Qualitative Assessment of Barriers to Buprenorphine Access: The Role of Pharmacies.

Background: Patients continue to face challenges accessing medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) despite attempts to loosen prescribing restrictions and streamline service provision. Past research has mainly focused on potential barriers surrounding prescribing practices for buprenorphine, but has had limited investigation into the role of pharmacies.

Objective: This study investigates the role of both pharmacists and pharmacies in creating or circumventing barriers to accessing buprenorphine for individuals in Georgia seeking medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD).

Emergency department encounters and opioid prescribing following orthopaedic trauma among Black and White patients with substance use disorders.

Introduction: Patients living with substance use disorder (SUD) have complex pain management needs, which may be mismanaged during hospital admission. Ineffectively managed pain following orthopaedic trauma, influenced by clinician biases related to race or SUD diagnosis, may subject patients to worse pain outcomes and subsequent emergency department (ED) encounters. This study examined ED encounters and opioid prescribing for pain-related complaints following orthopaedic trauma, among patients with SUD who identify as Black or African American relative to White patients.

Demographic and socioeconomic correlates to buprenorphine access in pharmacies.

Background: Research has focused on buprenorphine prescribing with limited attention to the role of pharmacy access to buprenorphine for opioid use disorder.

Objective: This study examines demographic and socioeconomic correlates to buprenorphine access in Georgia pharmacies.

Methods: A 5-question (12 potential subqueries) telephone administered survey was used to investigate access and stocking patterns of specific dosages and formulations of buprenorphine in Georgia pharmacies (n = 119).