CPF FUNDED GRANT DETAILS

Community pharmacies are contributing to mitigating the opioid public health emergency in the United States through opioid stewardship, including Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME) calculations, naloxone dispensing, and safe practices for opioid use and disposal. The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 recently removed the requirement for separate prescriber registration (X-waiver) for buprenorphine prescribed for opioid use disorder (OUD), creating a timely and significant opportunity to enhance existing opioid stewardship services at community pharmacies and expand access to medications for OUD (MOUD) in communities across the United States. A model of care for MOUD prescribing and management by community pharmacists must be strategically and systematically developed to ensure the financial sustainability and viability of the service for community pharmacies; integration with existing, holistic OUD services; and equitable access that contributes to reducing the substantial health disparities that currently exist, particularly in rural settings. The objective of this project is to adapt existing evidence-based models of care for MOUD access for community pharmacies. Guided by the Discover, Design, Build, and Test (DDBT) Framework and the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model (PRISM), we will conduct in-depth interviews with pharmacy staff, patients, and other OUD providers to map how existing models of care for MOUD access match factors that impede or promote OUD treatment in community pharmacies (discovery phase). We will develop a preliminary model of care and complementary change package of implementation strategies for community pharmacy based on these qualitative data and feedback from an interdisciplinary advisory panel (design and build phase).