Culturally Centering Medications for Opioid Use Disorder with American Indian and Alaska Native Communities (CTN-0096, Tribal MOUD) – Notice of Data Lock Completion Incorporating American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) traditional practices and knowledge into healthcare can support AI/AN health. Despite higher rates of abstinence, AI/AN experience the highest rates of overdose mortality due to the ongoing impact of colonization, historical trauma, discriminatory policies, and under-resourced healthcare. Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD; e.g., buprenorphine, methadone, naltrexone) are the most effective treatment for reducing opioid-related mortality. CTN-0096 (Tribal MOUD) was a two-phase formative implementation study with a stepped wedge design, grounded in community-based participatory research (CBPR) principles, with the aims to develop and test a program-level intervention to culturally center the delivery of MOUD in four healthcare/addiction specialty treatment sites serving AI/AN communities. In Phase I, a Collaborative Board (CB) guided intervention development which was also informed by Indigenous and Western implementation science frameworks. In Phase II, workgroups at each site participated in a six-month intervention delivered in three phases (explore, prepare, implement) and guided by two American Indian facilitators knowledgeable in implementation strategies and clinical best practices. The primary outcome, comparing pre-intervention to post-intervention, was the number of AI/AN clients initiated on to MOUD obtained through program electronic health records. We are delighted to share that CTN-0096 data lock was completed on December 13th, 2024. Preliminary outcomes will be forthcoming. The lead study team sends congratulations and a big thank you to our fantastic community research partners, collaborative…

The Pacific Northwest Node of the NIDA Clinical Trials Network, located at the UW Addictions, Drug & Alcohol Institute and directed by Mary Hatch, PhD, and John Roll, PhD, had a very productive 2024, with 4 published papers and 4 more in the works! New Publications First, they recently participated in the publication of four papers from CTN-0082, Implementation Survey of PrEP and Opioid Use Related Services in STI Clinics and Community Based Organizations (CBOs), including two outcomes papers (first two listed here): The two outcome papers found that people who use opioids (PWUO) and substance using men who have sex with men (SU-MSM) are both interested in using PrEP. There were distinct factors associated with willingness to use two different types of PrEP formulations: daily oral and long-acting injectable (LAI). For SU-MSM, willingness to use daily oral PrEP was associated with condomless anal sex, less frequent non-injection drug use, and prior PrEP awareness and past use. Willingness to use long-acting injectable PrEP was associated with being Black, identifying as gay, being single, and higher injection drug use. For PWUO, education and condomless vaginal sex was associated with willingness to take daily oral PrEP, while only education predicted willingness to take LAI PrEP. Careful consideration for matching PrEP messaging to the specific audience is needed. PrEP promotion should expand beyond PWUO and SU-MSM to include people who are predominantly heterosexual and polysubstance-using with HIV risk, who were open to both formulations of PrEP. Coming Soon The Node also has…

Buprenorphine is one of three medications (methadone and naltrexone being the other two) approved for use to treat opioid use disorder. It is available as a film or tablet, and more recently as two long-acting extended-release injectables. Sublocade™ was first to be approved by the FDA in November 2017. More recently, in May 2023, Brixadi™ received approval. In January 2024 it was added to the WA state Medicaid formulary. Fewer clinicians have experience using Brixadi™ than Sublocade™. The CTN Pacific Northwest Node recently developed a set of videos intended to aid prescribers in their conversations with patients interested in these buprenorphine options, and have now added two new factsheets too: Injectable Buprenorphine: Getting Started Injectable Buprenorphine: Logistical Info for Clinics Find the complete set of resources here!