Community pharmacists' perceptions of long-acting injectable buprenorphine administration in community pharmacies: A...

Long-acting injectable buprenorphine (LAI-B) is an evidence-based medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), but its implementation in community pharmacies has not been well studied.

This study's objective was to assess southeastern North Carolina (NC) community pharmacist perspectives on the perceived acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of LAI-B administration and identify the barriers and facilitators to LAI-B administration in community pharmacies.

We conducted an online survey of practicing community pharmacists between January 14 and March 14, 2026. The survey assessed knowledge of and willingness to administer LAI-B, perceived benefits and barriers, training needs, and perceived acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of administering LAI-B. Descriptive statistics are reported.

Forty-four eligible responses were included in the analysis (response rate= 16%). On average, pharmacists were neutral to somewhat willing to administer LAI-B and also had neutral-to-positive perceptions of acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. The most frequently endorsed benefits of LAI-B were decreased diversion, supporting patients in recovery, reducing overdose deaths, and increasing revenue. The most prominent barriers involved reimbursement and payment. Other barriers included limited training, workflow constraints, and lack of provider referrals. Pharmacists reported low knowledge regarding LAI-B Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy requirements, follow-up monitoring, and storage, and expressed interest in training on those topics.

Pharmacy-based LAI-B administration could be a promising strategy to expand access to MOUD. However, implementation will require clearer reimbursement pathways, targeted training, and workflow support.