Barriers to primary care physicians prescribing of buprenorphine for opioid addiction

Buprenorphine-naloxone is a highly effective outpatient treatment for opioid addiction, yet few physicians offer it. Researchers in Washington State examine barriers to prescribing buprenorphine among physicians who have been trained in its use, and they find that a lack of mental health and psychosocial support, time constraints, and a lack of specialty, institutional and partner support were commonly cited barriers. Of the 78 physicians interviewed, only 22 (28 percent) reported prescribing buprenorphine, though almost all reported positive attitudes toward the treatment. (Source: Health News from Medical News Today)