The intertwined expansion of telehealth and buprenorphine access from a prescriber hub

In this manuscript, we describe how efforts to increase access to buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) through a telemedicine hub before and since the COVID-19 pandemic have played out in the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) in New England. We look at how the COVID-19 pandemic and sub...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Preventive medicine 2021-11, Vol.152, p.106603, Article 106603
Main Authors: Moore, David T., Wischik, Dora Lendvai, Lazar, Christina M., Vassallo, Gabriela Garcia, Rosen, Marc I.
Format: Article
Language:English
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Summary:In this manuscript, we describe how efforts to increase access to buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) through a telemedicine hub before and since the COVID-19 pandemic have played out in the Veterans Healthcare Administration (VHA) in New England. We look at how the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent spike in opioid overdoses tilted the risk: benefit calculation for tele-prescribing a controlled substance such as buprenorphine toward expanding access to tele-buprenorphine. We conclude that there is a need for tele-buprenorphine hubs that can fill gaps in geographically dispersed healthcare systems. •Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, buprenorphine services shifted toward telehealth.•Telemedicine hubs can provide buprenorphine to communities without buprenorphine-waivered providers.•Tele-buprenorphine can facilitate local adoption of buprenorphine prescribing.
ISSN:0091-7435
1096-0260
DOI:10.1016/j.ypmed.2021.106603