Policy and Payment Factors Influencing Adoption of Low-Barrier Buprenorphine Treatment - Takeaways - MDSpire

Policy and Payment Factors Influencing Adoption of Low-Barrier Buprenorphine Treatment

  • By

  • Margaret Lowenstein

  • M. Holliday Davis

  • Selena Suhail-Sindhu

  • Gary McMurtrie

  • David Grande

  • Julia Hinckley

  • Shoshana V. Aronowitz

  • June 16, 2026

  • 0 min

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  • 1

    Buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder significantly reduces overdose risk and mortality, yet uptake and retention remain low.

  • 2

    Barriers to buprenorphine access include practitioner discomfort, high-barrier practices, and restrictive treatment requirements.

  • 3

    Low-barrier buprenorphine practices improve patient access and retention, emphasizing flexibility and tolerance of ongoing substance use.

  • 4

    Policy changes, such as the relaxation of the X-waiver requirement, have had limited effects on buprenorphine prescriptions.

  • 5

    The study explores how policy, payment, and structural barriers influence clinical practices among outpatient buprenorphine treatment providers.

Original Source(s)

Policy and Payment Factors Influencing Adoption of Low-Barrier Buprenorphine Treatment

  • by Margaret Lowenstein, M. Holliday Davis, Selena Suhail-Sindhu, Gary McMurtrie, David Grande, Julia Hinckley, Shoshana V. Aronowitz

  • June 16, 2026

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