Background information

Government agencies, including the VA, DoD, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services  Administration (SAMHSA), have also launched initiatives to improve the study and treatment of pain and  adverse events associated with opioid analgesics such as OUD and overdose. By August 2013, the VA  deployed the Opioid Safety Initiative (OSI) requirements to all Veterans Integrated Service Networks  (VISNs) with the aim of ensuring opioids are used in a safe, effective, and judicious manner. The goals of  the OSI related to such topics as increased education, monitoring, use of safe and effective prescribing and  management methods, tool development, collaboration, and use of alternative pain treatment. The OSI  uses the Veterans Health Administration (VHA’s) electronic health record to identify patients who may be  high-risk for adverse outcomes with use of opioids and providers whose prescribing practices do not  reflect best evidence so that patient care can be improved. The OSI requirements include specific  indicators (e.g., the number of unique pharmacy patients dispensed an opioid, the unique patients on LOT who have received UDT). As part of the OSI, the VA launched the Opioid Overdose Education and  Naloxone Distribution (OEND) program, which was implemented as a risk mitigation strategy aimed at  reducing deaths from opioid overdose. The program components included education and training  regarding the following topics: opioid overdose prevention, recognition, and rescue response; risk  mitigation strategies; and issuing naloxone kits, which can be used as an antidote to opioid  overdose.

Question: Which government agencies launched initiatives to improve the study and treatment of pain and  adverse events associated with opioid analgesics?
Answer: VA, DoD, and Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services  Administration (SAMHSA)

Question: What is SAMHSA?
Answer: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services  Administration

Question: When did VA deploy the Opioid Safety Initiative requirements to all Veterans Integrated Service Networks?
Answer: August 2013

Question: What was the aim of the Opioid Safety Initiative?
Answer: ensuring opioids are used in a safe, effective, and judicious manner.

Question: What is OSI?
Answer: Opioid Safety Initiative

Question: What is VISNs?
Answer: Veterans Integrated Service Networks

Question: In which topics the goals of the OSI is related to?
Answer: increased education, monitoring, use of safe and effective prescribing and  management methods, tool development, collaboration, and use of alternative pain treatment

Question: What does the OSI use to identify patients who may be  high-risk for adverse outcomes with use of opioids?
Answer: Veterans Health Administration (VHA’s) electronic health record

Question: What does the OSI use to identify providers whose prescribing practices do not  reflect best evidence so that patient care can be improved?
Answer: Veterans Health Administration (VHA’s) electronic health record

Question: Why does the OSI use Veterans Health Administration (VHA’s) electronic health record?
Answer: to identify patients who may be  high-risk for adverse outcomes with use of opioids and providers whose prescribing practices do not  reflect best evidence so that patient care can be improved

Question: What does the OSI requirements include?
Answer: specific  indicators (e.g., the number of unique pharmacy patients dispensed an opioid, the unique patients on LOT who have received UDT)

Question: What was launched by the VA as part of the OSI?
Answer: the Opioid Overdose Education and  Naloxone Distribution (OEND) program

Question: What was the purpose of the OEND program?
Answer: implemented as a risk mitigation strategy aimed at  reducing deaths from opioid overdose

Question: What are the components of the OEND program?
Answer: education and training  regarding the following topics: opioid overdose prevention, recognition, and rescue response; risk  mitigation strategies; and issuing naloxone kits, which can be used as an antidote to opioid  overdose