TY - JOUR
T1 - Qualitative study of patients’ decisions to initiate injectable depot buprenorphine for opioid use disorder
T2 - the role of information and other factors
AU - Neale, Joanne
AU - Parkin, Stephen
AU - Strang, John
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
PY - 2022/8/4
Y1 - 2022/8/4
N2 - Background: Depot buprenorphine can potentially address many limitations of other forms of opioid replacement therapy (ORT). This paper builds upon the concept of the ‘informed patient’ to explore individuals’ decisions to initiate injectable depot buprenorphine. Methods: Data derive from a qualitative study of 26 people with opioid use disorder who were recruited from drug treatment services in England and Wales and interviewed within 72 hours of starting injectable depot buprenorphine treatment. Interviews were conducted by telephone, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed via Iterative Categorization. Findings: Participants’ decisions to initiate treatment were underpinned by receiving sufficient information to trust depot buprenorphine; current treatment not meeting their personal needs or goals; frequently uncritical perceptions of depot buprenorphine; and restricted access to depot buprenorphine making recipients feel grateful. Overall, participants said they had enough information and knowledge to decide they wanted depot buprenorphine. However, dissatisfaction with current ORT, desire for better treatment, and depot buprenorphine’s limited availability seemed to hinder informed decision-making. Conclusions: Whilst pharmaceutical products cannot solve the complex life problems often associated with opioid use disorder, we need to increase access to all ORT forms so that patients do not feel they have to rush into any medication without adequate preparation.
AB - Background: Depot buprenorphine can potentially address many limitations of other forms of opioid replacement therapy (ORT). This paper builds upon the concept of the ‘informed patient’ to explore individuals’ decisions to initiate injectable depot buprenorphine. Methods: Data derive from a qualitative study of 26 people with opioid use disorder who were recruited from drug treatment services in England and Wales and interviewed within 72 hours of starting injectable depot buprenorphine treatment. Interviews were conducted by telephone, audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analysed via Iterative Categorization. Findings: Participants’ decisions to initiate treatment were underpinned by receiving sufficient information to trust depot buprenorphine; current treatment not meeting their personal needs or goals; frequently uncritical perceptions of depot buprenorphine; and restricted access to depot buprenorphine making recipients feel grateful. Overall, participants said they had enough information and knowledge to decide they wanted depot buprenorphine. However, dissatisfaction with current ORT, desire for better treatment, and depot buprenorphine’s limited availability seemed to hinder informed decision-making. Conclusions: Whilst pharmaceutical products cannot solve the complex life problems often associated with opioid use disorder, we need to increase access to all ORT forms so that patients do not feel they have to rush into any medication without adequate preparation.
KW - Depot buprenorphine
KW - informed patient
KW - opioid replacement therapy
KW - opioid use disorder
KW - qualitative
KW - treatment decision making
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85146728877&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/09687637.2023.2165041
DO - 10.1080/09687637.2023.2165041
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85146728877
SN - 0968-7637
VL - 31
SP - 189
EP - 199
JO - Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy
JF - Drugs: Education, Prevention and Policy
IS - 2
ER -