Substance use resources for emergency department teams

In May 2024, the Ministry of Health released a new provincial policy called Substance Use & Addictions Management in Hospitals. The purpose of this policy is to enhance and standardize substance use care in acute settings and improve care for patients who use substances.
Resources for ED teams
ED Leadership including Clinical Nurse Educators can use these resources to support learning and training related to new substance use care practice requirements at ED sites.
Policy direction and new practice requirements include:
- Asking patients about substance use
- Managing withdrawal
- Support opioid agonist treatment (OAT)
- Ensuring proper discharge planning
If you would like consult or support on implementing new practice requirements or training at your ED site, please contact regionaladdictionprogram@vch.ca
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Acute care protocols
Developed by BCCSU, these protocols are intended to support hospitals with the implementation of new practice requirements.
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Point of Care files
Developed by the VCH Regional Addiction Program in partnership with RESP, these point of care files are readily available on SHOP and intended to support frontline service providers by informing and guiding practice. Link includes:
General information
Opiate use disorder
- Acute care and opioid use disorder
- Managing acute opioid withdrawal
- Opioid agonist treatment maintenance
- Opioid agonist treatment initiation
Stimulant use disorder
Benzo Contamination
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PowerPoint slide deck
This slide deck can be adapted to meet team training needs and is intended to orient staff to practice requirements relate to the Ministry’s Hospital Policy. Download PowerPoint slide deck.
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Huddle case study guides
- Slow-Release Oral Morphine (Kadian) Medication Administration
- Slow-Release Oral Morphine (Kadian) Pre and Post Administration Assessment
- Benzodiazepine Administration for Withdrawal from Benzo dope
- Buprenorphine Naloxone Assessment first administration dose
- Sublocade administration
- Methadone Medication Administration
- Methadone Patient Education
- Alcohol Withdrawal Management Case A
- Alcohol Withdrawal Management Case B
- Opioid Withdrawal Management
- Stimulant Withdrawal Management
- Discharge planning
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Conversation guide
This resource provides practical content to support engaging in substance use conversations with patients.
Download Conversation Guide: Supporting People who use Substances (PDF)
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Frequently asked questions (FAQs) sheet
This resource provides answers to commonly asked questions related to caring for people who use substances in the hospital setting.
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Transitions guide
This guide supports discharge planning from acute to community for people who use substances.
It is intended to support acute care and ED clinicians as they navigate the complex continuum of substance use care.
The Guide includes a number of stand-alone one-page resources, such as a Substance Use System overview, a tip sheet with information on discharge and safety planning, a decision-making tree to support bedside assessments, and infographics describing aspects of the system, such as withdrawal management, transitional/stabilization, and treatment and recovery.
The Guide also includes a 1-page handout for patients, describing the central access points for various substance use services. This guide is available for download on the oneVCH intranet.
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Learning Hub module
Managing Opioid Use Disorder in the ED: An orientation to new VCH ED substance use order sets
This 1 hour long self-directed module overviews management of opioid use disorder in the emergency department with emphasis on VCH order sets for opioid withdrawal, and opioid agonist therapy initiation and continuation. This module is intended for ED physicians but holds useful information for all ED-affiliated service providers.
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Webinar
This 30 minute webinar geared at ED Nurses reviews information related to new policy change for hospital settings with a focus on best practices for substance use care in hospital setting.

SURKit is part of VCH and PHC's regional strategy to help reduce drug toxicity deaths
SURKit will be implemented across all VCH/PHC emergency departments to ensure more uniform substance use care, focusing on a non-stigmatizing approach to harm reduction, substance use stabilization, treatment initiation and transition of care.
Substance use care and treatment
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Hospital Care – Substance Use Guidelines
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Buprenorphine/Naloxone (Suboxone) to go (BTG) kits in the emergency department
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Missed dose protocol - buprenorphine/naloxone (Suboxone)
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Missed dose protocol - slow release oral morphine (Kadian)
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Missed dose protocol - methadone
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How to identify number of missed doses in the emergency department
for Suboxone, methadone and Kadian
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Transition to care
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Transition to care - next best step
Discharge planning in the ED for patients who use substances
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Emergency department posters
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Client poster
Talking about substance use can save lives
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Poster 1 - Multilingual slides for monitors
Talking about substance use can save lives - English, Punjabi, simplified Chinese, Vietnamese, Tagalog, Spanish, Farsi
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Poster 2 - print 11x17
Substance use resources with QR codes
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Poster 2 - print 8.5x11
Substance use resources with QR codes
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Poster 2 - digital
Substance use resources with QR codes
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Poster 1 - Punjabi
Talking about substance use can save lives
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Poster 1 - Simplified Chinese
Talking about substance use can save lives
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Poster 1 - Farsi
Talking about substance use can save lives
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Poster 1 - Spanish
Talking about substance use can save lives
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Poster 1 - Vietnamese
Talking about substance use can save lives
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Poster 1 - Tagalog
Talking about substance use can save lives
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