Incorporation of Medication-Assisted Treatment with Buprenorphine into Primary Care Practice

In 2015, over 3.8 million people reported misusing prescription pain medication within the last month and over 5.1 million people in the United States admitted to using heroin at some point in their lives. Despite the widespread prevalence of opioid abuse, evidence-based treatments, such as medication-assisted treatment (MAT), have yet to be made widely available and easily accessible to patients. This program plan was designed to recommend strategies to effectively incorporate MAT into the primary care setting. Interviews were compiled from key informants at primary care clinics with successful MAT programs in the Chapel Hill, North Carolina and surrounding area in order to develop a model of practice transformation that could be applied to a primary care clinic that does not currently provide MAT services. Ultimately, the key factors to consider when implementing MAT in the primary care setting include: provider buy-in, the availability of behavioral support staff, and support of key administrative and support staff.Master of Scienc