Reducing Problematic Benzodiazepine Use Among Individuals Enrolled in Methadone Treatment Programs.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to decrease problematic benzodiazepine (BZD) prescriptions provided to patients enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) programs in an urban setting through a quality improvement intervention.

Methods: A prospective, interactive, feedback loop was used with 4 MMT providers over a period of 5 years (2009-2013) to help reduce the number of BZD prescriptions that clients were receiving from other providers. To track individuals who were receiving a BZD prescription from an outside provider, MMT medical teams were provided with patient-level Medicaid pharmacy claims data every month for 5 years.

Practice Guidance for Buprenorphine for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorders: Results of an Expert Panel Process.

Background: Although the number of physicians credentialed to prescribe buprenorphine has increased over time, many credentialed physicians may be reluctant to treat individuals with opioid use disorders due to discomfort with prescribing buprenorphine. Although prescribing physicians are required to complete a training course, many have questions about buprenorphine and treatment guidelines have not been updated to reflect clinical experience in recent years. We report on an expert panel process to update and expand buprenorphine guidelines.