COAPS

The Co-Use of Opioid Medications and Alcohol Prevention Study (COAPS) involves revision of and participation in an existing alcohol intervention adaptation session, providing the expertise needed for clinical trials associated with the intervention. 

The opioid epidemic continues to result in serious negative consequences in the US. While some improvements have been observed for reductions in prescribing in recent years; high rates of misuse, subsequent OUD, and overdose persist. Among the most high-risk behaviors for those taking opioid medications is co-use with alcohol. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has stated: “…there is no safe level of alcohol use for people using opioids.” Previous research, including that of our team, shows that a significant portion of those regularly using opioid medications—particularly filling opioids at community pharmacies—are involved in the co-use of alcohol. This study proposes to leverage pharmacists’ special training in medication interactions and safety; adapt a previously developed intervention for opioid medication misuse; test its acceptability, feasibility, and preliminary efficacy; and identify barriers/facilitators to large-scale research and system-level implementation. Results will inform a subsequent powered multisite trial examining the impact of the ABI-MTM intervention on reducing the co-use of opioid medications and alcohol and improving public health nationally.