title: Reimbursement and practice policies among providers of buprenorphine-naloxone treatment.
abstract: ABSTRACT Background: Physician acceptance of cash payment and low adherence to practice guidelines may contribute to buprenorphine-naloxone diversion. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical practice policies of physicians who provide office-based treatment for opioid dependence with buprenorphine-naloxone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data were obtained from 31 of 71 practices surveyed (response rate 43.7%) that provided answers to at least some of the survey questions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of these practices, 28 (90.3%) accepted cash as payment and 6 (19.4%) accepted only cash for treatment services. Analysis of open-ended responses to questions about office policies revealed wide variation among practices and overall suboptimal adherence to recommended treatment guidelines.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results underscore the need for continuing education for physicians who prescribe buprenorphine-naloxone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Department of Pharmacy Practice, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14203, USA. amw25@buffalo.edu
authors.forename: Angela M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Wisniewski
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Dlugosz
authors.forename: Richard D
authors.initials: RD
authors.lastname: Blondell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D019983:Guideline Adherence; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009270:Naloxone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000191:economics*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D010820:Physicians / Q000523:psychology*; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000191:economics*; D012051:Reimbursement Mechanisms / Q000191:economics*
chemical_list: D009270:Naloxone; D002047:Buprenorphine