Unfilled prescriptions: Surveying patients' experiences with buprenorphine treatment in Massachusetts before and during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Background and Objectives: We explored potential challenges to accessing office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) with buprenorphine during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: Using Facebook advertisements, we recruited a sample of N = 72 participants and conducted four repeated-measures analysis of variance comparing ratings of participants' abilities to access aspects of OBOT treatment. Results: Participants reported increased difficulty filling buprenorphine prescriptions during the pandemic than before, p =.011, partial η2 = 0.092, and this was correlated with past month opioid use, r =.236, p =.042. Discussion, Conclusions, and Scientific Significance: This is the first investigation to report unfilled prescriptions during the pandemic and an association with opioid use. Unfilled prescriptions may contribute to relapse and partially explain increased overdose deaths during COVID-19.