Telemedicine Patients Face Barriers Filling Opioid Addiction Meds

According to a study published in JAMA Network Open this month, a significant number of telemedicine patients with opioid use disorder have struggled to fill their buprenorphine prescriptions at pharmacies. The survey of 600 patients across five states revealed that nearly a third of them were unable to obtain the medication, which is approved by the FDA to treat opioid addiction and reduce the risk of fatal overdoses.

The most common reasons cited were that buprenorphine was simply unavailable at the pharmacy, followed by coverage-related issues and the pharmacy's hesitancy in filling a telemedicine prescription. Previous research has shown that some pharmacists are reluctant to dispense buprenorphine, a controlled substance, due to fear of scrutiny.

The study found that roughly half of the participants were covered by Medicaid, and a majority had been in treatment for at least six months. Additionally, half of the patients lived in rural areas, which the authors noted may face greater challenges in finding pharmacies that stock buprenorphine and other opioid use disorder medications.

While the analysis did not find statistically significant differences between rural and non-rural patients, the authors acknowledged that the study's geographic scope was limited to five states, and the results may vary in other regions. Nonetheless, the findings underscore the broader issue of limited access to opioid use disorder treatment, as highlighted by recent data showing that only a quarter of people with the condition receive recommended medications.