Preliminary survey of office-based opioid treatment practices and attitudes among psychiatrists never receiving buprenorphine training to those who received training during residency

Abstract

Objective To compare the characteristics, attitudes, and current prescribing practices of recently graduating psychiatrists who completed buprenorphine training during residency to those who never completed any training.. Methods A total of 359 psychiatrists completing residency training between 2008 and 2011 were recruited to complete an on-line survey. Results Responses from 93 psychiatrists were included for a response rate of 25.9%. Psychiatrists completing any buprenorphine training during residency were more likely to be male and report more favorable views of OBOT with buprenorphine than compared to those who never completed any training. Twenty (38.5%) of those psychiatrists who completed training during residency reported the current prescribing of buprenorphine. Conclusions Completion of buprenorphine training during residency may be a factor in shaping future attitudes towards OBOT and buprenorphine prescribing practices . Further research is needed to clarify the impact of buprenorphine training during residency. Scientific Significance Buprenorphine training during residency training may be a contributing factor in shaping future physician attitudes towards office-based opioid treatment and buprenorphine prescribing practices.

The American Society of Clinical Psychopharmacology Survey of Psychopharmacologists’ Practice Patterns for the Treatment of Mood Disorders

“…Future studies might usefully examine which clinical factors most influence prescribers’ treatment decisions among available options across specific illness states, subtypes, or comorbid presentations. Another limitation of the study was the somewhat low response rate of 21%, although this rate compares favorably with other contemporary Internet‐based surveys among U.S. psychiatrists . Participation in research studies has been declining in the United States, especially in surveys, but also in clinical trials and other types of studies …”

Discontinuation of Buprenorphine Maintenance Therapy: Perspectives and Outcomes

“…Sixteen of these articles were excluded on the basis that they did not include providers’ reasons for discontinuing BMT or provider perspectives associated with BMT discontinuation. Three studies of provider perspectives on buprenorphine met all criteria (Feroni et al, 2005; Quaglio et al, 2010; Suzuki, Connery, Ellison, & Renner, 2014). Screening citations within these 3 articles did not result in identification of additional relevant references.…”

“…Recently, Suzuki and colleagues (2014) compared BMT perspectives of physicians who had received BMT training to those who had not received BMT training. Authors contacted 359 psychiatrists via email who graduated from psychiatry residency programs in the United States between 2008 and 2011 to complete a survey of BMT training and perspectives, and 93 psychiatrists who graduated within this timeframe completed the survey.…”

“…Suzuki and colleagues’ (2014) report is limited primarily because none of the physicians who did not receive training had prescribed buprenorphine. Thus, it is unclear whether differences in physician perspectives were primarily due to training or experience.…”

“…Suzuki and colleagues (2014) compared BMT perspectives of physicians in the United States who had received BMT training to those who had not received BMT training. Physicians who received BMT training were more likely to have prescribed buprenorphine, to believe opioid dependence is treatable, and to believe that buprenorphine is effective in treating opioid dependence.…”