03/31/16  Portland, Ore.

March 1, 2016, OHSU Family Medicine at Richmond received a federal grant award for substance abuse intervention. The ongoing grant, amounting to $325,000 annually, initiated the development of a Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Program, which will officially launch in July, 2016.

What does this mean for OHSU Family Medicine at Richmond and its patients? MAT will be managed in a team-based model, which will use a framework that addresses physical, mental and social aspects of patients' health and disorders. Ultimately, the mission is to expand access to Medication Assisted Treatment in the primary care setting for the treatment of opioid dependence.

With the new program, the clinic will be expected to serve about 100 new patients on Buprenorphine, a drug prescribed to treat opioid addiction, as well as a preexisting number of patients who are already on the medication. OHSU Family Medicine at Richmond will also increase its SBIRT (screening, brief intervention, referral to treatment) screenings, and will implement new strategies for following through with patients who are exhibit risky use of alcohol or drugs.

This grant comes on the heels of an increased awareness of the nation's opioid use epidemic, and a growing number of heroin and prescription opioid medication deaths. Across the United States, medical professionals are leading discussions and regulatory changes surrounding opioid use. OHSU Family Medicine is an active participant in these conversations, with features in Forbes Magazine and subspecialty recognition in Addiction Medicine. The development of programs such as MAT is just the beginning of vast and exciting improvements in chronic pain treatment and substance abuse management.