Buprenorphine

Buprenorphine can be prescribed by any healthcare provider who is authorized to prescribe controlled substances. Patients can fill a buprenorphine prescription at their local retail pharmacy, just like any other prescribed medication.

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

Individuals can be started on buprenorphine from many treatment settings, including doctor’s offices, emergency departments, hospitals, prisons and jails, and opioid treatment programs. After being started on buprenorphine, individuals continue to take the medication at home with regular prescriptions from their primary care doctor's office or a specialized addiction medicine provider. Buprenorphine prescribers can be any physician, nurse practitioner, or physician assistant with a DEA license to prescribe controlled substances. Most existing research on buprenorphine implementation has focused on supporting healthcare providers to initiate buprenorphine at opportunities when an individual is already experiencing opioid withdrawal symptoms, such as an emergency department visit, hospitalization, or incarceration.