Disparities Exist in Outpatient Referrals for Opioid Use Disorder

MONDAY, July 7, 2025 (HealthDay News) — Black patients presenting to the emergency department for an opioid overdose are less likely to receive outpatient referrals for opioid use disorder (OUD), according to a study published online July 2 in JAMA Network Open.

Siri Shastry, M.D., from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, and colleagues examined racial and ethnic disparities in treatment referral rates in emergency department patients with opioid overdose. The analysis included data from 10 hospital sites (1,683 patients) participating in the Toxicology Investigators Consortium Fentalog Study (Sept. 21, 2020, to Nov. 11, 2023).

The researchers found that 17.8 percent of patients presenting to the emergency department received a referral for outpatient treatment, 42.4 percent received a naloxone kit or prescription, and 8.4 percent received a buprenorphine prescription. Black patients had a decreased likelihood of outpatient treatment referral (adjusted odds ratio, 0.67) compared with White patients. Hospital admission was associated with an increased likelihood of outpatient treatment referral (adjusted odds ratio, 3.13). There was geographic variation noted for all primary and secondary outcomes.

“In this study, Black patients were less likely to receive outpatient referrals for OUD,” the authors write. “These findings underscore the need for targeted interventions to address racial disparities in emergency department care for OUD, particularly in enhancing referral processes.”

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