Implications of Increased Access to Buprenorphine for Medical Providers in Rural Areas: A Review of the Literature and Future Directions

Buprenorphine/Naloxone (Suboxone®) is an efficacious treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) due to its more convenient dosing, superior safety profile, and decreased incidence of negative side effects when compared to other forms of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD). In the United States, updated legislation in 2021 entitled, "The Practice Guidelines for the Administration of Buprenorphine for Treating Opioid Use Disorder", released by the Department of Health and Human Services, creates an exemption for the previously required Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 (DATA) waiver for buprenorphine prescribing for clinicians. This legislation was born out of a need for making MOUD more accessible for patients living with OUD as rates of opioid-related deaths in the United States have continued to rise and have increased disproportionately during the time period of the COVID-19 pandemic. This legislation has the potential to improve access to MOUD across all geographic locations, but may have the most profound impact in rural areas where significant disparities and challenges still exist in patients’ ability to access buprenorphine. The purpose of this literature review is to 1) examine how MOUD prescribing has changed after previous legislation changes, 2) explore the current state of buprenorphine access for treatment of OUD in rural America, 3) detail existing barriers in patients' ability to access MOUD, and 4) discuss future directions and considerations as a result of new legislation. This literature review found several existing barriers to receiving MOUD such as increasing costs, insufficient education, significant stigma, and the need for more innovative methods of delivery. We also found that there is currently a large opportunity for growth in the number of rural clinicians able to prescribe buprenorphine, particularly in primary care, that may now occur as a result of this new legislation. Overall, this legislation has the potential to have a positive impact on combating OUD, especially in rural areas, and may be a critical step towards ending the current opioid epidemic in the United States as these described barriers are addressed.