TY - JOUR
AU - N. Krawczyk
AU - B. D. Rivera
AU - C. King
AU - B. C. E. Dooling
A1 - 
AB - Buprenorphine is a highly effective treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) and a critical tool for addressing the worsening US overdose crisis. However, multiple barriers to treatment-including stringent federal regulations-have historically made this medication hard to reach for many who need it. In 2020, under the COVID-19 public health emergency, federal regulators substantially changed access to buprenorphine by allowing prescribers to initiate patients on buprenorphine via telehealth without first evaluating them in person. As the public health emergency has been set to expire in May of 2023, Congress and federal agencies can leverage extensive evidence from studies conducted during the wake of the pandemic to make evidence-based decisions on the regulation of buprenorphine going forward. To aid policy makers, this narrative review synthesizes and interprets peer-reviewed research on the effect of buprenorphine flexibilities on the uptake and implementation of telehealth, and its impact on OUD patient and prescriber experiences, access to treatment, and health outcomes. Overall, our review finds that many prescribers and patients took advantage of telehealth, including the audio-only option, with a wide range of benefits and few downsides. As a result, federal regulators-including agencies and Congress-should continue nonrestricted use of telehealth for buprenorphine initiation.
AD - Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy (COEP), Department of Population Health, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 180 Madison, New York, NY 10016, United States.; Regulatory Studies Center, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20052, United States.
AN - 38145115
BT - Health Aff Sch
C5 - Opioids & Substance Use; HIT & Telehealth; Healthcare Policy
CP - 1
DA - Jul
DO - 10.1093/haschl/qxad013
DP - NLM
ET - 20230620
IS - 1
JF - Health Aff Sch
LA - eng
N2 - Buprenorphine is a highly effective treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) and a critical tool for addressing the worsening US overdose crisis. However, multiple barriers to treatment-including stringent federal regulations-have historically made this medication hard to reach for many who need it. In 2020, under the COVID-19 public health emergency, federal regulators substantially changed access to buprenorphine by allowing prescribers to initiate patients on buprenorphine via telehealth without first evaluating them in person. As the public health emergency has been set to expire in May of 2023, Congress and federal agencies can leverage extensive evidence from studies conducted during the wake of the pandemic to make evidence-based decisions on the regulation of buprenorphine going forward. To aid policy makers, this narrative review synthesizes and interprets peer-reviewed research on the effect of buprenorphine flexibilities on the uptake and implementation of telehealth, and its impact on OUD patient and prescriber experiences, access to treatment, and health outcomes. Overall, our review finds that many prescribers and patients took advantage of telehealth, including the audio-only option, with a wide range of benefits and few downsides. As a result, federal regulators-including agencies and Congress-should continue nonrestricted use of telehealth for buprenorphine initiation.
PY - 2023
SN - 2976-5390
SP - qxad013
ST - Pandemic telehealth flexibilities for buprenorphine treatment: a synthesis of evidence and policy implications for expanding opioid use disorder care in the United States
T1 - Pandemic telehealth flexibilities for buprenorphine treatment: a synthesis of evidence and policy implications for expanding opioid use disorder care in the United States
T2 - Health Aff Sch
TI - Pandemic telehealth flexibilities for buprenorphine treatment: a synthesis of evidence and policy implications for expanding opioid use disorder care in the United States
U1 - Opioids & Substance Use; HIT & Telehealth; Healthcare Policy
U3 - 10.1093/haschl/qxad013
VL - 1
VO - 2976-5390
Y1 - 2023
ER -