Association of Buprenorphine-Waivered Physician Supply With Buprenorphine Treatment Use and Prescription Opioid Use in Medicaid Enrollees

Key Points Question Is the availability of buprenorphine-waivered physicians associated with buprenorphine treatment use and prescription opioid use among Medicaid enrollees? Findings In this economic evaluation study using the all-capture Medicaid prescription data between 2011 and 2016, a 10% increase in the number of buprenorphine-waivered physicians was associated with an approximately 10% increase in the Medicaid-covered buprenorphine prescribing rate and a 1.2% reduction in the opioid prescribing rate. Meaning Expanding capacity for buprenorphine treatment holds the potential to improve access to opioid addiction treatment, which may further reduce prescription opioid use and slow the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States.