Buprenorphine Provision by Early Career Family Physicians

Ann Fam Med. 2018 Sep;16(5):443-446. doi: 10.1370/afm.2261.

Abstract

Buprenorphine can be used in primary care to treat opioid use disorder, but many family physicians feel unprepared to care for patients with opioid addiction. We sought to describe preparedness to provide and current provision of buprenorphine treatment by early career family physicians using data from the 2016 National Family Medicine Graduate Survey. Of 1,979 respondents, 10.0% reported preparedness to provide buprenorphine treatment, and 7.0% reported current buprenorphine provision. Residency preparation to provide buprenorphine treatment was most highly associated with current provision (odds ratio = 13.50; 95% CI, 7.59-24.03). Efforts to increase buprenorphine training may alleviate the workforce shortage to treat opioid use disorder.

Keywords: buprenorphine; health manpower; opiate substitution treatment; primary health care.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Buprenorphine / therapeutic use*
  • Clinical Competence
  • Family Practice / education*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Internship and Residency
  • Male
  • Narcotic Antagonists / therapeutic use*
  • Opiate Substitution Treatment / methods*
  • Opioid-Related Disorders / drug therapy*
  • Physicians, Family / education*
  • Primary Health Care / methods

Substances

  • Narcotic Antagonists
  • Buprenorphine