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. 2017 Jan-Mar;38(1):26-30.
doi: 10.1080/08897077.2016.1264535. Epub 2016 Nov 29.

Buprenorphine shared medical appointments for the treatment of opioid dependence in a homeless clinic

Sara L Doorley  1 , Cheryl J Ho  1 , Elizabeth Echeverria  1 , Charles Preston  1 , Huy Ngo  1 , Ahmad Kamal  1   2 , Chinazo O Cunningham  3
Affiliations

Buprenorphine shared medical appointments for the treatment of opioid dependence in a homeless clinic

Sara L Doorley et al. Subst Abus. 2017 Jan-Mar.

Abstract

Background: Opioid misuse and dependence are prevalent and rising problems in the United States. Treatment with buprenorphine is a successful treatment option for individuals with opioid dependence. This study describes and preliminarily evaluates a unique delivery system that provides buprenorphine treatment via a shared medical appointment.

Methods: A retrospective medical record review on all 77 opioid-dependent patients referred for a buprenorphine shared medical appointment in a homeless clinic from 2010 to 2012.

Results: Most patients were currently homeless (61%), unemployed (92%), had an Axis I psychiatric diagnosis (81%), and had recent polysubstance use (53%). Of the 77 patients, 95% attended at least 1 shared medical appointment. Treatment retention at 12 and 24 weeks was 86% and 70%, respectively.

Conclusions: In a patient population with complex social and mental health histories, buprenorphine treatment via a shared medical appointment had high retention rates. Findings can help guide the development of unique delivery systems to serve real-world complex patients with opioid dependence.

Keywords: Buprenorphine; group visit; homeless; office-based treatment; shared medical appointment.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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