Hospitals adjust MOUD practices based on trends in drug supply

Observers often view professional practice as lagging behind the latest evidence emerging from research, but in the case of hospital‐based programs initiating medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), the reverse might be true. A clear majority of directors of hospital addiction consult services said in a newly published study that changes in the drug supply on the street have compelled them to alter their practices for initiating methadone and/or buprenorphine in the hospital setting. This is occurring absent any updated clinical guidelines for these practices.