TY - JOUR
AU - A. Lee
AU - K. Stokes
AU - D. Goodman
AU - J. Low
AU - A. Johnson
AU - R. Blatman
A1 - 
AB - OBJECTIVE: To educate health care professionals and nurses on buprenorphine initiations in pregnancy, establish a mutual care agreement to promote therapeutic partnership, and standardize buprenorphine initiation using the Epic electronic health record (EHR) order set. PROJECT SUMMARY: This project provides resources that can be adapted and implemented at other institutions to perform inpatient buprenorphine initiations for pregnant patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). The toolkit includes educational PowerPoint presentations, a mutual care agreement template, and a comprehensive order set. This project begins by addressing the gap in health care professional knowledge about medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in pregnancy. We supply educational resources in PowerPoint format. The presentations cover the role of buprenorphine in pregnancy, micro-dose initiation pharmacology, and the use of ancillary supportive medications to manage withdrawal symptoms. Clear expectations and goals help facilitate smooth integration of buprenorphine initiation into inpatient care. The toolkit includes a templated "Mutual Care Agreement" for patients and health care professionals to sign on admission. Lastly, this toolkit addresses the technical barrier of prescribing by providing an order set. The Epic EHR order set, which can be replicated or adapted for other systems, includes dosing and timing for buprenorphine micro-dosing initiation, supportive medications, and comprehensive care considerations. These considerations include treatments for co-occurring substance use, consultations with social workers and psychiatrists, infectious disease screening, and vaccinations. OUTCOME: Disseminating this program will improve pregnant patients' access to MOUD and empower clinicians to provide for patients with OUD. RELEVANCE TO WOMENS HEALTH AND PHYSICIANS IN PRACTICE: Due to the opioid epidemic, pregnancy-related overdose deaths have risen significantly and are becoming a leading cause of maternal mortality. Medications for opioid use disorder decrease mortality. Despite the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' recommendation to treat OUD with MOUD during pregnancy, many health care professionals lack the education and tools to initiate MOUD for pregnant patients with active substance use.
AD - Dartmouth Health, Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire.
AN - 40112301
BT - Obstet Gynecol
C5 - Opioids & Substance Use; Healthcare Disparities
CP - 4
DA - Apr 1
DO - 10.1097/aog.0000000000005868
DP - NLM
IS - 4
JF - Obstet Gynecol
LA - eng
N2 - OBJECTIVE: To educate health care professionals and nurses on buprenorphine initiations in pregnancy, establish a mutual care agreement to promote therapeutic partnership, and standardize buprenorphine initiation using the Epic electronic health record (EHR) order set. PROJECT SUMMARY: This project provides resources that can be adapted and implemented at other institutions to perform inpatient buprenorphine initiations for pregnant patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). The toolkit includes educational PowerPoint presentations, a mutual care agreement template, and a comprehensive order set. This project begins by addressing the gap in health care professional knowledge about medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in pregnancy. We supply educational resources in PowerPoint format. The presentations cover the role of buprenorphine in pregnancy, micro-dose initiation pharmacology, and the use of ancillary supportive medications to manage withdrawal symptoms. Clear expectations and goals help facilitate smooth integration of buprenorphine initiation into inpatient care. The toolkit includes a templated "Mutual Care Agreement" for patients and health care professionals to sign on admission. Lastly, this toolkit addresses the technical barrier of prescribing by providing an order set. The Epic EHR order set, which can be replicated or adapted for other systems, includes dosing and timing for buprenorphine micro-dosing initiation, supportive medications, and comprehensive care considerations. These considerations include treatments for co-occurring substance use, consultations with social workers and psychiatrists, infectious disease screening, and vaccinations. OUTCOME: Disseminating this program will improve pregnant patients' access to MOUD and empower clinicians to provide for patients with OUD. RELEVANCE TO WOMENS HEALTH AND PHYSICIANS IN PRACTICE: Due to the opioid epidemic, pregnancy-related overdose deaths have risen significantly and are becoming a leading cause of maternal mortality. Medications for opioid use disorder decrease mortality. Despite the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists' recommendation to treat OUD with MOUD during pregnancy, many health care professionals lack the education and tools to initiate MOUD for pregnant patients with active substance use.
PY - 2025
SN - 0029-7844
SP - e136
ST - Inpatient Buprenorphine Initiation for Pregnant Patients
T1 - Inpatient Buprenorphine Initiation for Pregnant Patients
T2 - Obstet Gynecol
TI - Inpatient Buprenorphine Initiation for Pregnant Patients
U1 - Opioids & Substance Use; Healthcare Disparities
U3 - 10.1097/aog.0000000000005868
VL - 145
VO - 0029-7844
Y1 - 2025
ER -