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Board hears evidence of pharmacy barriers to buprenorphine access; members back education and inter‑board outreach
Summary
Physicians, social navigators and addiction specialists told the California State Board of Pharmacy that pharmacy practices and guidance on red flags are blocking patients from timely access to buprenorphine. Members supported education, interagency collaboration and possible guidance updates.
Physicians, hospital navigators and addiction specialists told the California State Board of Pharmacy on Feb. 6 that fragile pharmacy practices and outdated guidance can block access to buprenorphine, a life-saving medication for opioid use disorder.
Presenters from California Bridge, UC Davis and the American Society of Addiction Medicine described repeated incidents in which patients left emergency departments with buprenorphine prescriptions but could not get the medication filled at community pharmacies. Reported obstacles included pharmacies denying early refills, treating buprenorphine under the same scrutiny as full-agonist opioids, stock shortages and difficulty contacting prescribers for confirmation.
Tommy Trevino, a UC Davis substance-use navigator, described a patient encounter in which staff at a pharmacy threatened to call police rather than…
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