Change in opioid and buprenorphine prescribers and prescriptions by specialty, 2016-2021

Original research
by
Larochelle, Marc R. et al

Release Date

2023

Geography

USA

Language of Resource

English

Full Text Available

No

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

No

Peer Reviewed

Yes

Objective

We calculated the number of prescribers and number of prescriptions for opioid and buprenorphine by specialty and year.

Findings/Key points

Across most specialties we identified a contraction in the number of opioid prescriptions dispensed and opioid prescribers and an expansion in the number of buprenorphine prescriptions dispensed. Among high-volume opioid prescribing specialties, the largest decrease in opioid prescribers was 32% among Pain Medicine clinicians. By 2021, Advanced Practice Practitioners overtook Primary Care clinicians as the highest volume buprenorphine prescribers.

Design/methods

Data from the IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription database for January 1, 2016 through December 31, 2021.

Keywords

About prescribers
Substitution/OAT
Transitions in care/treatment