US Buprenorphine Dispensing Trends Shift Post-Pandemic

TOPLINE:

Buprenorphine dispensing for opioid use disorder (OUD) increased among US adolescents but decreased among young adults between 2020 and 2023, with overall dispensing declining 6.5% annually, a new study shows.

METHODOLOGY:

• Researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2020-2023 data from an all-payer pharmaceutical claims database, capturing 93% of prescriptions dispensed from retail pharmacies in the United States.
• Analysis included annual estimates of individuals dispensed buprenorphine overall and by four age groups (10-15, 16-17, 18-19, and 20-24 years), as well as dispensing by prescriber specialty.
• Rates were calculated using US Census Bureau population estimates.

TAKEAWAY:

• Between 2020 and 2023, the overall number of individuals aged 10-24 years who were dispensed buprenorphine declined significantly from 47,759 to 38,907 (annual percentage change [APC], −6.5%; P
• The subgroup of young adults aged 20-24 years also experienced a significant decrease in dispensing (APC, −8.7%; P
• Adolescents aged 16-17 years showed the largest increase in dispensing (APC, 45.3%; P P
• Nurse practitioners prescribed more buprenorphine to adolescents and young adults than other specialties, whereas pediatricians prescribed to the fewest number of adolescents in 2020 but showed the largest increase from 2020 to 2023 (APC, 34.8%; P = .008).

IN PRACTICE:

“Despite some positive trends, buprenorphine dispensing to adolescents and young adults remains low,” the investigators wrote. However, access can expand “through clinician education, improving resources to support substance use care for youths, linking to medications for opioid use disorder and behavioral health services, and addressing stigma and other barriers to care,” they added.

SOURCE:

The study was led by Eileen Lee, MD, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut. It was published online on December 23 in JAMA.

LIMITATIONS:

The study was limited by a lack of data on diagnoses, prescriptions written (and not just dispensed), prescriptions dispensed outside retail pharmacies, and the clinical setting or specialty for nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

DISCLOSURES:

No funding information was provided for the study. The authors reported no conflicts of interest.

This article was created using several editorial tools, including AI, as part of the process. Human editors reviewed this content before publication.