Table 1.
Characteristics of Buprenorphine Treatment Episodes initiated by an Emergency physician, January 1 2019–November 30, 2020
| Overall % | Overall N | Pre-COVID Public Health Emergency N (%) | Post-COVID Public Health Emergency N (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 22,846 | 14,456 | 8,390 | |
| Sex | ||||
| Female | 40.4 | 9,232 | 5,993 (41.8) | 3,239 (38.6) |
| Male | 59.6 | 13,614 | 8,463 (58.2) | 5,151 (61.4) |
| Age Cohort | ||||
| 12–17 | 0.1 | 31 | 19 (0.1) | 12 (0.1) |
| 18–25 | 9.0 | 2,046 | 1,217 (8.4) | 829 (9.9) |
| 26–35 | 39.8 | 9,098 | 5,714 (39.5) | 3,384 (40.3) |
| 36–45 | 29.2 | 6,669 | 4,261 (29.5) | 2,408 (28.7) |
| 46–55 | 13.3 | 3,036 | 1,995 (13.8) | 1,041 (12.4) |
| 56–65 | 6.6 | 1,518 | 963 (6.7) | 555 (6.6) |
| 66+ | 2.0 | 448 | 287 (2.0) | 161 (1.9) |
| First Buprenorphine prescription payer | ||||
| Medicare | 5.5 | 1,253 | 820 (5.7) | 433 (5.2) |
| Medicaid | 44.5 | 10,167 | 6,240 (43.2) | 3,927 (46.8) |
| Commercial | 14.7 | 3,346 | 2,238 (15.5) | 1,108 (13.2) |
| Cash | 9.6 | 2,181 | 1,386 (9.6) | 795 (9.5) |
| Discount card/ Voucher | 15.3 | 3,498 | 2,131 (14.7) | 1,367 (16.3) |
| Other | 9.7 | 2,226 | 1,517 (10.5) | 709 (8.5) |
| Emergency Department Prescriber County Urban-Rural Status | ||||
| Metropolitan | 88.6 | 20,237 | 12,666 (87.6) | 7,571 (90.2) |
| Rural Adjacent | 8 | 1,823 | 1,241 (8.6) | 582 (6.9) |
| Rural Remote | 3.4 | 786 | 549 (3.8) | 237 (2.8) |
| 2018 county OD rate quartile | ||||
| Lowest | 8.1 | 1,854 | 1,192 (8.3) | 662 (7.9) |
| 2 | 12.6 | 2,877 | 1,987 (13.8) | 890 (10.6) |
| 3 | 22 | 5,014 | 3,421 (23.7) | 1,593 (19.0) |
| Highest | 57.3 | 13,101 | 7,856 (54.3) | 5,245 (62.5) |