Buprenorphine Treatment Divide by Race/Ethnicity and Payment

Buprenorphine Treatment Divide by Race/Ethnicity and PaymentOpioid mortality rates continue to increase throughout the United States 1 ; however, growth in buprenorphine hydrochloride treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) might be limited to communities with higher income and low percentages of racial/ethnic minorities. 2 Buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, is 1 of 3 evidence-based medications for treating OUD and can legally be prescribed in office-based settings.To our knowledge, no national studies have examined the differences in the receipt of buprenorphine prescription by race/ethnicity and payment in office-based settings, in which most patients with buprenorphine prescription receive care. 3 In this article, we present changes in buprenorphine treatment at office-based visits in the United States since 2004 as well as the race/ethnicity and payment characteristics currently associated with its receipt.