Development of a Low-Barrier, Reimbursable Take-Home Naloxone Program at a Regional Health System.

Introduction: Take-home naloxone (THN) programs in emergency departments (ED) can reduce opioid overdose deaths by providing naloxone directly to at-risk patients before discharge. However, sustainable models that integrate reimbursement and workflow alignment remain limited. Methods: A reimbursable...

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Publicado en:Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health Vol. 26; no. 6; pp. 1605 - 1611
Autores principales: London, Kory S., Patel, Sejal, Lockstein, Drew, Rashid, Jamal, Goodstein, Dennis, Pacitti, Richard, Warrick-Stone, TaReva, Randolph, Frederick, Cherney, Alan, Alexander, Karen, Reed, Megan
Formato: research tables/charts Journal Article
Publicado: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health Nov2025
Acceso en línea:Ver este registro en EBSCOhost
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      dt: Nov2025
      vid: 26
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      pub: Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health
      place: Orange, California
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        atl: Development of a Low-Barrier, Reimbursable Take-Home Naloxone Program at a Regional Health System.
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        au:
          London, Kory S.
          Patel, Sejal
          Lockstein, Drew
          Rashid, Jamal
          Goodstein, Dennis
          Pacitti, Richard
          Warrick-Stone, TaReva
          Randolph, Frederick
          Cherney, Alan
          Alexander, Karen
          Reed, Megan
        affil: Thomas Jefferson University, Department of Emergency Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
      sug:
        subj:
          Naloxone Economics
          Insurance, Health, Reimbursement
          Program Development
          Overdose Drug Therapy
          Substance Use Disorders Drug Therapy
          Naloxone Therapeutic Use
          Emergency Service Administration
          Health Services Administration
          Naloxone Administration and Dosage
          Human
          Pennsylvania
          Male
          Female
          Workflow
          Health Care Delivery, Integrated
          Personnel Staffing and Scheduling
          Patient Education
          Decision Support Techniques
          Social Determinants of Health
          Health Inequities
          Stigma
          Drug Delivery Systems
          Implementation Science
          Retrospective Design
          Record Review
          Nonexperimental Studies
          Pilot Studies
          Multidisciplinary Care Team
          Descriptive Statistics
          Data Analysis Software
          Naloxone Supply and Distribution
          Health Personnel Education
          Health Services Accessibility
          Male
          Female
      ab: Introduction: Take-home naloxone (THN) programs in emergency departments (ED) can reduce opioid overdose deaths by providing naloxone directly to at-risk patients before discharge. However, sustainable models that integrate reimbursement and workflow alignment remain limited. Methods: A reimbursable ED-led THN program was developed across a large regional health system. The program used electronic health record (EHR)-integrated ordering, on-site kit dispensing, and third-party insurance billing when available. Kits were stocked in automated medication dispensing systems and supplemented by city-provided stock for uninsured patients. Pilot outcomes included kits dispensed and reimbursement rates across eight participating EDs. Results: A total of 2,520 naloxone kits were dispensed across eight EDs between January 2019-December 2024, with a total of 6,551 encounters with decision support prompting naloxone ordering (31.6% of eligible). The proportion of kits reimbursed by insurance rose from 46% in 2019 to 95% by 2025. In total, 89.9% of kits were reimbursed either by insurance or public supply (the rest paid by the hospital system). Kit distribution grew from 99 in 2019 to 702 in 2024, reflecting expanded site participation, improved workflows, and greater staff engagement. Conclusion: A reimbursable ED-led naloxone program can increase access to life-saving medication for patients at risk of opioid overdose. Integrating take-home naloxone distribution into EHR workflows, leveraging insurance billing, and partnering with public health agencies offers a sustainable, low-barrier model that other health systems can adopt.
      pubtype: Academic Journal
      doctype:
        research
        tables/charts
        Journal Article
      ougenre: Article
    language: English
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