Addiction, Emergency Medicine, Opioids, Painkillers

As Overdose Deaths Rise, Few Emergency Rooms Offer Addiction Help

Medical professionals and addiction treatment advocates have long argued that buprenorphine, which is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, should be available in every emergency room in the country — just like drugs for heart attacks, strokes and diabetic emergencies.  And they argue that emergency physicians should have basic training in addiction medicine and be licensed to write a take-home prescription for buprenorphine.