Important Announcements

Nondiscrimination Policy Update

Boston Medical Center Health System complies with applicable Federal civil rights laws and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, color, national origin (including limited English proficiency and primary language), religion, culture, physical or mental disabilities, socioeconomic status, sex, sexual orientation and gender identity and/or expression. BMCHS provides free aids and services to people with disabilities and free language services to people whose primary language is not English.

To read our full Nondiscrimination Statement, click here.

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Maximizing OpiOid Safety with Naloxone (MOON) Study

About the MOON Study

Research shows us that increasing the availability of naloxone in a community saves lives. In Rhode Island and Massachusetts, the laws were recently changed to allow patients to get naloxone from the pharmacy directly, without having to see a medical prescriber first. In both states, pharmacists have been trained and most pharmacies can provide naloxone in this way.

The MOON Study is a three-year demonstration project funded by the Agency for Healthcare Research & Quality (AHRQ). Researchers from the Boston Medical Center, Boston University, Lifespan Hospitals of Rhode Island, and the University of Rhode Island are working together with local pharmacies to determine the best way to provide naloxone in the pharmacy setting.

Our pharmacy partners include CVS/pharmacy, Baker Pharmacy, Eaton Apothecary, Boston Medical Center Shapiro Pharmacy, and Lifespan Outpatient Pharmacy. In addition, we are grateful to the Advisory Board members serving our study. Representatives on the Advisory Board consist of stakeholders in pharmacy, the community, research, and public health in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.

  • Principal Investigator: Dr. Traci C. Green, PhD, MSc
  • Co-Investigators: Dr. Alex Walley, MD, MSc; Dr. Janette Baird, PhD; Dr. Dina Morrissey, MD, MPH; Dr. Josiah Rich, MD, MPH; Dr. Angela Robertson Bazzi, PhD, MPH; Dr. Mari-Lynn Drainoni, PhD; and Dr. Jeffrey Bratberg, PharmD, BCBS.

The following activities, below, are planned for completion over the next three years:

  • Focus groups with patients, caregivers, and pharmacists
  • Public awareness campaign contests
  • Fidelity checks, i.e. secret shoppers
  • Surveys to pharmacists and patients
  • Evaluation of impact of naloxone availability
  • Assessment of pharmacy and community characteristics
  • Dissemination of findings

Study Schema

For more information on study activities, please view our study handout: MOON Study Project Summary (PDF)

Interested in helping? Here’s a list of ways you can be involved.

  1. Get naloxone!
  2. Share your experiences here about getting naloxone at a pharmacy (Please use Firefox or Google Chrome browser for better form display)
  3. Enter our Opioid Safety and Naloxone Public Awareness Poster Contest
  4. Tell us your thoughts about the study and give us feedback!