BetaHCF Case Studies Library is in beta. We're still adding campaigns and fixing things.
HCF Case Studies Library

← All campaigns · Open in the library

▶Videoyoutube.com

VA National Academic Detailing Service: opioid safety and naloxone campaigns

Also: VA Academic Detailing Service OEND campaign · Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution (OEND) academic detailing

In 2015 the VA funded a National Academic Detailing Service: clinical pharmacists who visit VA prescribers one-to-one with short, evidence-based "campaigns" on opioid safety, naloxone prescribing, opioid-benzodiazepine co-prescribing and medication for opioid use disorder. The naloxone campaign ran with the Opioid Overdose Education and Naloxone Distribution program, which also made patient videos.

Years
2015–now
Country
United States
Topic
Harm reductionOpioids
Asks people to
StartStop
Strategy
Self efficacyTrusted messenger
Channel
Clinical settingWebsite
Audience
CliniciansMilitary and veterans
VA prescribers, mostly primary care; academic detailers are clinical pharmacists. Patient-facing naloxone videos for veterans on opioids or with opioid use disorder.

Evidence

Quasi-experimentalPositive

Naloxone: detailed providers prescribed 3x more naloxone per month at 1 year and 7x at 2 years than undetailed providers (Bounthavong 2017); stations where all providers were detailed had 5.5x the naloxone prescribing rate of stations where none were (Bounthavong 2019); virtual and in-person detailing worked equally (Bounthavong 2022). Co-prescribing: 33% faster monthly decline in opioid-benzodiazepine co-prescribing at implementing stations (Bounthavong 2020). National analysis of 5M+ patients (Zhang 2025): more naloxone and PDMP queries, fewer opioid prescriptions for 3 years, fewer overdose/suicide/accident ED visits. Mixed signal: all-cause mortality odds fell 5.8% after detailing but inpatient admissions for opioid poisoning rose (Williams 2024); the OUD campaign did not significantly raise MOUD reach without facilitation (Miller 2023). Evaluations are mostly by VA-affiliated authors.

Sponsor (who paid)

  • U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, VHA Pharmacy Benefits Management (National Academic Detailing Service) Federal government, funder and creator

Credits (who made it)

Not recorded yet.

Executions (individual ads)

Related campaigns

Sources

  1. Illustrating Value, Prioritizing Evaluation, Saving Lives (NaRCAD Details Blog, by VA National Academic Detailing Service leads, 15 Mar 2017) sponsor · 2017
  2. Bounthavong M, Harvey M, Wells DL et al. Trends in naloxone prescriptions after implementation of a National Academic Detailing Service in the VHA. J Am Pharm Assoc evaluation · 2017 · DOI 10.1016/j.japh.2016.11.003 · PMID 28089521
  3. Bounthavong M, Devine EB, Christopher ML et al. Implementation evaluation of academic detailing on naloxone prescribing trends at the VHA. Health Serv Res evaluation · 2019 · DOI 10.1111/1475-6773.13194 · PMID 31313839
  4. Bounthavong M, Lau MK, Kay CL et al. Impact of Implementing an Academic Detailing Program on Opioid-Benzodiazepine Co-Prescribing Trends at the VA. Pain Med evaluation · 2020 · DOI 10.1093/pm/pnaa475 · PMID 33749779
  5. Bounthavong M, Shayegani R, Manning JM et al. Comparison of virtual to in-person academic detailing on naloxone prescribing rates at three VHA regional networks. Int J Med Inform evaluation · 2022 · DOI 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2022.104712 · PMID 35196600
  6. Miller WA, Gordon AJ, Clothier BA et al. Effects of academic detailing for opioid use disorder campaign on the ADaPT-OUD study. Implement Res Pract evaluation · 2023 · DOI 10.1177/26334895231199463 · PMID 37790176
  7. Williams EC, Frost MC, Bounthavong M et al. Influence of Academic Detailing on Adverse Outcomes Among Patients in the VHA. Subst Use Addict J evaluation · 2024 · DOI 10.1177/29767342241243309 · PMID 38634339
  8. Zhang J. Can Educational Outreach Improve Experts' Decision Making? Evidence from a National Opioid Academic Detailing Program. Rev Econ Stat evaluation · 2025 · DOI 10.1162/rest_a_01558

Research notes

Clinician-facing program. Discovered 2026-10-22 for #17 (clinician-campaigns pass). NaRCAD blog (fetched) says the VA invested in the National Academic Detailing Service in 2015; PMC6736912 (fetched) dates OEND to 2014. Search snippets say a 2015 White House mandate drove national rollout; not confirmed on a fetched page. Executions are VHA YouTube channel patient videos tied to OEND; years not confirmed (the two "Introduction to Naloxone" videos show as about 11 years old, the 2021-era "Keep/Stay" spots about 5). No outside agency credited. Procurement search 2026-10-22: VA's academic detailing is run by VA pharmacists, not a campaign vendor. Outside awards are for training and tools: Alosa Health (academic detailing services and training, 2010-2025, e.g. 36C10G18N0051, USD 417,000), Indegene Total Therapeutic Management (basic skills training, 2013-2018) and Millsapps, Ballinger & Associates (detailing tracking software, 2015-2017). Not credited.

Record cases/va-academic-detailing-opioid-safety.json, updated 2026-10-22· Link to this campaign