New Study Examines Barriers to Buprenorphine Access in Pharmacies

A study recently published in Drug and Alcohol Dependence examined barriers encountered by patients seeking to fill buprenorphine prescriptions from pharmacies in counties with high opioid-related mortality rates. Researchers conducted a telephone audit and analyzed availability across pharmacy type and county characteristics. Results of the study indicated that 73% of pharmacies contacted reported being able to dispense buprenorphine and 20% reported they would not distribute the medication. In addition, independent pharmacies and pharmacies in southern States were significantly more likely to restrict buprenorphine. Read more