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Prescriptions for buprenorphine, a medication-assisted-treatment (MAT) used to treat opioid use disorder, are increasing at community health centers (CHCs).
New research published in JAMA revealed that between 2016 and 2021, the percentage of patients receiving buprenorphine increased from 0.5% to 1.4%. Additionally, the percentage of clinicians prescribing buprenorphine increased from 8.9% to 37.5% during that time frame.
Researchers analyzed electronic health record data from health IT nonprofit OCHIN’s network of CHCs. The analysis included 166 clinics and contributions from 2186 unique clinicians.
“From 2016 to 2021, the odds of prescribing buprenorphine among clinicians in the OCHIN Inc CHC network increased significantly… more than one-third of CHC clinicians prescribed buprenorphine in 2021,” authors of the study wrote. “The increase was largest for [nurse practitioners] and [physician assistants], particularly in urban clinics. However, physicians remained the most likely to prescribe buprenorphine in 2021, with about half prescribing buprenorphine in rural clinics.”
In the study, researchers found that the prescribing of buprenorphine increased similarly in urban and rural settings.
More than 75% of drug overdose deaths in 2021 involved an opioid, according to the CDC. MAT has become the gold standard for treating OUD.
The availability of MAT for OUD has increased over the last few years, partly due to the elimination of the X-waiver, which required prescribers to have additional training to prescribe certain MATs.
“Federal efforts to expand treatment access for OUD, culminating in the elimination of the Drug Enforcement Agency X-waiver in 2023, have resulted in more clinicians with buprenorphine prescriptive authority,” the authors of the researcher wrote. “ Prior to its removal, only 6% of physicians, 9% of NPs, and 5% of PAs nationwide had an X-waiver. With over one-third of all clinicians issuing buprenorphine prescriptions, buprenorphine prescribing in the CHCs substantially exceeds national estimates.”
While more providers can prescribe MAT than ever before, many primary care providers are reluctant to do so, industry insiders previously told Addiction Treatment Business.
“This is not some practical and tactical thing that, like magic, is going to increase the number of people in treatment by 400%,” Steve Priest, CEO and founder of Spero Health, previously told Behavioral Health Business. “I think it provides the opportunity for a physician or nurse practitioner to have a real practice [in addiction medicine] and to not be restrained.To put it bluntly, getting rid of the X-waiver helps reduce stigma in the medical community.”
Brentwood, Tennessee-based Spero Health, is an addiction provider that operates 99 integrated outpatient health care locations.
