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Stigma and high care needs can present barriers to the provision of high-quality primary care for people with opioid use disorder (OUD) and those prescribed opioids for chronic pain. A study published in
PLOS Medicine by Tara Gomes at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael s Hospital, Toronto, Canada and colleagues suggests that people treated for an opioid use disorder were less likely to find a new primary care provider (PCP) within one year of termination of enrolment with the previous physician.
People with substance use disorders often have complex medical needs, requiring regular access to primary care physicians. However, some physicians may be less willing to treat these patients due to stigma, high health care needs, or discomfort prescribing opioids. To assess differences in access to primary care, researchers conducted a retrospective cohort study, analysing records of 154,790 Ontario residents who lost their enrolment with a primary care physicia
In a retrospective cohort study, Tara Gomes and colleagues study associations between opioid use history and reattachment to a primary care provider following termination of enrollment among residents of Ontario, Canada.