Resident Physician University of Washington Psychiatry Residency Training Program - Montana Track Billings, Montana
Presentation Summary: Our analysis characterizes local trends in the prescribing of methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone in geriatric veterans in the VA Puget Sound Health Care System Seattle Division Addiction Treatment Center. We designed a quality improvement project examining changes in provider perceptions and education levels regarding the prescribing of opioid agonist therapy in geriatric veterans before and after reviewing local trends. We observed locally that buprenorphine/naloxone doses were more likely than methadone doses to be reduced by at least half through the end of the analysis period. Disseminating a summary of local prescribing practices to ATC providers improved self-reported education levels surrounding methadone.
Learning Objectives:
At the completion of this activity, participants will:
Describe prescribing patterns of methadone versus oral buprenorphine/naloxone in geriatric veterans receiving treatment at the Veterans Affairs Puget Sound Health Care System (VAPSHCS) Addiction Treatment Center (ATC).
List commonly cited side effects leading to dose reduction of methadone or buprenorphine/naloxone in geriatric veterans at the VAPSHCS ATC.
Formulate future directions for research surrounding the prescribing of methadone and oral buprenorphine/naloxone in geriatric veterans.
