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35th AM (2025) - Poster Session
National Trends in Buprenorphine Prescribing Among ...
National Trends in Buprenorphine Prescribing Among People Who Inject Drugs in the United States, 2013-2023
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This study examines national trends in buprenorphine prescribing among people who inject drugs (PWID) in the United States from 2013 to 2023, focusing on outpatient and emergency department (ED) settings. Using annual data of adults with opioid-related injection drug use encounters, the researchers analyzed buprenorphine initiation within a buprenorphine-naïve cohort—patients without prior buprenorphine prescriptions before their ambulatory or ED visit.<br /><br />Findings show that while buprenorphine prescribing for PWID has increased steadily over the past decade, both initiation and overall access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) remain limited. The growth in MOUD access plateaued after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. This trend followed years of consistent increments in prescribing rates among seemingly eligible patients in emergency and outpatient care. Despite these improvements, the initiation of buprenorphine treatment among PWID has not reached optimal levels.<br /><br />The study highlights the need for continued expansion of buprenorphine access and prescribing practices in ambulatory and emergency settings to better address opioid use disorder in PWID. These findings underscore the importance of removing barriers to MOUD initiation to mitigate the ongoing opioid crisis, especially considering the observed stagnation in treatment access post-pandemic. Data privacy measures, such as reporting small counts as the maximum of 10, were used to protect patient confidentiality.<br /><br />In summary, while buprenorphine prescribing to PWID has improved over ten years, initiation and access remain insufficient, with COVID-19-associated disruptions halting previous progress in MOUD availability in outpatient and ED environments.
Keywords
buprenorphine prescribing
people who inject drugs
opioid use disorder
medication for opioid use disorder
emergency department
outpatient care
COVID-19 pandemic impact
buprenorphine initiation
United States
opioid crisis
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