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Table 1 Project Lazarus strategies and hypothesized effects

From: Associations between implementation of Project Lazarus and opioid analgesic dispensing and buprenorphine utilization in North Carolina, 2009–2014

 

Strategy

Examples of Key Activities

Expected effect on opioid analgesic prescribing

Expected effect on buprenorphine utilization

1

Community Education

• Community- and school-based prevention education

Decrease

Increase

• Multi-media advertising campaigns

2

Diversion Control

• Education on proper storage of medications

No change

No change

• Pill take-backs and fixed disposal sites

• Training of law enforcement in the prevention of medication diversion and the arrest of diverters

3

Support for Patients with Pain

• Development of support groups and other extra-clinical services for patients

Decrease

Increase

• Referrals of patients to clinics

• Pain patient education on reducing risks of overdose

4

Provider Education

• Continuing education on the effective management of chronic pain and appropriate opioid prescribing

Greatest decrease

Increase

• Effective management of patients with chronic pain

5

Hospital Emergency Department (ED) Policy

• Policies to limit controlled substance dispensing in EDs

Decrease

No change

• Policies to require use of the PDMP in EDs

6

Addiction Treatment

• Increases in availability/access to drug detoxification programs and treatment clinics

No change

Greatest increase

• Increases in the number of providers authorized to prescribe buprenorphine for addiction

7

Naloxone Policies

• Provision of naloxone to patients and nonmedical opioid users with high overdose risk and their family members

No change

No change

• Education on reversing overdose before EMS arrival