Evaluation of LAB for people who have experienced homelessness V1
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An Evaluation of the Long-Acting Buprenorphine (LAB) Depot Injection for People Experiencing Homelessness
IRAS ID
334517
Contact name
Celia Morgan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Exeter
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Buprenorphine is well-established as a treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD). However, there are significant risks and challenges with a daily sublingual or supralingual (lypphilisate) formulation, which include misuse, diversion, and accidental use. There are also stigma and practical barriers associated with daily supervised consumption, which were exacerbated during the COVID-19 pandemic. Buvidal is a novel form of buprenorphine, designed in a liquid crystal solution for weekly and monthly subcutaneous dosing in a variety of doses. It is a treatment option for complex patients with OUD who are experiencing homelessness.
This study aims to evaluate the experiences of long-acting buprenorphine (LAB) depot injection (brand name Buvidal) for people who have experienced homelessness. We will conduct semi-structured interviews with patients from a specialist primary care setting who have been prescribed and administered LAB. The qualitative analysis of the interviews will aim to gain a greater understanding of the benefits and challenges of LAB in comparison to other treatments. To gather further insight, staff members who frequently interact with these patients will be interviewed, such as healthcare professionals and staff (e.g., GPs, outreach nurses, and support workers) working in primary care and at a local multi-agency wellbeing hub. The interviews will aim to understand the opinions of LAB held by healthcare professionals and explore their experiences working with individuals who have received LAB. We also intend to analyse existing quantitative data (e.g., GP attendance, number of fatal overdoses) from primary care to explore the impact of LAB on healthcare utilisation and general health. All interviews will be conducted in a primary or social care setting and will last approximately 30 minutes. The intended duration of the study is twelve months. This evaluation will provide greater insight into the efficacy of LAB for people who have or are experiencing co-occurring housing and substance misuse issues.
REC name
South West - Cornwall & Plymouth Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
24/SW/0065
Date of REC Opinion
29 May 2024
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion