More Than Half Do Not Know Primary Care Providers Can Treat Opioid Use Disorder
By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter
FRIDAY, July 12, 2024 -- Many people do not know that a primary care provider (PCP) can provide medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), according to a research letter published online June 28 in JAMA Network Open.
Brandon del Pozo, Ph.D., from the Brown University School of Public Health in Providence, Rhode Island, and colleagues surveyed 1,234 individuals to assess their awareness that MOUD can be prescribed by PCPs.
The researchers found that most respondents either did not know a PCP could treat people with an opioid use disorder by prescribing MOUD (61.4 percent weighted) or incorrectly believed a PCP could not (13.3 percent weighted). This was most true of Black respondents (20.9 percent weighted). Most respondents either agreed (53.9 percent) or strongly agreed (24.9 percent) that people should be able to receive OUD treatment in a PCP office. Among respondents who reported ever misusing prescription or illicit opioids, just over half (50.6 percent weighted) said they would be very comfortable and nearly a third (30.7 percent weighted) said they would be somewhat comfortable seeking MOUD from their PCP.
"Raising awareness that PCPs can [prescribe MOUD] is critical to increasing effective treatment of OUD and reducing the race-and-ethnicity-based disparities in knowledge about MOUD access observed in this study," the authors write.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted July 2024
Read this next
Buprenorphine + Naloxone Safe for Opioid Addiction in Pregnancy
MONDAY, Aug. 12, 2024 -- Pregnancies exposed to buprenorphine combined with naloxone have similar or more favorable neonatal and maternal outcomes as those exposed to...
Interprofessional Addiction Consultation Ups Medication for Opioid Use Disorder
THURSDAY, Aug. 8, 2024 -- Interprofessional addiction consultation services significantly increase postdischarge medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) initiation and...
Availability Increased With Approval of Naloxone as OTC Medication
FRIDAY, Aug. 2, 2024 -- Recently, there was an increase in availability of naloxone after it was approved to be sold as an over-the-counter (OTC) medication, according to a study...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.