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In-hospital Substance Use Policies: An Opportunity to Advance Equity, Reduce Stigma, and Offer Evidence-based Addiction Care

Authors :
Marlene, Martin
Hannah R, Snyder
Gillian, Otway
Leslie, Holpit
Lukejohn W, Day
Dominika, Seidman
Source :
Journal of addiction medicine, vol 17, iss 1
Publication Year :
2023
Publisher :
eScholarship, University of California, 2023.

Abstract

In-hospital substance use is common among patients with addiction because of undertreated withdrawal, undertreated pain, negative feelings, and stigma. Health care system responses to in-hospital substance use often perpetuate stigma and criminalization of people with addiction, long etched into our culture by the racist War on Drugs. In this commentary, we describe how our hospital convened an interprofessional workgroup to revise our in-hospital substance use policy. Our updated policy recommends health care workers respond to substance use concerns by offering patients adequate pain control, evidence-based addiction treatment, and supportive services instead of punitive responses. We provide best-practice recommendations for in-hospital substance use policies.

Details

Database :
OpenAIRE
Journal :
Journal of addiction medicine, vol 17, iss 1
Accession number :
edsair.doi.dedup.....d740dcc9939d8bd6af443b98367891eb