Overdose Prevention in Adolescents and Young Adults: Evaluating Implementation Effectiveness and Outcomes

The thesis examines gaps and opportunities in preventing opioid overdose and treating opioid use disorder among adolescents and young adults, asking why services often do not reach this group. It draws on three studies. One used national Medicaid claims to measure pharmacy naloxone dispensing for people aged 13–25 after emergency department care for a nonfatal opioid overdose. Naloxone provision increased over time but stayed uncommon and varied with patient characteristics.

Another followed Medicaid-enrolled adolescents and young adults over time after a nonfatal overdose to track later overdoses, deaths and receipt of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). Repeat overdoses and deaths were frequent and often came fairly soon after the initial overdose, while timely MOUD remained rare.