Long acting injectable buprenorphine: Perspectives from service-users, staff and stakeholders

Introduction: Long-acting injectable buprenorphine (LAIB) is a relatively novel pharmacological treatment for people with opioid dependence. Despite growing qualitative evidence, there is limited research on practitioner insights, and effectiveness of LAIB in a community setting. Methods: Thirteen s...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rebecca Fish, Céu Mateus, Hannah Maiden, Euan Lawson, Mark Limmer
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772724625000113
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849734156176588800
author Rebecca Fish
Céu Mateus
Hannah Maiden
Euan Lawson
Mark Limmer
author_facet Rebecca Fish
Céu Mateus
Hannah Maiden
Euan Lawson
Mark Limmer
author_sort Rebecca Fish
collection DOAJ
description Introduction: Long-acting injectable buprenorphine (LAIB) is a relatively novel pharmacological treatment for people with opioid dependence. Despite growing qualitative evidence, there is limited research on practitioner insights, and effectiveness of LAIB in a community setting. Methods: Thirteen service-users (11 currently prescribed LAIB), 6 practitioners, and 4 stakeholders (public health workers) took part in semi-structured interviews (n = 23) to glean their perspectives on LAIB. They were recruited through a community drug treatment service in the NW of England. The interview schedule was informed by previous literature and co-produced with a peer worker with lived experience of drug recovery treatment. Transcripts were analysed thematically by the research team. Results: Four major themes were identified from the interviews: A change of focus; challenges; wrap-around support; and target groups. Discussion: Our findings support existing evidence around the individual benefits to service-users such as changes to lifestyle and reduction of stigma, as well as challenges such as the need for wrap-around support and accessible information. We found that commissioning considerations such as geographical inequalities and the need for multi-service collaboration are important in this setting. Conclusions: LAIB treatment works well for many people in a community context that offers significant wrap-around support to service-users. The novelty of this research lies in bringing together the views of practitioners and stakeholders as well as treatment/service beneficiaries in evaluating the introduction of LAIB in a community service.
format Article
id doaj-art-c270a34a7cc54ea1b6c03e7d96619d95
institution DOAJ
issn 2772-7246
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports
spelling doaj-art-c270a34a7cc54ea1b6c03e7d96619d952025-08-20T03:07:51ZengElsevierDrug and Alcohol Dependence Reports2772-72462025-06-011510032810.1016/j.dadr.2025.100328Long acting injectable buprenorphine: Perspectives from service-users, staff and stakeholdersRebecca Fish0Céu Mateus1Hannah Maiden2Euan Lawson3Mark Limmer4Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, UK; Corresponding author.Division of Health Research, Lancaster University, UKDivision of Health Research, Lancaster University, UKLancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, UKDivision of Health Research, Lancaster University, UKIntroduction: Long-acting injectable buprenorphine (LAIB) is a relatively novel pharmacological treatment for people with opioid dependence. Despite growing qualitative evidence, there is limited research on practitioner insights, and effectiveness of LAIB in a community setting. Methods: Thirteen service-users (11 currently prescribed LAIB), 6 practitioners, and 4 stakeholders (public health workers) took part in semi-structured interviews (n = 23) to glean their perspectives on LAIB. They were recruited through a community drug treatment service in the NW of England. The interview schedule was informed by previous literature and co-produced with a peer worker with lived experience of drug recovery treatment. Transcripts were analysed thematically by the research team. Results: Four major themes were identified from the interviews: A change of focus; challenges; wrap-around support; and target groups. Discussion: Our findings support existing evidence around the individual benefits to service-users such as changes to lifestyle and reduction of stigma, as well as challenges such as the need for wrap-around support and accessible information. We found that commissioning considerations such as geographical inequalities and the need for multi-service collaboration are important in this setting. Conclusions: LAIB treatment works well for many people in a community context that offers significant wrap-around support to service-users. The novelty of this research lies in bringing together the views of practitioners and stakeholders as well as treatment/service beneficiaries in evaluating the introduction of LAIB in a community service.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772724625000113Opioid agonist therapyLong acting injectable buprenorphineRecoveryHarm reductionQualitative
spellingShingle Rebecca Fish
Céu Mateus
Hannah Maiden
Euan Lawson
Mark Limmer
Long acting injectable buprenorphine: Perspectives from service-users, staff and stakeholders
Drug and Alcohol Dependence Reports
Opioid agonist therapy
Long acting injectable buprenorphine
Recovery
Harm reduction
Qualitative
title Long acting injectable buprenorphine: Perspectives from service-users, staff and stakeholders
title_full Long acting injectable buprenorphine: Perspectives from service-users, staff and stakeholders
title_fullStr Long acting injectable buprenorphine: Perspectives from service-users, staff and stakeholders
title_full_unstemmed Long acting injectable buprenorphine: Perspectives from service-users, staff and stakeholders
title_short Long acting injectable buprenorphine: Perspectives from service-users, staff and stakeholders
title_sort long acting injectable buprenorphine perspectives from service users staff and stakeholders
topic Opioid agonist therapy
Long acting injectable buprenorphine
Recovery
Harm reduction
Qualitative
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772724625000113
work_keys_str_mv AT rebeccafish longactinginjectablebuprenorphineperspectivesfromserviceusersstaffandstakeholders
AT ceumateus longactinginjectablebuprenorphineperspectivesfromserviceusersstaffandstakeholders
AT hannahmaiden longactinginjectablebuprenorphineperspectivesfromserviceusersstaffandstakeholders
AT euanlawson longactinginjectablebuprenorphineperspectivesfromserviceusersstaffandstakeholders
AT marklimmer longactinginjectablebuprenorphineperspectivesfromserviceusersstaffandstakeholders