Office-Based Buprenorphine Expands Access to Treatment

Given the opioid epidemic in the United States, there is a serious need to increase treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). Medication-assisted treatment (MAT), a whole-patient approach that combines medications and behavioral therapies, is an effective form of treatment for OUD that has been shown to decrease opioid use and opioid-related overdose deaths. However, there is a need to expand access to MAT to meet the demand for treatment. As detailed in a recent article in The New England Journal of Medicine, primary care settings present a real opportunity to substantially increase treatment capacity. Yet, there is still resistance to offering buprenorphine in primary care. Another article, “Primary Care and the Opioid-Overdose Crisis—Buprenorphine Myths and Realities,” dispels some of the misconceptions and misunderstandings about buprenorphine.