Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder in Primary Care: Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Training Programs

Drug overdose death rates from opioid use have risen steadily since 1999 and reached epidemic levels, slowing for the first time in 2018, though not for many forms of opioid use. Yet evidence-based approaches to combating OUD, such as medication-assisted treatment for OUD (MT-OUD), are still inaccessible to many. Primary care providers are well-positioned to offer these services; however, training and education in OUD care remains inadequate. The National Center for Integrated Behavioral Health interviewed the Health Resources Service Administration (HRSA) awardees of federal funding to implement an MT-OUD curriculum in their primary care residency training programs to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation. Awardees were interviewed at program launch and one year later. Results showed the importance of leadership willingness to participate, effective treatment integration into existing workflow, curriculum and clinical flexibility, and supportive interdisciplinary and community partnerships. Recommendations for best practices of MT-OUD training in primary care are identified.