A New Model of Care for Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Maintenance at Community Pharmacies: A Pilot Effectiveness-Implementation Study

Increasing opioid overdose deaths in Washington State, driven by fentanyl, has required a multi-pronged approach; however, continual access to opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment may be limited or unavailable in some communities. Community pharmacies play a key role in overdose prevention through education and supplying naloxone. The reduction in limitations of who may prescribe medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), creates an opportunity for an increased role of community pharmacies in offering maintenance care for individuals with OUD.

This pilot will evaluate the 1) implementation of MOUD maintenance and 2) effectiveness of MOUD maintenance in three community pharmacies in Washington State. The project will make use of a new model of care developed for MOUD maintenance and leverage key strategic partnerships with ScalaNW and CPESN WA to facilitate the hand-off from primary care and hospital providers to pharmacies, provide academic detailing and ongoing technical assistance, and characterize how MOUD maintenance fits in community pharmacies.

We will use surveys, interviews and on-site visits with community pharmacy staff to evaluate implementation outcomes using the RE-AIM framework, and dispensing data from enrolled pharmacies to understand prescribing patterns and continuity of care.   We will demonstrate the model of care and implications for MOUD treatment delivery in underserved areas of the state to improve human health and economic equity. This project lays the foundation for broader adoption in Washington State, with the potential to impact overdose rates and bolster treatment services.

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