Tele-Buprenorphine Initiations for Opioid Use Disorder Without In-Person Relationships

A cross-sectional study of buprenorphine initiations revealed that approximately 1 in 10 of these initiations are conducted via telehealth platforms. Of this telehealth cohort, 20% had no in-person clinical visit within two years prior to or 30 days after initiation. This finding suggests a significant subset of patients are receiving buprenorphine treatment without established in-person clinical relationships and raises potential implications for the overall effectiveness of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment delivered exclusively via telehealth.

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Naloxone Knowledge, Carrying, Purchase and Use

A recent survey study showed differences in naloxone carrying rates across U.S. adults: 10.6% of the general population reported carrying naloxone, compared to 60.5% among individuals with self-reported opioid dependence. While naloxone availability is often estimated from pharmacy sales, the study identified that most naloxone carried was not purchased. Specifically, 42.4% of those in the general sample and 22.6% of those with self-reported opioid dependence who carried naloxone had ever purchased it. This finding suggests a need for alternative monitoring methods to track naloxone obtained from community organizations, hospitals and clinics or sold over the counter. The study also assessed how perceived overdose risk, both for oneself and loved ones, influenced the likelihood of carrying naloxone.

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Different forms of stigma and rural primary care professionals' willingness to prescribe buprenorphine

This qualitative study involving interviews with rural primary care professionals (PCPs) explored the impact of stigma on buprenorphine prescribing. The research identified three distinct forms of stigma influencing PCPs' willingness to provide this life-saving medication for opioid use disorder (OUD): stigma towards patients, where PCPs expressed fear of being harmed by patients with OUDs; stigma towards providers, with concerns about clinic stigmatization upon the treatment of addiction; and stigma towards buprenorphine itself, due to worries about unintentional patient harm from the partial opioid agonist. These findings underscore the complex nature of stigma as a barrier to buprenorphine access in rural areas and suggest that implementation strategies must address these different forms of stigma to improve prescribing rates.

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Nicotine and cannabis vaping among early high school adolescents: Disparities of use across sociodemographic characteristics and associations with psychosocial factors

This survey-based study examined nicotine and cannabis vaping types (i.e., nicotine-only, cannabis-only, and dual use) among 9th and 10th grade adolescents, focusing on disparities related to sociodemographic characteristics and associations with psychosocial factors. Prevalence of vaping within the past month was observed as 89.7 % for non-use, 5.9 % for nicotine-only, 1.0 % for cannabis-only and 3.4 % for dual use. Results indicated varying rates of vaping across different sociodemographic groups. Overall, nicotine-only and dual vaping were associated with poorer substance use attitudes, increased alcohol use, mental health difficulties, aggression, and negative family and school factors. Cannabis-only vaping showed similar associations, but to a lesser extent.

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