CTN-0124: Assessment and Design of a Cost-Effective Collaborative MOUD Delivery System
Gavin Bart, MD, PhD
Co-Lead Investigator
University of Minnesota
bartx005@umn.edu
David Gustafson, PhD
Co-Lead Investigator
University of Wisconsin-Madison
dhgustaf@facstaff.wisc.edu
This small pilot study will utilize interviews of commercial pharmacy administrators and staff to explore the feasibility of scaling up access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) through pharmacies. Using a system design model approach, we will identify barriers and facilitators to this scale up and explore differences in feasibility by MOUD type (e.g., methadone, transmucosal buprenorphine, injectable buprenorphine, injectable naltrexone). The data from this study will be used to help design a sustainable system that enables pharmacy-clinician collaboration to widely and cost-effectively increase MOUD access across urban, suburban, and rural settings.
Primary Findings
Though the study team originally thought pharmacy roles related to MOUD distribution could readily expand in rural and underserved communities, the findings of the analysis demonstrated that expansion is practical only through significant systemic change, including adoption of recent developments in information and communication technology. The team’s specific recommendations are based on 9 themes that came up in their analysis: 1) mindset and stigma, 2) simplified and powerful PDMPs (prescription drug monitoring programs), 3) innovations in technology, 4) work simplification, 5) family education and support, 6) integration with other health providers, 7) regulatory reform, 8) reimbursement, and 9) integrated demonstration. This study revealed that implementing pertinent technological innovations could augment MOUD availability within the pharmacy sector, addressing the pressing need for improved access within a field constrained by limited and diminishing resources.
Primary Outcomes Article: Gustafson DH, et al. Delivering MOUD to the Underserved: How Can Pharmacies Really Help? Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 2024 (in press).
Related Resources
Node Involvement
Lead Node(s):
All Participating Nodes: