Lead: Prescriber-Level Changes in Buprenorphine Dispensing in the USA Before and After Federal Policy Changes Aimed at Increasing Prescribing

Prescriber-Level Changes in Buprenorphine Dispensing in the USA Before and After Federal Policy Changes Aimed at Increasing Prescribing

Journal of General Internal Medicine

This study used interrupted-time-series analysis to model prescriber-level trends in buprenorphine prescriptions after recent federal policy changes.  It found that the elimination of the waiver requirement to prescribe buprenorphine in December 2022 was associated with a significant increase in the number of buprenorphine prescribers, but a decrease in the mean number of patients and the mean number of prescriptions per prescriber. Changes in telehealth flexibilities and relaxed training requirements were largely not associated with prescribing changes. This study expands on prior research by providing further insight as to why waiver elimination has not increased the number of patients receiving buprenorphine, as expected.

 

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