News & Updates — Webinar

Pharmacists carry significant clinical and regulatory responsibilities to provide safe and effective care for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). However, recent surveys report barriers patients face in getting their buprenorphine prescriptions filled at the pharmacy, thereby delaying or disrupting treatment. Confusing governmental policies and regulations, fears of Drug Enforcement Administration investigation, lack of OUD-specific training, limited compensation, and stigma, all interfere with a pharmacist’s ability to stock and dispense buprenorphine.

FORE has been supporting work that addresses pharmacy-level barriers to obtaining buprenorphine, particularly for those at highest risk. In September 2024, in collaboration with three schools of pharmacy and two leading national pharmacy organizations, the University of Houston released evidence-based, consensus guidelines to provide pharmacists with the knowledge and training required to overcome administrative, attitudinal, and knowledge-based barriers that interfere with dispensing buprenorphine. Two projects are working with pharmacists in areas with high overdose rates – one rural and one urban. The University of Kentucky has developed a pharmacist-delivered academic detailing intervention to modify pharmacists’ buprenorphine dispensing behavior and facilitate access to buprenorphine in Appalachian Kentucky. The National Pharmaceutical Association is training pharmacy personnel in evidence-based OUD management and is implementing the Pharmacist-Physician-Peer Recovery Coach Collaborative model in several community pharmacies in Washington, DC’s lower income wards.

Please join us on Wednesday, May 28th at 2pm EST as we welcome…

• Tyler Varisco, PharmD, PhD | Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Health Outcomes and Policy
  Grantee: University of Houston College of Pharmacy
  Project: Creation of a Multi-stakeholder Practice Guideline to Improve Access to Medication for Opioid Use Disorder in Community Pharmacies
• Trish Freeman, RPh, PhD | Earl Platt Slone Endowed Professor in Pharmacy Practice and Science
  Grantee: University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy
  Project: Facilitating Buprenorphine Access Through Pharmacist Peer Outreach
• Careen-Joan Franklin, PharmD
  Grantee: National Pharmaceutical Association
  Project: Increasing Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder Using the Pharmacist-Physician-Peer Coach (P3) Collaborative Model

… as they discuss the current barriers to buprenorphine dispensing, as well as ways to mitigate these issues and facilitate patient access to buprenorphine at community pharmacies.

The webinar will run until 3:00pm to allow for a discussion and Q&A session following the presentation.

Register for the Webinar Here

We invite you to look at our Resources page for the most up-to-date information and guidance. You can view a recording of our previous webinars below. As always, please reach out with questions and/or resources that you believe would benefits others.