Buprenorphine Receipt and Retention for Opioid Use Disorder following an Initiative to Increase Access in Primary Care

Objectives Buprenorphine, a medication for opioid use disorder (OUD), is underutilized in general medical settings. Further, it is inequitably received by racialized groups and persons with comorbidities. The Veterans Health Administration launched an initiative to increase buprenorphine receipt in primary care. The project's objective was to identify patient-related factors associated with buprenorphine receipt and retention in primary care clinics (n = 18) participating in the initiative. Methods Retrospective cohort quality improvement evaluation of patients 18 years or older with 2 or more primary care visits in a 1-year period and an OUD diagnosis in the year before the first primary care visit (index date). Buprenorphine receipt was the proportion of patients with OUD who received 1 or more buprenorphine prescriptions from primary care providers during the post–index year and retention the proportion who received buprenorphine for 180 days or longer. Results Of 2880 patients with OUD seen in primary care, 11.7% (95% confidence interval CI, 10.6%–12.9%) received buprenorphine in primary care, 58.2% (95% CI, 52.8%–63.3%) of whom were retained on buprenorphine for 180 days or longer. Patients with alcohol use disorder (adjusted odds ratio AOR, 0.39; 95% CI, 0.27–0.57), nonopioid drug use disorder (AOR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.45–0.93), and serious mental illness (AOR, 0.60; 95% CI, 0.37–0.97) had lower buprenorphine receipt. Those with an anxiety disorder had higher buprenorphine receipt (AOR, 1.42; 95% CI, 1.04–1.95). Buprenorphine receipt (AOR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.35–0.87) and 180-day retention (AOR, 0.40; 95% CI, 0.19–0.84) were less likely among non-Hispanic Black patients. Conclusions Further integration of addiction services in primary care may be needed to enhance buprenorphine receipt for patients with comorbid substance use disorders, and interventions are needed to address disparities in receipt and retention among non-Hispanic Black patients.