Title of Presentation
Accessing the Oregon Frontier: The Impact of Expanding Authority for Buprenorphine to Nurse Practitioners
Institution
OHSU
Program/Major
PhD/Epidemiology
Degree
PhD
Presentation Type
Poster
Start Date
4-7-2020 2:52 PM
End Date
4-7-2020 2:57 PM
Persistent Identifier
https://archives.pdx.edu/ds/psu/33746
Keywords
MOUD, OUD, Buprenorphine, prescribing, PDMP
Abstract
Objective: Expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) is a critical strategy to confront the opioid crisis. In 2017, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) expanded buprenorphine prescribing privileges to nurse practitioners (NP). The object of this study was to evaluate the effect of CARA buprenorphine prescribing for OUD in Oregon.
Study Design: Using data from Oregon’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, we examined the effect of CARA enactment on buprenorphine prescribing using an interrupted time series design. We quantified changes in buprenorphine use between January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018 overall, by provider type (NP vs MD/DO), and geography (rural, urban, frontier).
Results: Post CARA, the trend in buprenorphine use increased by 211 prescriptions per month (p=0.05). The percent attributed to waivered NPs increased by 0.7% per month (p
Conclusions: Buprenorphine dispensing rates in Oregon increased significantly following CARA implementation. The impact of adding NPs as authorized prescribers has enhanced access to buprenorphine prescriptions in rural and sparsely populated areas of the state where such patients were previously underserved.
Accessing the Oregon Frontier: The Impact of Expanding Authority for Buprenorphine to Nurse Practitioners
Objective: Expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) is a critical strategy to confront the opioid crisis. In 2017, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) expanded buprenorphine prescribing privileges to nurse practitioners (NP). The object of this study was to evaluate the effect of CARA buprenorphine prescribing for OUD in Oregon.
Study Design: Using data from Oregon’s Prescription Drug Monitoring Program, we examined the effect of CARA enactment on buprenorphine prescribing using an interrupted time series design. We quantified changes in buprenorphine use between January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2018 overall, by provider type (NP vs MD/DO), and geography (rural, urban, frontier).
Results: Post CARA, the trend in buprenorphine use increased by 211 prescriptions per month (p=0.05). The percent attributed to waivered NPs increased by 0.7% per month (p
Conclusions: Buprenorphine dispensing rates in Oregon increased significantly following CARA implementation. The impact of adding NPs as authorized prescribers has enhanced access to buprenorphine prescriptions in rural and sparsely populated areas of the state where such patients were previously underserved.