Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 30, 2025
07:29
Intravascular Delivery of Biologics to the Rat Kidney
Published on: September 1, 2016
7.9K
DEA Disconnect Leads to Buprenorphine Bottlenecks
Bayla Ostrach1, Delesha Carpenter, Larry P Cote
1Department of Research, UNC Health Sciences at MAHEC, Asheville, NC; Family Medicine and Medical Anthropology, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA (BO), Division of Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, Asheville Campus; Health Behavior, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC (DC), Cote Law PLLC, Washington, DC (LPC).
Journal of Addiction Medicine
|November 12, 2020
Summary
Pharmacists mistakenly believe a DEA cap limits buprenorphine stock, hindering opioid use disorder treatment access. Clarifying regulations can improve medication availability and patient care.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Public Health
- Health Policy
Background:
- Patients prescribed buprenorphine products report difficulty filling prescriptions.
- Pharmacists perceive regulatory limits on ordering and stocking buprenorphine.
- This bottleneck impacts access to medication for opioid use disorder (OUD).
Discussion:
- A pharmacist-perceived Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) "cap" creates a buprenorphine dispensing bottleneck.
- No such DEA cap on buprenorphine ordering or stocking exists.
- Medication distributors struggle with accurate interpretation of regulatory guidelines.
Key Insights:
- Misinterpretation of DEA regulations by distributors and pharmacists leads to reduced buprenorphine availability.
- This directly affects patient access to essential OUD treatment.
- The perceived "cap" is a significant barrier to care.
Outlook:
- Policy clarifications or changes from the DEA are recommended to aid distributor interpretation.
- Enhanced continuing education for pharmacists and prescribers is advised.
- Facilitating accurate understanding of regulations will improve patient access to lifesaving OUD treatment.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Desensitization and Tachyphylaxis
2.7K
Tachyphylaxis is described as a rapid decrease in response to a drug after repeated or continuous administration of the same drug dose. It is a phenomenon where the body becomes less responsive to a particular substance or intervention over time, requiring higher doses or stronger interventions to achieve the same effect. It results from adaptive changes in the body's receptors, signaling pathways, or physiological processes that occur in response to prolonged exposure to a stimulus.
2.7K
01:17Drug Dependence
1.4K
Medications are typically administered to achieve therapeutic effects. Some drugs can modify an individual's mood and perception, frequently resulting in various enjoyable experiences. However, this can result in drug dependency, a condition marked by continuous drug use despite potential negative consequences. Drug dependency primarily falls into two categories: psychological and physical dependence. Psychological dependence occurs when the pleasurable feelings induced by the drug...
1.4K
01:15Drug Abuse and Addiction: Pharmacological Phenomena
946
Drug dependence, abuse, and addiction are complex phenomena that can precipitate various abnormal states. Physical dependence refers to a state of pharmacological adaptation to a drug. This adaptation often results in tolerance—a reduced response to the drug after repeated administrations. When the drug use is abruptly stopped, withdrawal symptoms occur due to the body's need to readjust from the pharmacologically induced imbalance. However, tolerance and withdrawal symptoms do not...
946
01:19Depolarizing Blockers: Pharmocokinetics
487
Depolarizing blockers are administered through intravenous injection. Succinylcholine is the most common choice of depolarizing blockers in emergency clinical practices. Although they have a rapid onset, they readily diffuse away from the motor end plate into the extracellular fluid. They are metabolized by enzymes such as liver butyrylcholinesterase and plasma pseudocholinesterases. This produces a short duration of action, typically 5-10 minutes long, unlike nondepolarizing blockers, which...
487
01:15Opioid Analgesics: Synthetic and Semisynthetic Opioids
701
Synthetic and semisynthetic opioids are pivotal in pain management and tackling opioid addiction. Semisynthetic opioids, including morphinans (morphine derivatives), oxycodone, oxymorphone, hydrocodone, and hydromorphone, have improved pharmacokinetic profiles compared to morphine. Additionally, heroin and 6-MAM (6-Monoacetylmorphine) show better CNS penetration than morphine due to heightened lipid solubility. Hydromorphone, a potent opioid, undergoes hepatic metabolism to form the active...
701
01:23Drug Elimination: Non-Renal Routes
2.8K
The liver plays a pivotal role in eliminating drugs and their metabolites, primarily through a process known as biliary excretion. This process involves the hepatocytes, the primary cells in the liver that generate bile. A range of transporters actively expels polar drugs or hydrophilic drug metabolites into the bile, which transports the drugs and metabolites into the small intestine. From here, they are eventually expelled from the body through feces. In some instances, the original drug or a...
2.8K