Buprenorphine treatment differs in urban, rural areas
Buprenorphine access and treatment differ between urban and rural areas, according to research published in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
Buprenorphine access and treatment varied significantly between urban and rural areas, as research published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report indicates. Gery P. Guy Jr. and colleagues analyzed trends from 2019 to 2025, focusing on dispensing rates, treatment initiation, retention, pharmacy availability, and emergency department administration by urban-rural county classification.
Dispensing rates rose from 2019 to 2021, then declined, but remained higher in rural counties than urban ones. Both rural and urban counties saw a decline in patients per prescriber and prescriptions per prescriber. Rural areas had higher treatment initiation and retention compared to urban areas, but retention decreased over time in both settings.
Pharmacy availability of buprenorphine and emergency department administration also increased, but these rates remained lower in rural counties. The study underscores the need to expand buprenorphine prescriptions, improve pharmacy availability, particularly in rural areas, and support emergency department-based treatment administration and telehealth flexibilities.
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