The ER and the Opioid Crisis: Where Urgency Meets Opportunity
Every day in emergency departments across the country, physicians care for patients on the frontlines of the opioid epidemic. These patients arrive in crisis—overdosing, withdrawing, seeking help, or sometimes just seeking to survive.
Emergency physicians are uniquely positioned to do more than stabilize and discharge. They can save lives long after the patient leaves the ED.
A National Call to Action for ER Doctors
Emergency departments are ground zero for the opioid epidemic. Learn how ER physicians can initiate MAT and connect patients to long-term treatment with DevotedDOC.
The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) has made it clear: emergency physicians are not just responders. They are gatekeepers to recovery.
Through the E-QUAL Opioid Initiative, ACEP has developed quality indicators that empower ER clinicians to:
- Begin buprenorphine treatment (Suboxone) in the ED
- Prescribe naloxone at discharge
- Reduce stigma and promote harm reduction strategies
Watch ACEP’s call to action:
🎥 “Engaging Patients in the ED: Suboxone & Naloxone Best Practices”
Education That Saves Lives
To make this work scalable, organizations like CA Bridge have created free, practical, on-demand training to guide ED teams in:
- Starting buprenorphine safely and quickly
- Managing acute withdrawal
- Coordinating follow-up and transitions of care
🟢 View training modules
📄 Download: ED Buprenorphine Quick Start Guide (PDF)
Another must-watch:
🎥 “Emergency Department MAT Implementation”
Join the Movement
Whether you’re a hospital administrator, an ER director, or a clinician trying to do more—we’re ready to partner.
This is what good medicine looks like. And it starts in the ED.
