Comparing Buprenorphine Treatment Outcomes Among Kentucky Medicaid Patients by Prescriber Specialty and Type

Among Kentucky Medicaid patients treated for opioid use disorder, those who received most of their buprenorphine from primary care physicians stayed on treatment longest (covered 69.6% of days vs. 60.1% for specialists and 64.3% for advanced practice providers), while patients of advanced practice providers had the lowest rate of non-fatal overdose. The results suggest that several types of providers can effectively prescribe buprenorphine, supporting efforts to expand who can deliver this treatment.