Access to Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment in Areas With High Rates of Opioid-Related Mortality: An Audit Study.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Improving access to treatment for opioid use disorder is a national priority, but little is known about the barriers encountered by patients seeking buprenorphine-naloxone ("buprenorphine") treatment.

Objective

To assess real-world access to buprenorphine treatment for uninsured or Medicaid-covered patients reporting current heroin use.

Design

Audit survey ("secret shopper" study).

Setting

6 U.S. jurisdictions with a high burden of opioid-related mortality (Massachusetts, Maryland, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Ohio, and the District of Columbia).

Participants

From July to November 2018, callers contacted 546 publicly listed buprenorphine prescribers twice, posing as uninsured or Medicaid-covered patients seeking buprenorphine treatment.

Me

SUBMITTER: Beetham T 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7164610 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature