Buprenorphine

The costs and logistics of buprenorphine implementation can vary based on the specific strategy and context but generally focus on conducting clinician education, building information technology infrastructure, and establishing procedures for linking individuals to regular care for continued buprenorphine prescribing.

Evidence for the intervention

Evidence supporting opioid overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) programs is summarized in at least eight systematic reviews. These draw mostly from observational study designs, including case series, cohort studies, and quality improvement studies. There are very few randomized controlled trials evaluating OEND programs, largely due to the overwhelming body of real-world evidence supporting naloxone distribution; this is common for interventions with substantial face-value credibility, such as parachutes or epinephrine pens. The few existing randomized controlled trials of OEND programs tend to compare one OEND implementation strategy to another OEND implementation strategy

Evidence-based Scale

Programs that seek to implement buprenorphine tend to focus on supporting healthcare providers with the necessary knowledge and workflows to safely prescribe buprenorphine to individuals for the first time. The costs and logistics of supporting implementation of a buprenorphine program depend on the specific implementation strategy selected but, in general, require resources focused on clinician education for appropriate prescribing, building information technology infrastructure for clinical decision support, and facilitating partnerships with external partners to ensure regular follow-up and continued buprenorphine prescribing.