New Practice Guideline Addresses Pharmacy Access to Buprenorphine

The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy and the National Community Pharmacists Association began distributing a first-of-its-kind practice guideline to the nation’s 60,000 community pharmacists. It’s part of an ambitious effort to increase access to buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD).  The Pharmacy Access to Resources and Medication for Opioid Use Disorder (PhARM-OUD) Guideline is designed to educate pharmacists about the importance of providing access to buprenorphine and help them navigate a complex set of regulatory and clinical barriers to access. It’s been endorsed by a wide array of professional societies and advocacy organizations, including the American Society of Addiction Medicine, the American Pharmacists Association, the American Association of Psychiatric Pharmacists, the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists, and Vital Strategies.