10% Of Buprenorphine Starts For OUD Were Via Telemedicine In First 32 Months Of COVID-19 Pandemic

Of 228,598 total buprenorphine initiations in the U.S. between March 2020 and November 2022, 9.9% of initiations (22,601) were via telemedicine. These virtual buprenorphine initiations were made by 3,950 clinical professionals to 21,220 people diagnosed with opioid use disorder (OUD).

Among the 22,601 tele-initiations, 27.9% (6,313) had no in-person visit with the initiating clinical professional in the two years prior. An average of 20.1% (4,537) had neither a prior in-person visit nor an in-person 30-day follow-up visit with the initiating clinical professional.

Overall . . .