Buprenorphine Patients’ Attitudes Surrounding Community Pharmacy Experiences
Abstract
Buprenorphine is an FDA-approved medication prescribed for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). The objective of this study is to explore buprenorphine patients’ attitudes regarding their experiences at community pharmacies, particularly in relation to stigma and buprenorphine accessibility during their OUD recovery. It is hypothesized that patients taking buprenorphine for OUD will report negative experiences related to stigma that impact access to buprenorphine prescriptions at community pharmacies. Study staff will conduct electronic, voluntary, anonymous surveys at medication-assisted treatment clinics for OUD in Washington County, Tennessee. To qualify for the survey, participants must be at least 18 years old and have a history of filling at least one buprenorphine prescription at a community pharmacy. The survey consists of multiple-choice, multi-select, and Likert-scale questions to collect information on demographics, buprenorphine use history, and barriers to accessing prescriptions with the aim of assessing the impact on recovery. Participants will be provided an open-ended response field to elaborate on how they have been treated by community pharmacy staff or how barriers to accessing their buprenorphine prescription have impacted their recovery. Quantitative data will be analyzed in SPSS Version 29. Open-ended responses will undergo thematic analysis by the study team. Although results are pending completion of data collection and analysis, this study will offer deeper insight into the challenges faced by patients receiving buprenorphine for OUD treatment by exploring their experiences in community pharmacies. The findings can help support efforts to reduce OUD-related stigma in these settings to ultimately enhance recovery outcomes for patients.
Start Time
16-4-2025 9:00 AM
End Time
16-4-2025 11:30 AM
Presentation Type
Poster
Presentation Category
Health
Student Type
Clinical Doctoral Student (e.g., medical student, pharmacy student)
Faculty Mentor
KariLynn Dowling-McClay
Faculty Department
Pharmacy Practice
Buprenorphine Patients’ Attitudes Surrounding Community Pharmacy Experiences
Buprenorphine is an FDA-approved medication prescribed for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). The objective of this study is to explore buprenorphine patients’ attitudes regarding their experiences at community pharmacies, particularly in relation to stigma and buprenorphine accessibility during their OUD recovery. It is hypothesized that patients taking buprenorphine for OUD will report negative experiences related to stigma that impact access to buprenorphine prescriptions at community pharmacies. Study staff will conduct electronic, voluntary, anonymous surveys at medication-assisted treatment clinics for OUD in Washington County, Tennessee. To qualify for the survey, participants must be at least 18 years old and have a history of filling at least one buprenorphine prescription at a community pharmacy. The survey consists of multiple-choice, multi-select, and Likert-scale questions to collect information on demographics, buprenorphine use history, and barriers to accessing prescriptions with the aim of assessing the impact on recovery. Participants will be provided an open-ended response field to elaborate on how they have been treated by community pharmacy staff or how barriers to accessing their buprenorphine prescription have impacted their recovery. Quantitative data will be analyzed in SPSS Version 29. Open-ended responses will undergo thematic analysis by the study team. Although results are pending completion of data collection and analysis, this study will offer deeper insight into the challenges faced by patients receiving buprenorphine for OUD treatment by exploring their experiences in community pharmacies. The findings can help support efforts to reduce OUD-related stigma in these settings to ultimately enhance recovery outcomes for patients.