Western Journal of Emergency Medicine: Integrating Emergency Care with Population Health

With national attention on the current opioid epidemic, a growing focus has been placed on provider prescribing practices. Medical students and residents experience significant variation in the quality of education they receive on substance use detection and intervention in the Emergency Department. To achieve a better standard of education, clinical educators will need to (A) develop a clearer understanding of the impact of provider prescribing patterns on the opioid epidemic, (B) promote uptake of evidence-based opioid prescribing guidelines in their emergency departments, and (C) introduce and integrate opioid management and addiction medicine training formally into their medical school curricula.