Description
- Abstract:
- Buprenorphine is a treatment for opioid use disorder that has been shown to improve social functioning and reduce risk of illicit opioid use and overdose death. Unfortunately, this treatment is generally underutilized, due in part to rigid requirements for its prescribing and use. One strategy to remove barriers to this treatment and improve overall access is referred to as “low threshold care.” Until recently, there has been a limited adoption of this approach. COVID-19 has disrupted many healthcare systems due to the need for an abundance of caution and significant social distancing. Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder was not immune from this impact, and in March 2020, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration as well as the DEA encouraged, "flexibility in the prescribing and dispensing of controlled substances to ensure necessary patient therapies remain accessible." As a result, the circumstances of COVID-19 allowed for the implementation of low threshold care practices, including offering non-traditional settings to engage with providers such as telemedicine, more flexible treatment program requirements, decreased reliance on urine toxicology screening, and the availability of same-day, on demand treatment with buprenorphine. This study aims to examine the impact of low threshold buprenorphine prescribing practices implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on patient-level outcomes across the state of Rhode Island. Through qualitative methods, this study will identify practices that have been allowed during the COVID-19 state of emergency that may improve treatment guidelines following the pandemic.
- Notes:
- Scholarly concentration: Caring for Underserved Communities
Access Conditions
- Use and Reproduction
- All rights reserved
Citation
Bowler, John, Vanjani, Rahul, Trimbur, Catherine, et al.,
"Buprenorphine Treatment during the COVID-19 Pandemic"
(2020).
Warren Alpert Medical School Academic Symposium.
Brown Digital Repository. Brown University Library.
https://doi.org/10.26300/bnc0-ep91
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Warren Alpert Medical School Academic Symposium
The Warren Alpert Medical School Academic Symposium is an annual event at Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University that provides Year II medical students a venue to present their summer research in a poster format. Participation in the Symposium …...