State policy influence on the early diffusion of buprenorphine in community treatment programs
2008

State Policy Influence on Buprenorphine Adoption in Treatment Programs

Sample size: 10410 publication 10 minutes Evidence: moderate

Author Information

Author(s): Lori J Ducharme, Amanda J Abraham

Primary Institution: University of Georgia

Hypothesis

The study examines the impact of state policies on the adoption of buprenorphine in community treatment programs.

Conclusion

State Medicaid coverage for buprenorphine significantly influences its adoption in treatment programs.

Supporting Evidence

  • Programs with Medicaid coverage for buprenorphine were 8.5% more likely to adopt it.
  • Government-funded programs were less likely to adopt buprenorphine compared to for-profit programs.
  • Programs offering detox services were over 7 times more likely to adopt buprenorphine.

Takeaway

This study found that if states include buprenorphine in their Medicaid plans, more treatment programs will use it to help people with opioid addiction.

Methodology

Interviews with state agency staff and analysis of data from the 2006 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services.

Potential Biases

Potential bias due to reliance on self-reported data from treatment facilities.

Limitations

The study only considered the perspectives of state agencies and did not include other relevant agencies like Medicaid offices.

Participant Demographics

The study included treatment programs across the U.S., with a focus on those providing substance abuse treatment.

Statistical Information

P-Value

0.081

Confidence Interval

(0.011, 0.152)

Statistical Significance

p<0.05

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

10.1186/1747-597X-3-17

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