospital-based naloxone dispensing initiatives.
• To provide actionable recommendations for EDs and policymakers to improve naloxone accessibility.

Main Methods:

• A collective review of implementation experiences across seven Chicago-area hospitals.
• Identification and analysis of common barriers and facilitators encountered during program rollout.

Main Results:

• Key barriers included administrative hesitancy, regulatory unfamiliarity, and challenges in securing naloxone supply.
• Facilitators involved identifying a 'C-suite' champion and establishing multidisciplinary program teams.

Conclusions:

• Successful implementation of take-home naloxone programs requires addressing administrative and financial hurdles.
• Strong leadership and collaborative, multidisciplinary approaches are crucial for overcoming barriers.
• Recommendations are provided to guide future hospital-based naloxone dispensing programs and inform policy.