Buprenorphine is a medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat opioid use disorder. President Joe Biden signed a law in December meant to...
Until recently, buprenorphine could only be prescribed in certain medical settings. President Joe Biden signed a law in December meant to make it easier to prescribe. But the life-saving drug can still be difficult to access because of barriers at medical offices and pharmacies, and those who need it can face stigma, according to researchers and health care providers.
Fentanyl creates additional challenges. Someone using heroin can start on buprenorphine eight to 24 hours after they stop using, said addiction psychiatrist Dr. Carlos Tirado. Someone using fentanyl may have to wait 24 to 72 hours, sometimes longer, to avoid going into intense withdrawal.Primary care doctors may need additional support and training to feel comfortable treating addiction, Tirado and Potter said.
Be Well Texas also has telehealth providers who can prescribe buprenorphine to qualifying patients with or without insurance. The medication can be sent to patients’ homes.In 2019, buprenorphine prescribers from across the country told Lucas Hill they had a problem. When patients came for their appointments and received a prescription for buprenorphine, they couldn’t pick it up at their local pharmacy.
Pharmacists tell Hill that if they received more buprenorphine prescriptions, they’d be more willing to stock it. Since doses vary, it’s tough for pharmacists to know which one to order.The most commonly prescribed forms of buprenorphine are films and tablets that come with a small dosage of naloxone, a medication often used to reverse opioid overdoses. The naloxone is included as a deterrent to injecting the film, which would cause unpleasant symptoms, Hill said.
Access to buprenorphine can be a life-or-death matter, Walsh said. Recovering patients who can’t get buprenorphine could relapse or overdose.
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