Physician-Delegated Unobserved Induction with Buprenorphine in Pharmacies
By Traci Green, Ph.D., Rachel Serafinski, M.A., Seth A. Clark, M.D., M.P.H., Josiah D. Rich, M.D., M.P.H, Jeffrey Bratberg, Pharm.D.
“Inadequate access to buprenorphine impedes care in the current opioid crisis. Pharmacists may be able to expand access to this medication with the use of collaborative practice agreements that allow prescribers to delegate evaluation and some treatment decisions to pharmacists. Rhode Island amended a collaborative practice agreement to incorporate induction with buprenorphine, the first-line medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid withdrawal and opioid use disorder.”
