The Authors’ Own Words: Barriers to Accessing Treatment for Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder in Appalachian States

The Authors’ Own Words:

We ask authors to describe their impressions regarding the implications of their accepted work, how their findings will change practice, and what is noteworthy about the work.

Barriers to Accessing Treatment for Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder in Appalachian States

Stephen W. Patrick MD, MPH, MS; Melinda B. Buntin PhD; Peter R. Martin MD, MSc; Theresa A. Scott MS,William Dupont PhD; Michael Richards MD, PhD; & William O. Cooper MD, MPH

Substance Abuse Vol. 40, Iss. 3, 2019

“In a survey of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) providers in Appalachia, we found that providers frequently did not accept any insurance and frequently did not treat pregnant women in an area of the country disproportionately affected by the opioid epidemic. Policymakers could prioritize improvements in provider training, including training of obstetricians to become buprenorphine prescribers, as a means to enhance access to pregnant women or enhancing reimbursement rates as a means of improving insurance acceptance for OAT.”