Legal Action Center (LAC) today released a new report examining the legal obligations of hospitals to provide evidence-based and lifesaving care to emergency department patients with substance use disorders. As the primary point of access to the healthcare system for many individuals, hospital emergency departments have a critical role to play in delivering medical care that helps patients with substance use disorder survive and access further treatment. Specifically, evidence-based practices include substance use disorder screening and diagnosis, administration of opioid agonist medications, and treatment referral facilitation along with naloxone distribution or prescription, as appropriate. Read more
- Ann Tucker