Make Medication Accessible

Opioid agonists, including buprenorphine and methadone, are proven medications that dramatically reduce the risk of fatal overdose, but equitable access is threatened by the dearth of providers and the persistence of obstructionist policies. Vital Strategies partners with governments, providers and communities to dismantle the legal, regulatory and institutional barriers that keep these medications out of reach for so many.  

Naloxone is a safe and effective opioid overdose reversal medication that should be available to anyone likely to witness and ready to respond to an overdose, including families and communities hard-hit by the crisis. 

Vital supports expanding prescribing, dispensing and coverage for all three of these medications in healthcare settings, including hospital emergency departments; carceral settings, including jails and prisons; and low-barrier community settings. 

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan, with Vital Strategies’ support’ launched an initiative for hospitals that eventually expanded to reach more than 75 hospitals across Michigan. The initiative supported staffing, training and technical assistance focused on delivery of buprenorphine through emergency departments. An evaluation by Johns Hopkins University found increased buprenorphine use at every hospital evaluated, as well as reduced delays in care. Henry Ford Health subsequently assessed impact within their own hospital network and reported a 55% increase in buprenorphine administration after participating in the “Just Care” unconscious bias training that was presented through this initiative.