Physicians self-reported higher perceptions of efficacy for methadone and buprenorphine than for extended-release naltrexone, citing insurance obstacles as the most frequent barrier to prescribing MOUD. Regulatory barriers were also mentioned, though they were not considered as significant barriers by many physicians in office-based settings.
Focus group responses indicated that financial, logistical, and workforce barriers were obstacles to prescribing MOUD, and mentioned a lack of addiction treatment specialists as a strong factor in workforce barriers.
As such, the study identified the need for increased physician education regarding the comparative efficacy between different MOUD. In addition, policies should mandate full insurance coverage of MOUD and prohibit prior authorization requirements in order to reduce some of the physician-reported barriers.