Buprenorphine

Synonyms
Opioid agonist therapy
Suboxone Zubsolv
Bunavail
Sublocade
Probuphine
Cassipa
Subutex
bupe

Updates to Requirements for Prescribing Buprenorphine

As announced by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration in January 2023, clinicians no longer need a federal waiver to prescribe buprenorphine for treatment of opioid use disorder.  Clinicians will still be required to register with the federal Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to prescribe controlled medications. On June 27, the DEA began to require that registration applicants – both new and renewing – affirm they have completed a new, one-time, eight-hour training.
Posted Date
10/27/23

The Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Examines Federal Policy for Substance Use Disorder Treatment

A new analysis from health policy researchers at the Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) gives an overview of five federal policies for substance use disorder (SUD) and the ways they changed during the pandemic.  The report covers regulations related to buprenorphine medication, methadone dispensing programs, Medicaid for SUD treatment in prisons, and how state laws may limit federal efforts.  An action taken by the federal Drug Enforcement Administration in 2021 was cited as potentially beneficial to rural areas because it would allow mobile units for accredited op

Posted Date
07/21/23

Buncombe Bridge to Care (BB2C): Post-Overdose Buprenorphine Field Initiation Program Toolkit

The Buncombe Bridge to Care (BB2C): Post-Overdose Buprenorphine Field Initiation Program Toolkit was developed by Buncombe County Emergency Services Community Paramedicine and UNC Health Sciences at Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC). This toolkit describes the project and protocols utilized. It is not intended to be a comprehensive guide or manual, but instead to inspire communities to increase access to lifesaving medication for the marginalized community of people who use drugs.
Posted Date
06/22/23

Incidence of Precipitated Withdrawal During a Multisite Emergency Department–Initiated Buprenorphine Clinical Trial in the Era of Fentanyl

Buprenorphine is a medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat opioid use disorder (OUD) with a relatively low rate of triggering precipitated withdrawal in patients. Increased precipitated withdrawal rates have become a concern for practitioners in emergency departments when treating with buprenorphine with the prevalence of fentanyl in the drug supply.
Posted Date
06/08/23

Providers Clinical Support System Releases Fentanyl Treatment Guidelines

Providers Clinical Support System (PCSS), a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration-funded grant initiative, announced the release of Practice-Based Guidelines: Buprenorphine in the Age of Fentanyl. The guide gives practitioners a blueprint on treating fentanyl use disorder based on available research combined with emerging clinical experience on the use of buprenorphine in the treatment of individuals using fentanyl and other highly potent synthetic opioids.
Posted Date
05/26/23

Exploring Rural Perspectives of Buprenorphine

Researchers at Indiana University conducted one-on-one interviews with clinical providers and other stakeholders in the recovery arena to better understand the slow uptake of the drug most used to treat opioid use disorder. Biases against buprenorphine was the most consistent theme, though the reason for bias differed amongst stakeholders. Clinical providers and behavioral health care providers preferred the abstinence approach rather than use of medications.
Posted Date
03/21/23

The University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction: DATA-Waiver

n December 2022, Congress eliminated the DATA-Waiver program registration allowing providers to prescribe buprenorphine to treat patients for OUD. The University of Vermont Center on Rural Addiction, a HRSA Rural Center of Excellence on Substance Use Disorders, offers an incentive to help defray previous training costs of $750 to each qualifying provider who obtained a DATA-Waiver. To qualify, providers must be practicing in a HRSA-designated rural county in Vermont, Maine, New Hampshire, or Northern New York.
Posted Date
03/07/23