Pharmacists Role in Buprenorphine Management for Opioid Use Disorder
Jacqueline Cleary, PharmD, BCACP
Amanda Winans, PharmD, BCPS
Amanda Engle, PharmD, BCPS
The continued escalation of patients treated for opioid use disorder (OUD) has called for an increase in access to OUD therapies. Pharmacists have previously demonstrated value in collaborative treatment of various disease states and have recently begun to address gaps in OUD care by facilitating buprenorphine therapy. This presentation will review current literature describing the pharmacist’s role in facilitating buprenorphine as part of the OUD care team. Studies were included in the review if a pharmacist was part of a care model in which buprenorphine was prescribed for OUD and excluded if there was a pain management indication for therapy, a limited pharmacist role, or a survey methodology used. Key characteristics identified include: 1) Pharmacist Role 2) Collaborating Prescriber Type 3) Clinic Setting 4) Pharmacist Practice Type and 5) Outcomes. Findings revealed that pharmacists are a valued member of buprenorphine care teams across a variety of settings and have a positive impact on important patient outcomes such as treatment retention and relapse. Few published collaborative care models exist, suggesting pharmacists may be underutilized in caring for this expanding patient population. Pharmacists are well prepared to take a more active role in buprenorphine management to help address the enduring opioid crisis.
Presentation Slide Handouts: Presentation Handouts