From policy to practice: Pilot program increases access to medication for opioid use disorder in rural Colorado

Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) is an important approach to address the opioid crisis, but rural areas have limited access to MOUD. In 2016, Nurse Practitioners (NPs) and Physician Assistants (PAs) became eligible to prescribe buprenorphine. Local and state stakeholders in Colorado, including clinicians, policymakers, law enforcement, and patient advocates, formed a collaborative to develop legislative policy and programs for the opioid epidemic. A pilot MOUD program was developed in 2017 to increase the number of NPs and PAs providing MOUD and to increase access to MOUD in 2 counties with high opioid overdose rates. A central coordinating site selected 3 clinical agencies through an open call for proposals, with review of applications by nursing faculty experts and a community advisory board. We then monitored the number of waivered providers and patients served in targeted counties. Providers at pilot program sites tracked costs, community-level barriers, facilitators of success via monthly reports. Sites were funded for 18 months. Seven MOUD providers were added in County 1, a 350% increase compared to the prior year, and there are now 8 MOUD providers in County 2 where there were previously none. County 1 increased MOUD services from 99 clients in 2017 to 582 in 2018 and 317 during the first half of 2019. County 2 provided MOUD services for 60 new clients in 2018 and 46 in the first half of 2019. Cognitive-behavioral therapy, family therapy, and other approaches were used to increase patient engagement and days without opioid use. Successes included community outreach, referral networks, and provider education to reduce stigma. Barriers to sustainability included 1) reimbursement, 2) stigma, and 3) coordination with hospitals. Policy efforts, legislation, and academic-community collaboration led to an increase in MOUD providers and patients served in rural counties severely affected by the opioid crisis.