Expanding the accessibility of harm reduction services in the United States: Measuring the impact of an automated harm reduction dispensing machine.

BACKGROUND: In 2021, approximately 107,622 Americans died from drug overdose in the United States. With overdose deaths rising rapidly, it is imperative that prevention efforts focus on expanding proven, evidence-based strategies to curb overdose death rates such as targeted naloxone distribution and syringe service programs (SSPs). The COVID-19 pandemic placed additional strain on SSPs, increasing the need for programs that minimize direct contact and potential COVID-19 exposure. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the impact of an automated harm reduction dispensing machine on the local accessibility of harm reduction services. OBJECTIVES: The primary outcome of the study is the number of harm reduction supplies distributed to the community by the dispensing machine in its first year compared to the number of supplies distributed by the same organization in the previous year. Secondary outcomes include the countywide incidence of fatal drug overdose and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) compared to previous years. METHODS: The machine is located outside, in the same location as a once weekly, in-person SSP. Clients register with the program over the phone with a harm reduction coordinator. Each client is connected to products and services such as naloxone, sharps containers, safer injection/smoking kits, pregnancy tests, HIV tests, substance use disorder treatment, and more. RESULTS: Since installation, 637 individuals registered with the program, 12% of whom had never reportedly used harm reduction services before. Within its first year of use, the machine dispensed 3360 naloxone doses and 10,155 fentanyl test strips, more than any other SSP in the county. CONCLUSION: The implementation of an automated harm reduction dispensing machine led to an increased accessibility of harm reduction products and services and was associated with a lower countywide incidence of unintentional overdose death and HIV. The association with decreased overdose death and HIV incidence should be further investigated to assess causality.

Assessing the Effectiveness of a Consultant Pharmacist-Led Opioid Stewardship Protocol in Skilled Nursing Facilities.

Background More than 1.4 million adults in the United States live in skilled nursing facilities (SNFs). Opioids are prescribed to approximately 60% of skilled nursing residents, a primarily older patient population. Current opioid prescribing guidelines may be difficult to extrapolate to this population because of pain burden and extensive analgesic use. Furthermore, in the older population, opioids are associated with greater frequency of adverse events with potential for hospitalization and increased all-cause mortality. Objective Evaluate the impact of a consultant pharmacist-led opioid stewardship protocol on patient pain-related outcomes in SNFs. Methods An opioid medication management protocol was implemented by consultant pharmacists at participating SNFs. Consultant pharmacists assessed facility residents for active opioid orders and systematically evaluated use and appropriateness of therapy. Facility data pre- and post-implementation of the protocol was compared to determine effectiveness. The primary outcomes included rate of recommendation acceptance, rate of as-needed (PRN) opioid utilization, and number of residents who experienced a fall. Results A total of 114 patients were included in the study. The percentage of patients utilizing opioid therapy pre-intervention was 78.1% and 74.6% post-intervention (P = 0.29; 95% CI 0.033-1.864). Patient pain scores decreased from an average of 3.7 to 3.2 (P < 0.01). Use of PRN opioid orders transitioned from 84.2% to 71.9% (P = < 0.01; 95% CI 0.055-0.675). Conclusion This study revealed significant reductions in average patient pain scores and reduction in PRN opioid medication utilization, overall emphasizing the positive impact of consultant pharmacist involvement in opioid stewardship within the skilled nursing setting.