Intervention
Barriers and facilitators (sometimes called "contextual determinants") are factors that make it harder or easier to implement buprenorphine. These factors span multiple levels. Click the buttons on the left to read more about common barriers and facilitators for buprenorphine. In addition, view the RASC guides on Contextual Determinants Affecting Implementation and the Inventory of Factors Affecting Successful Implementation and Sustainment (IFASIS) to learn practical ways to assess these constructs.
Barriers and facilitators to buprenorphine use for opioid use disorder often relate to the way in which the medication is provided to individuals, taken by individuals, or works in the body to produce its intended effect.
Barriers
The process of starting a patient on buprenorphine for the first time (called induction or initiation) can be complex and sometimes cause uncomfortable side effects when not performed properly. As a result, some patients and healthcare providers have reported negative experiences with buprenorphine or problems implementing buprenorphine programs.
Buprenorphine is most commonly administered as a tablet or film that dissolves under the tongue. Some individuals have reported that buprenorphine has an unpleasant taste, which reduces compliance with daily medication dosing.
Facilitators
Buprenorphine can be prescribed by any healthcare provider with a DEA license, and the medication can be picked up at any retail pharmacy. This makes buprenorphine a relatively accessible intervention that can be implemented in many different settings.