Pharmacists' Knowledge and Perceptions of Buprenorphine at New York State Pharmacies: Identifying the Extent of Pharmacy-Level Barriers to Access Buprenorphine.

Abstract

Purpose: Despite initiatives to improve opioid treatment access by increasing availability of buprenorphine, substantial barriers persist, impacting treatment engagement across New York State (NYS). Pharmacists play a critical role in dispensing buprenorphine, yet their knowledge and perceptions significantly affect medication accessibility. We evaluated pharmacists' knowledge and perceptions about buprenorphine dispensing at pharmacies across NYS and assessed variations based on pharmacy characteristics.

Methods: A 2019 NYS Department of Health survey collected data from pharmacists about their experiences and perspectives related to buprenorphine dispensing. Statistical analyses were conducted to describe the associations between pharmacies, region, and other characteristics.

Findings: Of responding pharmacies (n = 620) 54.8% were in New York City, 22.7% of pharmacists had previously declined a buprenorphine prescription, with 65.5% declining prescriptions in the last 6 months alone. Key barriers included stocking issues on the supply side (19.9%) and lack of demand by patients (14.7%).

Implications: Pharmacists play a critical role in providing access to buprenorphine. Addressing pharmacist knowledge gaps and stigma through education initiatives may improve opioid treatment access. Additional studies are required to evaluate the extent of the existing buprenorphine pharmacy accessibility barriers and to identify approaches to addressing and eliminating those barriers.