The Buprenorphine Initiative is a collaborative effort of HealthCare Access Maryland, the Baltimore City Health Department, and Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems whose goal is to move clients stabilized in treatment to community doctors freeing treatment slots for new clients. The program brings together addiction treatment centers, community health centers, and primary care physicians to collectively join the fight against heroin addiction in Baltimore City.
Under this new system of care, clients begin buprenorphine maintenance treatment in a publicly funded treatment system before they are transferred to buprenorphine certified primary care providers in the community who will continue their buprenorphine treatment and address other primary health care concerns. HCAM has advocates in buprenorphine treatment sites across the city.
BBI Awards
- BBI National Recognition: Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality designates BBI as an Innovative Practice (initially given in 2008 and profile was updated in 2010)
- BBI National Award: Model Practice Award from the National Association of County and City Health Officials (NACCHO)
- Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems was selected to receive a 2010 iAward for Innovation in Behavioral Healthcare Services. The award was presented at the SAAS National Conference and NIATx Summit in Cincinnati, Ohio, on July 11-14, 2010.
The project has three major components:
- Recruiting physicians across the city to obtain a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. Training will be provided to eligible physicians so they can obtain a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. Please click here if you are a physician and are interested in obtaining your waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. Or you can contact Vanessa Kuhn, the Buprenorphine Project Coordinator at 410-637-1900 for more information.
- Drug Treatment. Six substance abuse treatment centers in Baltimore City funded by Baltimore Substance Abuse Systems will provide drug treatment including dose induction, stabilization, and continuance on buprenorphine along with intensive outpatient counseling to opioid dependent patients.
- Extended buprenorphine therapy. HCAM staff are working closely with substance abuse treatment centers to enroll clients into available public benefits programs and transferring stabilized patients with pharmacy benefits to community-based physicians in community health centers and other settings.