Our Lady of Peace Opens Injection Clinic to Help Curb Opioid Addiction and Treat Those with Schizoaffective Disorders - Archived

Our Lady of Peace Opens Injection Clinic to Help Curb Opioid Addiction
and Treat Those with Schizoaffective Disorders
First retail pharmacist-operated, long-acting injection clinic at a behavioral health center in the United States

Louisville, Ky. (March 7, 2017) – Our Lady of Peace, part of KentuckyOne Health, has become the first to open a retail pharmacist-operated, long-acting injection clinic at a behavioral health care center in the United States. This new clinic is aimed at helping those with opioid addiction and psychiatric patients with schizoaffective disorders. The clinic was established to help people adhere to prescribed medications for behavioral health conditions, and to help people get off drugs and stay off drugs – like heroin.

The clinic will dispense Vivitrol (naltrexone) to help those addicted to heroin, other opioid drugs, and alcohol. In addition, the clinic will offer immunizations.
Substance users will be administered a dose of Vivitrol, which blocks the pleasurable effects of alcohol or opioids and reduces cravings, and injections stay in the system for one month at a time. The medication eliminates the ability to get drunk or high, rather than simply alleviating withdrawal symptoms such as methadone or suboxone. The treatment helps prevent relapse to opioid dependence, allowing patients to focus on counseling. Patients must detox before starting the treatment.

Injectable Antipsychotic Medication to Address Schizoaffective Disorders

The new injection clinic at Our Lady of Peace will also help patients who suffer from schizoaffective disorders who are not compliant with their medication therapy. Long-acting injectable antipsychotic (LAIA) medication will be available for these patients. Because injectable medications require going to the clinic only once per month, this results in greater compliance as it doesn’t require the patient remembering to take a pill every day. Compliance is a common hurdle in addressing schizophrenia, so injectable medications provide a new tool in the treatment toolbox.

The clinic is intended to integrate pharmacy practice with behavioral health specialists, and will be staffed with two pharmacists and a medication access coordinator.

“We are hopeful that this clinic will provide another piece in the puzzle in addressing the widespread opioid abuse crisis that has taken hold of Louisville and caused so much heartache across the state,” said Steve Cummings, pharmacist, Our Lady of Peace. “Beyond helping curb opioid abuse, the clinic will also allow us to better help patients with schizoaffective disorders and provide them with another option for getting the medication they need for treatment.”

The Our Lady of Peace clinic is the first licensed retail pharmacy located in a behavioral health care institute. The injections at the clinic will be dispensed, administered and billed by a pharmacist. A medication access coordinator will be dedicated to scheduling patients for appointments and coordinating care with local behavioral health care services.

The injection clinic at Our Lady of Peace is open to the public Monday-Thursday from 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m., and Friday from 7 a.m.-3 p.m. For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 502.479.4445, or visit www.KentuckyOneHealth.org/ourladyofpeace.

About KentuckyOne Health
KentuckyOne Health, the largest and most comprehensive health system in the Commonwealth, has more than 200 locations including, hospitals, physician groups, clinics, primary care centers, specialty institutes and home health agencies in Kentucky and southern Indiana. KentuckyOne Health is dedicated to bringing wellness, healing and hope to all, including the underserved. The system is made up of the former Jewish Hospital & St. Mary’s HealthCare and Saint Joseph Health System, along with the University of Louisville Hospital and James Graham Brown Cancer Center. KentuckyOne Health is proud of and strengthened by its Catholic, Jewish and academic heritages.
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