Awareness of, experience with, and attitudes toward buprenorphine among opioid users visiting a New York City syringe exchange program.
OBJECTIVE
To examine awareness of, experience with, and attitudes toward buprenorphine, to begin to understand why opioid users may not access buprenorphine treatment. Factors associated with attitudes toward buprenorphine were also explored.


METHODS
Cross-sectional study.


METHODS
A community-based organization's syringe exchange program in mobile units at nine street-side outreach sites in New York City.


METHODS
One hundred eighty-six adult opioid users visiting a syringe exchange program.


METHODS
Awareness of, experiences with, and attitudes toward buprenorphine.


RESULTS
Most (68.5 percent) participants were aware of buprenorphine, 27.8 percent had taken buprenorphine, and 58.6 percent knew someone who had taken buprenorphine. Of the 98 who had taken or knew someone who had taken buprenorphine, 85.7 percent endorsed positive attitudinal statements about its effectiveness, and up to 31.6 percent endorsed statements about its limited access. Participants' attitudes about the need for formal buprenorphine treatment were mixed. Current heroin users were more likely than nonusers to have heard of buprenorphine (76.0 percent vs 61.5 percent, p < 0.05), have taken buprenorphine (46.8 percent vs 9.6 percent, p < 0.01), endorse buprenorphine's effectiveness (96.3 percent vs 72.7 percent, p < 0.01), and believe that illicit and prescribed buprenorphine have similar benefits (35.2 percent vs 13.6 percent, p < 0.02) CONCLUSIONS: Most opioid users visiting a syringe exchange program had positive attitudes about buprenorphine's effectiveness, and few believed that buprenorphine was difficult to access. Attitudes about the benefits of illicit versus prescribed buprenorphine use were inconsistent. Understanding awareness of, experience with, and attitudes toward buprenorphine is important, as these factors are likely to influence opioid users' decisions about engaging in buprenorphine treatment.
Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York.
Pooja A
PA
Shah
Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, City College of the City University of New York, New York, New York.
Nancy L
NL
Sohler
New York Harm Reduction Educators, Bronx, New York.
Carolina
C
López
Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York; Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York.
Aaron D
AD
Fox
Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York; Associate Professor of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York.
Chinazo O
CO
Cunningham
D000328:Adult; D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001364:Awareness; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D032882:Comprehension; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D055030:Drug Users / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006297:Health Services Accessibility; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018671:Needle-Exchange Programs; D009519:New York City; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D015819:Substance Abuse, Intravenous / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D019037:Urban Health Services
D000701:Analgesics, Opioid; D002047:Buprenorphine