Buprenorphine Availability At Pharmacies Increased More In Rural Counties Than Urban Counties

A larger share of U.S. retail pharmacies consistently dispensed buprenorphine between 2019 and 2025, with the increase greater in rural counties than urban counties. The percentage of rural pharmacies dispensing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD) increased from 64.9% in 2019 to 80.0% in 2025, compared with an increase from 64.8% to 72.4% among urban pharmacies.

Despite the greater increase in rural pharmacy dispensing, buprenorphine administration in emergency departments (EDs) remained less common in rural counties than urban counties. The percentage of urban EDs administering buprenorphine increased from 6.7% in 2019 to 31.4 . . .