Federal Grant Award Summary

The Medical University of South Carolina received a $453,000 Project Grant award from the National Institute on Drug Abuse under the Drug Use and Addiction Research Programs (CFDA 93.279) on March 15, 2026, with a completion date of February 28, 2028. This grant supports the development and implementation of a comprehensive training curriculum for Emergency Psychiatric Assessment, Treatment, and Healing (EMPATH) unit personnel focused on the acute management of opioid use disorder (OUD). The curriculum emphasizes the initiation of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) with buprenorphine, an evidence-based treatment that has been shown to reduce all-cause mortality and significantly improve 30-day treatment retention rates when initiated in emergency department settings.

The project follows a phased implementation approach. Phase 1 (R-61) focuses on curriculum development with input from an external advisory board, piloting the intervention in one EMPATH unit located in Charleston, South Carolina, and gathering qualitative feedback to refine the protocol. Phase 2 (R-33) utilizes a stepped-wedge design to assess primary outcomes including the number of individuals identified with OUD in EMPATH units and the number administered or prescribed buprenorphine, while also measuring secondary outcomes related to staff satisfaction, burnout, confidence, knowledge, and stigma. The integration of emergency department-initiated buprenorphine into the EMPATH unit model aims to address the substantial overlap between mental health crises and co-occurring substance use disorders, ultimately improving patient outcomes and care continuity.