TY - JOUR
AU - G. J. Young
AU - L. D. Young
AU - Alam M. Noor
A1 - 
AB - BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains a significant public health issue as the number of opioid-related overdose deaths continues to reach new highs each year. Buprenorphine/Naloxone is a medication that has been shown to be highly effective for the treatment of OUD. However, the clinical management of patients on this medication is challenging as many patients discontinue treatment prematurely. We conducted a qualitative study focusing on experienced prescribers of buprenorphine to learn about what they believe are key challenges in prescribing this medication to patients with OUD and related strategies for improving treatment outcomes. METHODS: We conducted two rounds of interviews with 12 prescribers who were either trained as a primary care physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. These prescribers were recruited from an academically-based treatment program, a community health center, and a commercial substance use disorder treatment facility. Interview data were coded and analyzed in accordance with a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Key findings and related recommendations emerged for patient monitoring, integration of behavioral health with prescribing, patient volume requirements, and use of telehealth. CONCLUSION: The interviews generated a number of recommendations for improving patient outcomes from buprenorphine treatment. Some of these recommendations can be implemented quite readily whereas others entail more substantial resources and time commitments.
AD - Center for Health Policy and Healthcare Research, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.; Bouve College of Health Sciences, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.; D'Amore-McKim School of Business, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA.; Prescription Monitoring Program, Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.; Center for Health Policy and Healthcare Research, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA. mnalam@neu.edu.; Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA, 02115, USA. mnalam@neu.edu.
AN - 39574199
BT - Addict Sci Clin Pract
C5 - Opioids & Substance Use
CP - 1
DA - Nov 21
DO - 10.1186/s13722-024-00516-z
DP - NLM
ET - 20241121
IS - 1
JF - Addict Sci Clin Pract
LA - eng
N2 - BACKGROUND: Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains a significant public health issue as the number of opioid-related overdose deaths continues to reach new highs each year. Buprenorphine/Naloxone is a medication that has been shown to be highly effective for the treatment of OUD. However, the clinical management of patients on this medication is challenging as many patients discontinue treatment prematurely. We conducted a qualitative study focusing on experienced prescribers of buprenorphine to learn about what they believe are key challenges in prescribing this medication to patients with OUD and related strategies for improving treatment outcomes. METHODS: We conducted two rounds of interviews with 12 prescribers who were either trained as a primary care physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant. These prescribers were recruited from an academically-based treatment program, a community health center, and a commercial substance use disorder treatment facility. Interview data were coded and analyzed in accordance with a grounded theory approach. RESULTS: Key findings and related recommendations emerged for patient monitoring, integration of behavioral health with prescribing, patient volume requirements, and use of telehealth. CONCLUSION: The interviews generated a number of recommendations for improving patient outcomes from buprenorphine treatment. Some of these recommendations can be implemented quite readily whereas others entail more substantial resources and time commitments.
PY - 2024
SN - 1940-0632 (Print); 1940-0632
SP - 85
ST - Strategies for improving treatment retention for buprenorphine/naloxone for opioid use disorder: a qualitative study of issues and recommendations from prescribers
T1 - Strategies for improving treatment retention for buprenorphine/naloxone for opioid use disorder: a qualitative study of issues and recommendations from prescribers
T2 - Addict Sci Clin Pract
TI - Strategies for improving treatment retention for buprenorphine/naloxone for opioid use disorder: a qualitative study of issues and recommendations from prescribers
U1 - Opioids & Substance Use
U3 - 10.1186/s13722-024-00516-z
VL - 19
VO - 1940-0632 (Print); 1940-0632
Y1 - 2024
ER -