“You Do More Difficult Things Than This”: A National Study of Nurse Practitioner Buprenorphine Prescribing

Abstract

Nearly 300 Americans die every day from unintentional drug overdoses, most involving opioids. Buprenorphine is an effective but underused treatment for opioid use disorder. This quantitative, descriptive study used data from a national survey to explore nurse practitioner buprenorphine prescribing. The study finds associations between full practice authority environments and buprenorphine prescribing propensity. The study also finds stigma and medication misconceptions may inhibit prescribing. To increase access to this lifesaving medication, policymakers, patient advocates, educators, and clinicians should focus on reducing state scope of practice barriers while advocating for education to address stigma and medication misperceptions.