TABLE 2.
Health Care Provider Barriers to Naloxone Distribution
| Barriers | Health Care Providers, No. (%) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Physicians | Nurse Practitioners | Physician Assistants | All | |
| Facility leadership not supportive | 15 (5.3) | 2 (3.3) | 2 (6.7) | 19 (5.1) |
| Not necessary | 21 (7.5) | 3 (4.9) | 3 (10.0) | 27 (7.3) |
| I am uncomfortable prescribing naloxone | 32 (11.4) | 9 (14.8) | 4 (13.3) | 45 (12.4) |
| Other | 32 (11.4) | 4 (6.6) | 1 (3.3) | 46 (12.6) |
| Cost | 42 (14.9) | 6 (9.8) | 2 (6.7) | 50 (13.4) |
| Veteran inability to use naloxone | 62 (22.1) | 18 (29.5) | 5 (16.7) | 85 (22.8) |
| Required time to prescribe naloxone | 67 (23.8) | 16 (26.2) | 6 (20.0) | 89 (23.9) |
| Beyond the scope of emergency department or urgent care clinic providers | 91 (32.4) | 17 (27.9) | 14 (46.7) | 122 (32.8) |
| Veterans perceived stigma that naloxone is used only for opioid abuse or misuse | 96 (34.2) | 19 (31.1) | 9 (30.0) | 124 (33.3) |