Long acting injectable buprenorphine: Perspectives from service-users, staff and stakeholders

Area of Science:

• Addiction Medicine
• Pharmacology
• Public Health

Background:

• Long-acting injectable buprenorphine (LAIB) is an emerging treatment for opioid dependence.
• Existing qualitative data on LAIB is growing, but research on practitioner perspectives and community-based effectiveness is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore practitioner and service user insights on the implementation and effectiveness of LAIB in a community setting.
• To identify key themes and challenges associated with LAIB treatment from multiple stakeholder perspectives.

Main Methods:

• Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 participants: 13 service users, 6 practitioners, and 4 stakeholders (public health workers).
• Participants were recruited from a community drug treatment service in Northwest England.
• Interview transcripts were analyzed thematically by the research team.

Main Results:

• Four major themes emerged: a shift in focus, challenges encountered, the importance of wrap-around support, and identification of target groups.
• Individual benefits included lifestyle changes and reduced stigma for service users.
• Key challenges involved the necessity of comprehensive wrap-around support and accessible information.

Conclusions:

• LAIB is effective in community settings when robust wrap-around support is available.
• This study uniquely integrates the views of practitioners, stakeholders, and service users to evaluate LAIB implementation.
• Commissioning decisions must consider geographical equity and foster multi-service collaboration for successful LAIB programs.