Hospitals adjust MOUD practices based on trends in drug supply

Observers often view professional practice as lagging behind the latest evidence emerging from research, but in the case of hospital-based programs initiating medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), the reverse might be true. A clear majority of directors of hospital addiction consult services said in a newly published study that changes in the drug supply on the street have compelled them to alter their practices for initiating methadone and/or buprenorphine in the hospital setting. This is occurring absent any updated clinical guidelines for these practices.