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Research & Innovation - EMS
Pioneering Addiction Medicine with the Bupe FIRST Program
Emergency Medical Services (EMS) teams play a crucial role in the addiction medicine continuum. Often the first responders to drug overdoses, their interactions with patients can profoundly influence the trajectory of care and recovery.
When overdose patients are revived with naloxone (Narcan), they frequently experience severe withdrawal symptoms. This distress often leads them to refuse transport to emergency departments, where comprehensive addiction treatment and referrals to continued care are hopefully available. Left untreated, these individuals face an elevated risk of repeat overdoses.
Engaging with Patients in the Field
In 2019, Cooper EMS partnered with the Cooper Center for Healing to launch Bupe FIRST (Buprenorphine Field Initiation of Rescue Treatment by EMS), a groundbreaking program. Through this initiative, specially trained paramedics administer buprenorphine—a lifesaving medication for opioid use disorder—directly in the field, initiating treatment outside of traditional hospital or clinic settings.
The Bupe FIRST program empowers EMS teams to offer buprenorphine in the field to patients meeting specific criteria. This medication rapidly alleviates withdrawal symptoms and reduces or eliminates cravings for opioids. Beyond administering the medication, paramedics provide critical resources and referrals, connecting patients to long-term addiction care providers.
A study published in September 2022 highlighted the program’s success. Overdose patients who received buprenorphine from EMS after being revived with naloxone reported fewer withdrawal symptoms and were more than ten times as likely to engage in addiction treatment within 30 days compared to those not treated with buprenorphine.
Launched in Camden, New Jersey, the Bupe FIRST program has garnered widespread recognition for its effectiveness. It now serves as a model for similar initiatives nationwide, with programs implemented in Delaware, California, Minnesota, Missouri, Washington, and even internationally in parts of Canada.
This innovative approach underscores the pivotal role EMS can play in bridging gaps in addiction medicine, offering hope and a path to recovery for patients at their most vulnerable moments.
Data from August 2019 - April 2024
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