Barriers to accessing medications for opioid use disorder among rural individuals

Individuals with opioid use disorder living in rural areas face barriers to accessing medications for treatment (MOUD), including finding prescribing clinicians and difficulties with transportation. This study sought to describe self-reported barriers to MOUD access in rural areas and associations between desired MOUD type and barriers encountered or perceived.

We performed a cross-sectional study of Rural Opioid Initiative participants who ever used opioids and sought MOUD treatment, who were surveyed from 2018 to 2020 about access to MOUD. Multivariable logistic regressions explored the association between MOUD type and barriers while controlling for age, gender, race, and study site.

Of 2906 participants who used opioids and sought MOUD, 826 (28.4 %) were unable to access MOUD. In logistic regression models, lack of transportation was a more common barrier for those seeking methadone versus sublingual buprenorphine (adjusted odds radio [aOR] 1.87, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 1.24-2.81). A long wait list was more common for those seeking injectable naltrexone than sublingual buprenorphine (aOR 1.68, 95 % CI 1.05-2.69). Lack of doctors or programs and affordability were more common for those seeking injectable versus sublingual buprenorphine (aOR 7.84, 95 % CI 4.87-12.63 and aOR 1.89, 95 % CI 1.26-2.83, respectively).

Access barriers vary by MOUD type for rural individuals with OUD. Compared to sublingual buprenorphine, methadone access was hindered more by transportation difficulties, while injectable long-acting buprenorphine was hindered more by affordability and finding a doctor or program. These barriers highlight the need to de-regulate and expand locations for methadone access and prescribing, and to improve affordability and prescriber uptake of newer MOUDs, such as injectable buprenorphine.