Welcome to B-CORE:
Brigham Comprehensive
Opioid Response and
Education Program
The U.S. is in the midst of an opioid epidemic, and Massachusetts has suffered disproportionately. Every year, over 2,000 people have died from an opioid-related overdose in our state each year for the past several years. Opioid-related deaths outnumber any other type of accidental death, including from motor vehicle accidents. The number of lost lives is just a small fraction of the morbidity associated with opioids; our communities are in crisis – a crisis that affects young and old, rich and poor, and all races. We know that prescribers are partially responsible: Governor Baker’s opioid taskforce reported that 50% of Massachusetts residents stated that painkillers are overprescribed, and that Massachusetts doctors are less likely to discuss the risks of opioid medications than physicians in other parts of the country. We also know that patients have a poor understanding about the safety of opioids, and that, since the majority of non-medical users of opioids get them from friends or relatives, there is an opportunity to reduce diversion through more appropriate prescribing and disposal of unused medications. Finally, once a person becomes addicted, options for treatment are limited by a hard-to-navigate, fragmented system that makes it challenging for someone in their time of need to actually get help.
In response, we have launched the Brigham Comprehensive Response and Education (B-CORE) Program. This project is designed to serve the entire Brigham and Women’s Healthcare system to address all aspects of opioids as they relate to patients and our community.
Our initiatives include:
1) Prescribing guidelines
2) Improved access to naloxone to help reverse overdoses
3) Improved access to treatment for patients with opioid use disorder
4) Interfacing with the larger Partners system to improve resources for providers
5) Focusing on education of providers and patients regarding the safe use of opioids
Opioid-related harm is the public health issue of this time in Massachusetts. It affects each of us. It is a topic where we, at the Brigham, want to lead. Thank you for interest and contact us at any time for questions or to become involved.
Brigham Health: Hospitals without Stigma
We at Brigham Health strive to use clinically appropriate and medically accurate terminology that recognizes substance use disorder as a chronic illness. Health care professionals' treatment decisions are influenced by how they talk about addiction. Using the right language has an impact on lessening stigma and on whether people with substance use disorders seek treatment. We invite every member of the Brigham community to pledge to recognize the power of words and raise awareness around language used; to treat all people with a substance use disorder with respect; to recognize substance use disorder as a chronic medical condition; and to advocate for treatment and recovery from this disease. To that end, we offer the HOSPITAL WITHOUT STIGMA pledge for everyone to read and sign.
Massachusetts Prescription Drug Monitoring Program
“The opioid and heroin crisis has tragically claimed scores of lives and broken families across the Commonwealth …”
– Governor Charlie Baker
The Opioid
- How We Got Here.