CDC: Buprenorphine Treatment Differs in Urban, Rural Areas

TUESDAY, Sept. 1, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Buprenorphine access and treatment differ between urban and rural areas, according to research published in the Aug. 27 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Gery P. Guy Jr., Ph.D., from the CDC in Atlanta, and colleagues describe 2019 to 2025 trends in buprenorphine dispensing by pharmacies, treatment initiation among persons newly receiving buprenorphine, treatment retention, pharmacy availability, and emergency department (ED) administration by urban-rural county classification.

The researchers found an increase in dispensing rates from 2019 to 2021, followed by a decline thereafter; rates remained consistently higher in rural than urban counties. In both rural and urban counties, the number of patients per prescriber and prescriptions per prescriber declined. Rural counties had higher initiation and retention, while initiation declined in urban counties and retention declined in both urban and rural counties over time. In addition, in both rural and urban counties, pharmacy availability of buprenorphine increased and adoption and administration of ED buprenorphine increased, but remained lower in rural counties.

“These findings highlight opportunities to expand use of a low threshold for buprenorphine prescriptions, strengthen pharmacy availability, and, particularly in rural areas, support ED-based treatment administration and sustain telehealth flexibilities,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text