Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants as Buprenorphine Providers: Facilitators and Barriers
PANEL
Our speakers are Joanne Spetz, PhD, Director of the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies (IHPS), University of California San Francisco, and Jackie Bray, DNP, FNP-C., Nurse Practitioner for Howard Center’s office-based opioid treatment programs (Vermont). This presentation describes the expansion of nurse practitioners and other advanced practice clinicians into opioid use disorder treatment, particularly in rural communities. It also explores barriers and facilitators regarding nurse practitioner engagement in buprenorphine treatment, including regulations, education, and broader social factors such as stigma. Specific considerations for advanced practice clinicians’ work with members of rural communities are discussed.
Learning objectives:
1. Understand the growth and reach of nurse practitioners and other advanced practice clinicians into buprenorphine treatment, including their expansion into rural areas
2. Assess common barriers and facilitators regarding nurse practitioner engagement in buprenorphine treatment, including regulation, education, and community factors
3. Outline on-the-ground issues unique to nurse practitioners and physician assistants in delivering medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD)
4. Discuss treatment concerns for advanced practice clinicians working with special populations, including members of rural communities
Speakers
Joanne Spetz, PhD,
Dr. Spetz is Director and Brenda and Jeffrey L. Kang Presidential Chair in Health Care Financing at the Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies (IHPS), University of California San Francisco. Her research focuses on the economics of the health care workforce, organization of health care services, and quality of health care. She is an internationally known expert on the nursing workforce, leading studies of nurse supply, demand, education, earnings, and contributions to the quality of care across healthcare settings. She is an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing.
Jackie Bray, DNP; FNP-C
Dr. Jacqueline Bray is a Family Nurse Practitioner and buprenorphine prescriber. She completed her Doctor of Nursing Practice Degree at University of Vermont, where she received the American Nurses Association of Vermont Clinical Excellence Award. She holds a BA in Psychology from University Maryland Baltimore County and has a background in clinical research investigating substance use disorders with a focus on developing interventions and policies to promote healthy behaviors. Her approach to clinical care is based on harm reduction and trauma informed perspectives.