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Multicare Deaconess launches ED pilot offering long‑acting injectable buprenorphine to protect patients from overdose
Summary
Multicare’s Deaconess emergency department began a pilot in February giving long‑acting injectable buprenorphine (Brixadi) to patients with opioid use disorder; staff said 11 injections were given so far, community partners provide follow‑up care, and the approach aims to improve retention and reduce overdoses.
Sarah Welty, nurse care manager for Multicare’s medication for opioid use disorder team, described a Deaconess emergency‑department pilot that began Feb. 3 offering a long‑acting injectable formulation of buprenorphine (Brixadi) to patients who meet clinical criteria.
Welty said the injectable provides five to seven days of coverage from a single dose and that subsequent community follow‑up injections can extend coverage to a month and longer as medication accumulates. She cited literature and program experience showing retention in care at six months above 70% in comparable programs and reported that Deaconess delivered 11 injections in the early weeks of the pilot (the program’s operational goal is about five per month).
The ED pilot is coordinated with community providers (including Bloom Psychiatry, Ideal Option and others named in the meeting) to schedule timely follow‑up injections. Welty said the medication is billable to insurance — including state coverage — and patients without insurance are treated in the ED regardless of coverage. When patients are not clinically eligible for an injectable (for example, they used fentanyl too recently), the ED provides oral buprenorphine, naloxone and an immediate follow‑up appointment.
Welty said the pilot seeks to reduce overdose risk and increase engagement by capturing patients at moments of readiness and providing a low‑barrier pathway into continuing care. She described partnerships with fire/EMS programs to identify eligible patients after overdose and the broader community interest the pilot has generated.
Next steps: Multicare will monitor ED return visits, adverse events and continuity of care with community partners and report findings to regional partners.
