Encampment Clearings And Transitional Housing: A Qualitative Analysis Of Resident Perspectives.

The number of people experiencing homelessness in tent encampments in the US has increased significantly. Citing concerns over health and safety, many cities have pursued highly visible encampment removals. In January 2022, a major tent encampment in Boston, Massachusetts, was cleared using a unique approach: Most encampment residents were placed in transitional harm reduction housing. We conducted interviews between July 2022 and February 2023 with thirty former encampment residents to explore how the encampment clearing affected their health and sense of safety. We also explored participants' perspectives on harm reduction housing. Of those interviewed, fourteen people had been placed in such housing. Among those not placed, the encampment clearing tended to exacerbate health and safety concerns, especially those related to mental health conditions and risk for violence. Among people successfully placed, harm reduction housing improved health and safety and allowed participants to make meaningful progress toward long-term goals such as addiction recovery, management of chronic health conditions, and permanent housing. Our findings suggest that encampments can have safety-promoting characteristics, but if encampment removal is pursued, offering harm reduction housing after removal can be beneficial.

Mobile treatment for opioid use disorder: Implementation of community-based, same-day medication access interventions.

BACKGROUND: Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD) are lifesaving, but <20 % of individuals in the US who could benefit receive them. As part of the NIH-supported HEALing Communities Study (HCS), coalitions in several communities in Massachusetts and Ohio implemented mobile MOUD programs to overcome barriers to MOUD receipt. We defined mobile MOUD programs as units that provide same-day access to MOUD at remote sites. We aimed to (1) document the design and organizational structure of mobile programs providing same-day or next-day MOUD, and (2) explore the barriers and facilitators to implementation as well as the successes and challenges of ongoing operation. METHODS: Program staff from five programs in two states (n = 11) participated in semi-structured interviews. Two authors conducted thematic analysis of the transcripts based on the domains of the social-ecological model and the semi-structured interview guide. RESULTS: Mobile MOUD units sought to improve immediate access to MOUD ("Our answer is pretty much always, 'Yes, we'll get you started right here, right now,'"), advance equity ("making sure that we have staff who speak other languages, who are on the unit and have some resources that are in different languages,"), and decrease opioid overdose deaths. Salient program characteristics included diverse staff, including staff with lived experience of substance use ("She just had that personal knowledge of where we should be going"). Mobile units offered harm reduction services, broad medical services (in particular, wound care), and connection to transportation programs and incorporated consistency in service provision and telemedicine access. Implementation facilitators included trusting relationships with partner organizations (particularly pharmacies and correctional facilities), nuanced understanding of local politics, advertising, protocol flexibility, and on-unit prescriber hours. Barriers included unclear licensing requirements, staffing shortages and competing priorities for staff, funding challenges due to inconsistency in grant funding and low reimbursement ("It's not really possible that billing in and of itself is going to be able to sustain it"), and community stigma toward addiction services generally. CONCLUSIONS: Despite organizational, community, and policy barriers, participants described mobile MOUD units as an innovative way to expand access to life-saving medications, promote equity in MOUD treatment, and overcome stigma.

Changes to opioid overdose deaths and community naloxone access among Black, Hispanic and White people from 2016 to 2021 with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic: An interrupted time-series analysis in Massachusetts, USA.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The onset of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic was associated with a surge in opioid overdose deaths in Massachusetts, particularly affecting racial and ethnic minority communities. We aimed to compare the impact of the pandemic on opioid overdose fatalities and naloxone distribution from community-based programs across racial and ethnic groups in Massachusetts. DESIGN: Interrupted time-series. SETTING AND CASES: Opioid overdose deaths (OODs) among non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic and non-Hispanic other race people in Massachusetts, USA (January 2016 to June 2021). MEASUREMENTS: Rate of OODs per 100 000 people, rate of naloxone kits distributed per 100 000 people and ratio of naloxone kits per opioid overdose death as a measure of naloxone availability. We applied five imputation strategies using complete data in different periods to account for missingness of race and ethnicity for naloxone data. FINDINGS: Before COVID-19 (January 2016 to February 2020), the rate of OODs declined among non-Hispanic White people [0.2% monthly reduction (95% confidence interval = 0.0-0.4%)], yet was relatively constant among all other population groups. The rate of naloxone kits increased across all groups (0.8-1.2% monthly increase) and the ratio of naloxone kits per OOD death among non-Hispanic White was 1.1% (0.8-1.4%) and among Hispanic people was 1.0% (0.2-1.8%). After the onset of the pandemic (March 2020+), non-Hispanic Black people experienced an immediate increase in the rate of OODs [63.6% (16.4-130%)], whereas rates among other groups remained similar. Trends in naloxone rescue kit distribution did not substantively change among any groups, and the ratio of naloxone kits per OOD death for non-Hispanic Black people did not compensate for the surge in OODs deaths in this group. CONCLUSIONS: With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a surge in opioid overdose deaths among non-Hispanic Black people in Massachusetts, USA with no compensatory increase in naloxone rescue kit distribution. For non-Hispanic White and Hispanic people, opioid overdose deaths remained stable and naloxone kit distribution continued to increase.

Comparison of a national commercial pharmacy naloxone data source to state and city pharmacy naloxone data sources-Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and New York City, 2013-2019.

OBJECTIVE: Accurate naloxone distribution data are critical for planning and prevention purposes, yet sources of naloxone dispensing data vary by location, and completeness of local datasets is unknown. We sought to compare available datasets in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York City (NYC) to a commercially available pharmacy national claims dataset (Symphony Health Solutions). DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SETTING: We utilized retail pharmacy naloxone dispensing data from NYC (2018-2019), Rhode Island (2013-2019), and Massachusetts (2014-2018), and pharmaceutical claims data from Symphony Health Solutions (2013-2019). STUDY DESIGN: We conducted a descriptive, retrospective, and secondary analysis comparing naloxone dispensing events (NDEs) captured via Symphony to NDEs captured by local datasets from the three jurisdictions between 2013 and 2019, when data were available from both sources, using descriptive statistics, regressions, and heat maps. DATA COLLECTION/EXTRACTION METHODS: We defined an NDE as a dispensing event documented by the pharmacy and assumed that each dispensing event represented one naloxone kit (i.e., two doses). We extracted NDEs from local datasets and the Symphony claims dataset. The unit of analysis was the ZIP Code annual quarter. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: NDEs captured by Symphony exceeded those in local datasets for each time period and location, except in RI following legislation requiring NDEs to be reported to the PDMP. In regression analysis, absolute differences in NDEs between datasets increased substantially over time, except in RI before the PDMP. Heat maps of NDEs by ZIP code quarter showed important variations reflecting where pharmacies may not be reporting NDEs to Symphony or local datasets. CONCLUSIONS: Policymakers must be able to monitor the quantity and location of NDEs in order to combat the opioid crisis. In regions where NDEs are not required to be reported to PDMPs, proprietary pharmaceutical claims datasets may be useful alternatives, with a need for local expertise to assess dataset-specific variability.

Impact of Medicaid expansion on inclusion of medications for opioid use disorder in homeless adults' treatment plans.

INTRODUCTION: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) bear disproportionate opioid mortality. This article aims to determine how state Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act impacted the inclusion of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in treatment plans for housed versus homeless individuals. METHODS: The Treatment Episodes Data Set (TEDS) provided data on 6,878,044 U.S. treatment admissions between 2006 and 2019. Difference-in-differences analysis compared MOUD treatment plans and Medicaid enrollment for housed versus homeless clients in states that did and did not expand Medicaid. RESULTS: Medicaid expansion was associated with a 35.2 (95 % CI, 11.9 to 58.4) percentage point increase in Medicaid enrollment and an 8.51 (95 % CI, 1.13 to 15.9) percentage point increase in MOUD-inclusive treatment plans for housed and homeless clients alike. Yet the pre-existing MOUD disparity persisted, with PEH being 11.8 (95 % CI, -18.6 to -5.07) percentage points less likely to have MOUD-inclusive treatment plans. CONCLUSIONS: Medicaid expansion may be an effective tool for increasing MOUD treatment plans for PEH in the 11 states that have not yet implemented the policy, but additional efforts to increase MOUD initiation for PEH will be necessary for closing their treatment gap.

Naloxone Online Information Exceeds the Recommended Reading Level for Patient Education Materials.

OBJECTIVE: The opioid epidemic claimed 68,630 lives in 2020 in the United States. It reached record levels during the COVID-19 pandemic. Public comprehension of naloxone, the reversal agent for opioid overdoses, is necessary for its broad uptake and the prevention of opioid-related deaths. This study assesses whether online patient education materials for naloxone meet national readability guidelines. It further compares the readability of naloxone materials to that of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) materials, given that the latter is an established and widespread life-saving procedure. METHOD: We searched Google in March 2022 for three terms: "naloxone," "Narcan," and "CPR." The top 15 websites for each term were retrieved, processed, and inputted into a readability calculator to generate six validated reading scale scores. Statistical analyses were performed to compare the readability of naloxone/Narcan online information against national standards and the readability of CPR online information. RESULTS: The average readability of naloxone/Narcan websites was grade 11.2 ± 2.3, and none of the websites met the recommended sixth-grade reading level for patient education materials. In comparison, the average readability of CPR websites was 7.8 ± 1.5. Of the naloxone/Narcan websites, only 17% (4/24) had a readability at or below the eighth-grade level, the average reading level of U.S. adults. In comparison, 80% (12/15) of the CPR websites had a readability at or below the eighth-grade level. CONCLUSIONS: Naloxone online information exceeds the recommended reading level and that of CPR materials. Online information about naloxone should be simplified to broaden educational access to this life-saving medication.

Estimated Costs and Outcomes Associated With Use and Nonuse of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder During Incarceration and at Release in Massachusetts.

Importance: Most prisons and jails in the US discontinue medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) upon incarceration and do not initiate MOUD prior to release. Objective: To model the association of MOUD access during incarceration and at release with population-level overdose mortality and OUD-related treatment costs in Massachusetts. Design, Setting, and Participants: This economic evaluation used simulation modeling and cost-effectiveness with costs and quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) discounted at 3% to compare MOUD treatment strategies in a corrections cohort and an open cohort representing individuals with OUD in Massachusetts. Data were analyzed between July 1, 2021, and September 30, 2022. Exposures: Three strategies were compared: (1) no MOUD provided during incarceration or at release, (2) extended-release (XR) naltrexone offered only at release from incarceration, and (3) all 3 MOUDs (naltrexone, buprenorphine, and methadone) offered at intake. Main Outcomes and Measures: Treatment starts and retention, fatal overdoses, life-years and QALYs, costs, and incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs). Results: Among 30 000 simulated incarcerated individuals with OUD, offering no MOUD was associated with 40 927 (95% uncertainty interval [UI], 39 001-42 082) MOUD treatment starts over a 5-year period and 1259 (95% UI, 1130-1323) overdose deaths after 5 years. Over 5 years, offering XR-naltrexone at release led to 10 466 (95% UI, 8515-12 201) additional treatment starts, 40 (95% UI, 16-50) fewer overdose deaths, and 0.08 (95% UI, 0.05-0.11) QALYs gained per person, at an incremental cost of $2723 (95% UI, $141-$5244) per person. In comparison, offering all 3 MOUDs at intake led to 11 923 (95% UI, 10 861-12 911) additional treatment starts, compared with offering no MOUD, 83 (95% UI, 72-91) fewer overdose deaths, and 0.12 (95% UI, 0.10-0.17) QALYs per person gained, at an incremental cost of $852 (95% UI, $14-$1703) per person. Thus, XR-naltrexone only was a dominated strategy (both less effective and more costly) and the ICER of all 3 MOUDs compared with no MOUD was $7252 (95% UI, $140-$10 018) per QALY. Among everyone with OUD in Massachusetts, XR-naltrexone only averted 95 overdose deaths over 5 years (95% UI, 85-169)-a 0.9% decrease in state-level overdose mortality-while the all-MOUD strategy averted 192 overdose deaths (95% UI, 156-200)-a 1.8% decrease. Conclusions and Relevance: The findings of this simulation-modeling economic study suggest that offering any MOUD to incarcerated individuals with OUD would prevent overdose deaths and that offering all 3 MOUDs would prevent more deaths and save money compared with an XR-naltrexone-only strategy.

Prescribing Syringes to People Who Inject Drugs: Advancing Harm Reduction in Primary Care.

Access to new syringes can reduce the risk of HIV and hepatitis C transmission, skin and soft tissue infections, and infectious endocarditis for people who inject drugs (PWID). Syringe service programs (SSPs) and other harm reduction programs are a good source of syringes. However, they are sometimes not accessible due to limited hours, geographic barriers, and other factors. In this perspective, we argue that when PWID faces barriers to syringes physicians and other providers should prescribe, and pharmacists should dispense, syringes to decrease health risks associated with syringe re-use. This strategy is endorsed by professional organizations and is legally permissible in most states. Such prescribing has numerous benefits, including insurance coverage of the cost of syringes and the sense of legitimacy conveyed by a prescription. We discuss these benefits as well as the legality of prescribing and dispensing syringes and address practical considerations such as type of syringe, quantity, and relevant diagnostic codes, if required. In the face of an unprecedented overdose crisis with many associated health harms, we also make the case for advocacy to change state and federal laws to make access to prescribed syringes uniform, smooth, and universal as part of a suite of harm reduction efforts.

Health professions school applicant experiences of discrimination during interviews.

BACKGROUND: Bias pervades every aspect of healthcare including admissions, perpetuating the lack of diversity in the healthcare workforce. Admissions interviews may be a time when applicants to health profession education programs experience discrimination. METHODS: Between January and June 2021 we invited US and Canadian applicants to health profession education programs to complete a survey including the Everyday Discrimination Scale, adapted to ascertain experiences of discrimination during admissions interviews. We used chi-square tests and multivariable logistic regression to determine associations between identity factors and positive responses. RESULTS: Of 1115 respondents, 281 (25.2%) reported discrimination in the interview process. Individuals with lower socioeconomic status (OR: 1.78, 95% CI [1.26, 2.52], p = 0.001) and non-native English speakers (OR: 1.76, 95% CI [1.08, 2.87], p = 0.02) were significantly more likely to experience discrimination. Half of those experiencing discrimination (139, or 49.6%) did nothing in response, though 44 (15.7%) reported the incident anonymously and 10 (3.6%) reported directly to the institution where it happened. CONCLUSIONS: Reports of discrimination are common among HPE applicants. Reforms at the interviewer- (e.g. avoiding questions about family planning) and institution-level (e.g. presenting institutional efforts to promote health equity) are needed to decrease the incidence and mitigate the impact of such events.

Exploring Access and Utilization of Early Intervention Services Among Families Experiencing Homelessness: A Qualitative Study.

Children experiencing homelessness face particular barriers to accessing early interventions. Our study sought to explore the experiences of families in accessing Early Intervention Program services (EI) while living in a family shelter. Semi-structured in-depth interviews were undertaken with nineteen caregivers who had recently experienced or were contemporaneously experiencing homelessness from three shelter sites in Boston, Massachusetts. Our findings demonstrate the role of the shelter both in inhibiting and promoting access to early intervention. Shelter-related barriers included limited physical space, lack of care continuity amidst frequent relocations, and mistrust due to feelings of stigma. Early interventionists played a crucial role in mitigating challenges but were often unable to fully overcome these and other barriers tied to shelter environments. Effective strategies included flexibility in accommodating shifting schedules, provision of socioemotional support, and proactively linking caregivers to additional upstream resources. Efforts to mitigate shelter-related challenges will require interdisciplinary collaboration at both local and state levels. Further efforts should focus on providing increased continuity of care in a manner that acknowledges the structural barriers of homelessness.

The role of increasing pharmacy and community distributed naloxone in the opioid overdose epidemic in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York City.

Background: Naloxone distributed to people at risk for opioid overdose has been associated with reduced overdose death rates; however, associations of retail pharmacy-distributed naloxone with overdose mortality have not been evaluated. Methods: Our analytic cohort uses retail pharmacy claims data; three health departments' community distribution data; federal opioid overdose data; and American Community Survey data. Data were analyzed by 3-digit ZIP Code and calendar quarter-year (2016Q1-2018Q4), and weighted by population. We regressed opioid-related overdose mortality on retail-pharmacy and community naloxone distribution, and community-level demographics using a linear model, hypothesizing that areas with high overdose rates would have higher current levels of naloxone distribution but that increasing naloxone distribution from one quarter to the next would be associated with lower overdose. Results: From Q1-2016 to Q4-2018, the unadjusted naloxone distribution rate increased from 97 to 257 kits per 100,000 persons, while the unadjusted opioid overdose mortality rate fell from 8.1 to 7.2 per 100,000 persons. The concurrent level of naloxone distribution (both pharmacy and community) was positively and significantly associated with fatal opioid overdose rates. We did not detect associations between change in naloxone distribution rates and overdose mortality. Conclusion: Naloxone distribution volumes were correlated with fatal opioid overdose, suggesting medication was getting to communities where it was needed most. Amid high rates of overdose driven by fentanyl in the drug supply, our findings suggest additional prevention, treatment, and harm reduction interventions are required-and dramatically higher naloxone volumes needed-to reverse the opioid overdose crisis in the US.

Evaluating equity in community-based naloxone access among racial/ethnic groups in Massachusetts.

BACKGROUND: Racial/ethnic minorities have experienced disproportionate opioid-related overdose death rates in recent years. In this context, we examined inequities in community-based naloxone access across racial/ethnic groups in Massachusetts. METHODS: We used data from: the Massachusetts Department of Public Health on community-based overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs; the Massachusetts Office of the Chief Medical Examiner on opioid-related overdose deaths, and; the United States Census American Community Survey for regional demographic/socioeconomic details to estimate community populations by race/ethnicity and racial segregation between African American/Black and white residents. Race/ethnicity groups included in the analysis were African American/Black (non-Hispanic), Hispanic, white (non-Hispanic), and "other" (non-Hispanic). We evaluated racial/ethnic differences in naloxone distribution across regions in Massachusetts and neighborhoods in Boston descriptively and spatially, plotting the race/ethnicity-specific number of kits per opioid-related overdose death per jurisdiction. Lastly, we constructed generalized estimating equations models with a negative binomial distribution to compare the race/ethnicity-specific naloxone distribution rate by OEND programs. RESULTS: From 2016-2019, the median annual rate of naloxone kits received from OEND programs in Massachusetts per racial/ethnicity group ranged between 160 and 447 per 100,000. In a multivariable analysis, we found that the naloxone distribution rates for racial/ethnic minorities were lower than the rate for white residents. We also found naloxone was more likely to be distributed in racially segregated communities than non-segregated communities. CONCLUSION: We identified racial/ethnic inequities in naloxone receipt by individuals in Massachusetts. Additional resources focused on designing and implementing OEND programs for racial/ethnic minorities are warranted to ensure equitable access to naloxone.

Modeling the cost-effectiveness and impact on fatal overdose and initiation of buprenorphine-naloxone treatment at syringe service programs.

AIM: To estimate the number of treatment initiations, averted fatal opioid overdoses and the cost-effectiveness associated with offering buprenorphine-naloxone (buprenorphine) treatment on-site within existing syringe service programs (SSPs) in Massachusetts, USA. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: This was a cohort-based mathematical model and cost-effectiveness analysis. We derived model inputs from state and national surveillance data, clinical trials and observational cohort studies. We compared an intervention scenario where 30% of SSP clients initiated buprenorphine treatment on-site at least once annually to a status quo scenario where no buprenorphine was available on-site among community treatment providers in Massachusetts, 2020-30. In individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) we assumed that 80% of SSP clients had recently injected drugs and that treatment within SSPs would have similar or improved retention compared with standard-of-care buprenorphine programs, but higher rates of active opioid use while in treatment. MEASUREMENTS: Number of treatment initiations (i.e. individuals began treatment on a medication for opioid use disorder or entered medically managed withdrawal), averted fatal opioid overdoses, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and life-time discounted costs from a health sector and a limited societal perspective. FINDINGS: The status quo scenario resulted in 23 051 fatal overdoses and 1 511 613 treatment initiations over a 10-year simulation period. An intervention scenario with on-site SSP buprenorphine treatment averted 4797 (-20.8%) fatal opioid overdoses and resulted in 129 359 (+8.6%) additional treatment initiations compared with the status quo. The intervention scenario was the dominating scenario: providing OUD treatment through Massachusetts SSPs cost less (-$3612 per person) with patients accumulating more QALYs (0.2 per person) compared with the status quo scenario. CONCLUSIONS: Offering buprenorphine treatment on-site within syringe service programs has the potential to decrease fatal overdoses substantially, improve treatment engagement and save on costs.

"Sick and tired of being sick and tired": Exploring initiation of medications for opioid use disorder among people experiencing homelessness.

INTRODUCTION: People experiencing homelessness (PEH) make up a disproportionate share of opioid overdose fatalities. We set out to identify the facilitators and barriers that shape whether PEH initiate medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs), both generally and after an overdose. METHODS: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 29 PEH in Boston who had self-reported history of opioid overdose. Seventeen participants had taken prescribed MOUD, and 12 had not. Using NVivo software we then coded transcripts applying the Borkan Immersion Crystallization method to identify individual, social, and structural factors influencing MOUD initiation. RESULTS: Individual factors: Within the "timing" theme, non-fatal overdoses often led participants to feel sick with naloxone-induced withdrawal, decreasing treatment-seeking. By contrast, chronic opioid use consequences, like daily stress with finding drugs and shelter, increased interest in MOUD. Within the "medication benefits" and "medication concerns" themes, interest in MOUD initiation hinged on whether participants believed in or doubted MOUDs' effectiveness for reducing drug use. In a related theme, participants perceived that individuals must be "ready" in order for MOUDs to be effective. Social factors: Within the "peer influence" theme, peers who use opioids were prominent sources of encouragement or deterrence for starting MOUD. "Family influence" emerged as a theme for participants with MOUD history. Structural factors: Within the "health systems" theme, participants described that experiencing stigma from care providers toward people who use drugs was a barrier to MOUD. Within the "treatment systems" theme, regulations made methadone particularly difficult to access, even though nearly all participants had Medicaid coverage to pay for treatment. Within the "criminal justice systems" theme, participants reported frequent criminal justice involvement, with jails facilitating or preventing MOUD access. CONCLUSIONS: Future interventions should (a) increase MOUD interest by messaging-ideally via peers-that MOUDs are effective for PEH and (b) increase MOUD access by making MOUDs available across health, treatment, and carceral systems. Mobile outreach and MOUD treatment would help reach PEH when they are facing daily opioid use disorder stressors and are more open to MOUD initiation. Future research should explore how racial, ethnic, and linguistic identities affect MOUD engagement among PEH.

Awareness, Utilization, and Preferences of Harm Reduction Interventions among Street-Involved Young Adults in Boston.

OBJECTIVES: This study explores knowledge and utilization of, barriers to, and preferences for harm reduction services among street-involved young adults (YA) in Boston, Massachusetts. METHODS: This cross-sectional survey of YA encountered between November and December 2019 by a longstanding outreach program for street-involved YA. We report descriptive statistics on participant-reported substance use, knowledge and utilization of harm reduction strategies, barriers to harm reduction services and treatment, and preferences for harm reduction service delivery. RESULTS: The 52 YA surveyed were on average 21.4 years old; 63.5% were male, and 44.2% were Black. Participants reported high past-week marijuana (80.8%) and alcohol (51.9%) use, and 15.4% endorsed opioid use and using needles to inject drugs in the past six months. Fifteen (28.8%) YA had heard of "harm reduction", and 17.3% reported participating in harm reduction services. The most common barriers to substance use disorder treatment were waitlists and cost. Participants suggested that harm reduction programs offer peer support (59.6%) and provide a variety of services including pre-exposure prophylaxis (42.3%) and sexually transmitted infection testing (61.5%) at flexible times and in different languages, including Spanish (61.5%) and Portuguese (17.3%). CONCLUSIONS: There is need for comprehensive, YA-oriented harm reduction outreach geared toward marginalized YA and developed with YA input to reduce barriers, address gaps in awareness and knowledge of harm reduction, and make programs more relevant and inviting to YA.

Community-based naloxone coverage equity for the prevention of opioid overdose fatalities in racial/ethnic minority communities in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Opioid-related overdose death rates continue to rise in the United States, especially in racial/ethnic minority communities. Our objective was to determine if US municipalities with high percentages of non-white residents have equitable access to the overdose antidote naloxone distributed by community-based organizations. METHODS: We used community-based naloxone data from the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and the Rhode Island non-pharmacy naloxone distribution program for 2016-18. We obtained publicly available opioid-related overdose death data from Massachusetts and the Office of the State Medical Examiners in Rhode Island. We defined the naloxone coverage ratio as the number of community-based naloxone kits received by a resident in a municipality divided by the number of opioid-related overdose deaths among residents, updated annually. We used a Poisson regression with generalized estimating equations to analyze the relationship between the municipal racial/ethnic composition and naloxone coverage ratio. To account for the potential non-linear relationship between naloxone coverage ratio and race/ethnicity we created B-splines for the percentage of non-white residents; and for a secondary analysis examining the percentage of African American/black and Hispanic residents. The models were adjusted for the percentage of residents in poverty, urbanicity, state and population size. RESULTS: Between 2016 and 2018, the annual naloxone coverage ratios range was 0-135. There was no difference in naloxone coverage ratios among municipalities with varying percentages of non-white residents in our multivariable analysis. In the secondary analysis, municipalities with higher percentages of African American/black residents had higher naloxone coverage ratios, independent of other factors. Naloxone coverage did not differ by percentage of Hispanic residents. CONCLUSIONS: There appear to be no municipal-level racial/ethnic inequities in naloxone distribution in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, USA.

Broadening access to naloxone: Community predictors of standing order naloxone distribution in Massachusetts.

BACKGROUND: Naloxone is a prescription medication that reverses opioid overdoses. Allowing naloxone to be dispensed directly by a pharmacist without an individual prescription under a naloxone standing order (NSO) can expand access. The community-level factors associated with naloxone dispensed under NSO are unknown. METHODS: Using a dataset comprised of pharmacy reports of naloxone dispensed under NSO from 70% of Massachusetts retail pharmacies, we examined relationships between community-level demographics, rurality, measures of treatment for opioid use disorder, and overdose deaths with naloxone dispensed under NSO per ZIP Code-quarter from 2014 until 2018. We used a multi-variable zero-inflated negative binomial model, assessing odds of any naloxone dispensed under NSO, as well as a multi-variable negative binomial model assessing quantities of naloxone dispensed under NSO. RESULTS: From 2014-2018, quantities of naloxone dispensed under NSO and the number of pharmacies dispensing any naloxone under NSO increased over time. However, communities with greater percentages of people with Hispanic ethnicity (aOR 0.91, 95% CI 0.86-0.96 per 5% increase), and rural communities compared to urban communities (aOR 0.81, 95% CI 0.73-0.90) were less likely to dispense any naloxone by NSO. Communities with more individuals treated with buprenorphine dispensed more naloxone under NSO, as did communities with more opioid-related overdose deaths. CONCLUSION: Naloxone dispensing has substantially increased, in part driven by standing orders. A lower likelihood of naloxone being dispensed under NSO in communities with larger Hispanic populations and in more rural communities suggests the need for more equitable access to, and uptake of, lifesaving medications like naloxone.

Equity in medical education: Addressing microaggressions and discrimination on the wards.

PURPOSE: Existing frameworks to address instances of microaggressions and discrimination in the clinical environment have largely been developed for faculty and resident physicians, creating a lack of resources for medical students. METHODS: We implemented a workshop to prepare pre-clinical medical/dental students to recognize and respond to microaggressions. Participants in three cohorts from 2018 to 2020 completed pre- and post-workshop surveys assessing the prevalence of exposure to clinical microaggressions and the workshop's effect on mitigating commonly perceived barriers to addressing microaggressions. RESULTS: Of 461 first-year medical and dental students who participated, 321 (69.6%) provided survey responses. Over 80% of students reported experiencing microaggressions, with women and URM students over-represented. After the workshop, participants reported significant reductions in barriers to addressing microaggressions and discrimination, including recognizing incidents, uncertainty of what to say or do, lack of allies, lack of familiarity with institutional policies, and uncertainty of clinical relevance. The workshop was similarly effective in-person and virtual formats. CONCLUSIONS: Most medical/dental student respondents reported experiencing microaggressions in the clinical setting, particularly female and URM students. Our workshop mitigated most perceived challenges to responding to microaggressions. Future interventions across institutions should continue to equip students with the tools they need to address and respond to microaggressions.