(1203) Assessment of Patients’ Perception and Impression of Long –acting Injectable Buprenorphine Administration in the Community Pharmacy Setting

Objectives: The primary objective of this study is to examine patients’ perspectives regarding pharmacist administration of LAIB (Long-Acting Injectable Buprenorphine) in the community setting to provide insight into the challenges people face with OUD (Opioid Use Disorder) when seeking healthcare services. Over the last decade, the total number of opioid deaths in Arizona has doubled from almost five hundred deaths in 2012 to more than 1100 in 20191. The state has implemented added resources for patients fighting opioid addiction, such as access to support groups, expansion of medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), and a statewide campaign to increase treatment-seeking behavior to reduce the overall stigma of opioid use1. We will explore the expansion of MOUD to community pharmacies with community pharmacists being able to dispense and administer LAIB, also known by the trade name Sublocade. LAIB is an FDA-approved medication for treating OUD, with the REMS program designated by the FDA3. The REMS program allows certified pharmacies/pharmacists to dispense and administer LAIBs in the community setting4. The expansion of LAIB was based on patients’ needs, including the convenience of providing care in a community setting. The stigma associated with treating OUD remains and is more significant in communities where patients have poor health literacy and higher barriers to seeking healthcare2.

Methods: A validated patient satisfaction survey will be provided to eligible patients obtaining MOUD LAIB services through a Nationwide supermarket-based community pharmacy chain using a prospective research design and purposive sampling. The director of pharmacy operations from each district will send an email notice to all pharmacists employed by Albertsons with instructions to distribute the postcard with a QR code to patients receiving LIABs. The survey will focus on the patient’s knowledge about opioids and OUD, and their perceptions and satisfaction with the LAIB services received at the community pharmacy. The survey will include the following categories: demographics, opioid use history, knowledge of opioids, perceptions of opioids, receiving MOUD, and patients’ satisfaction. Inclusion criteria includes patients 18 years of age or older, receiving LAIB treatment for OUD, and enrolled in the company’s specialty care program to receive Sublocade. Exclusion criteria includes patients less than 18 years of age and an inability to provide informed consent. Eligible patients will be identified by the prescription fill process via an electronic prescription or a physical hard copy. After completion of the survey, respondents will be entered into a raffle to win a fifty-dollar gift card. The results of this study will be analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Results: N/A

Conclusions: This study will help to impact community pharmacies by understanding patients' needs and their comfortability with pharmacists' administration for MOUD.