PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - León-Barriera, Roberto
AU  - Zwiebel, Samantha Jayne
AU  - Modesto-Lowe, Vania
TI  - A practical guide for buprenorphine initiation in the primary care setting
AID  - 10.3949/ccjm.90a.23022
DP  - 2023 Sep 01
TA  - Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine
PG  - 557--564
VI  - 90
IP  - 9
4099  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/90/9/557.short
4100  - http://www.ccjm.org/content/90/9/557.full
SO  - Cleve Clin J Med2023 Sep 01; 90
AB  - Buprenorphine is a safe and effective treatment for opioid use disorder but remains underutilized because a major challenge of conventional buprenorphine initiation (termed induction) is that the patient must already be in opioid withdrawal. Previous legal barriers and clinician lack of familiarity with the unique pharmacology of buprenorphine have also limited its use. In this review, we outline changes regarding buprenorphine prescribing laws and physician perceptions of buprenorphine. We also review buprenorphine pharmacology and novel low-dose buprenorphine induction procedures that can be adopted in primary care settings to improve treatment acceptability, retention, and outcomes.