- The FDA-approved drug buprenorphine is effective in the treatment of opioid use disorder, but limited access to clinics that can prescribe this drug has contributed to only a small fraction of patients receiving the treatment.
- Researchers have suggested that a collaborative care model involving the delegation of the care of opioid use disorder patients by clinicians to pharmacists could improve access to buprenorphine.
- A pilot study conducted as part of a randomized phase 3 clinical trial suggests that this collaborative care model was effective in retaining a significantly higher number of patients in care after one month of treatment than standard care provided by clinicians.
A recent study suggests that 6 to 7 million individuals in the United States currently have
The benefits of buprenorphine include its low abuse potential and the ability of medical professionals to administer the drug in an outpatient setting.
Despite the effectiveness of buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid use disorder, a majority of people are unable to access the drug due to their limited access to physicians who can provide the treatment.
There is
A research letter reporting results from a small pilot study conducted in Rhode Island now suggests that a greater proportion of patients continued treatment under the physician-pharmacist collaborative care model after one month than those receiving standard care from a physician.
These results suggest that this physician-pharmacist collaborative care model could expand much-needed access to buprenorphine for people with opioid use disorder.
“This study…
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