Training in Buprenorphine and Office-Based Opioid Treatment: A Survey of Psychiatry Residency Training Programs.

Abstract

Psychiatrists are well suited to provide office-based opioid treatment (OBOT), but the extent to which psychiatry residents are exposed to buprenorphine training and OBOT during residency remains unknown. Psychiatry residency programs in the USA were recruited to complete a survey. Forty-one programs were included in the analysis for a response rate of 23.7%. In total, 75.6% of the programs currently offered buprenorphine waiver training and 78.1% provided opportunities to treat opioid dependence with buprenorphine under supervision. Programs generally not only reported favorable beliefs about OBOT and buprenorphine waiver training but also reported numerous barriers. The majority of psychiatry residency training programs responding to this survey offer buprenorphine waiver training and opportunities to treat opioid-dependent patients, but numerous barriers continue to be cited. More research is needed to understand the role residency training plays in impacting future practice of psychiatrists.