Buprenorphine options via telemedicine for people leaving jail
Official title: A patient preference trial of sublingual versus extended-release buprenorphine telemedicine and pharmacy linkage for individuals re-entering the community from jail
Funded at Friends Research Institute, INC. · NIH-11415932 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A patient-centered study will let adults leaving Maryland jails choose between two forms of buprenorphine, to be taken remotely with telemedicine and pharmacy support.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Friends Research Institute, INC. NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,442,966 |
| NIH project number | 5RM1DA064499-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415932 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults 21+ with opioid use disorder who are about to be released from jail and have access to telemedicine and local pharmacies.
✕Less likely to help
Participants who do not use buprenorphine or cannot access telemedicine or community pharmacies may see limited benefit.
What this research studies
This project tests which buprenorphine form helps people recently released from jail stay in treatment and avoid relapse. 500 adults with opioid use disorder will pick XR-B (extended-release) or SL-B (sublingual) and receive care through telemedicine and community pharmacies for 6 months after release, plus a 7-month safety check and 12-month follow-up. Researchers will monitor retention, illicit opioid use, other substance use, overdose events, and quality of life, using both clinic data and self-reports. The study will apply CFIR and RE-AIM frameworks to understand how telemedicine and pharmacy linkage can be implemented in rural Maryland jails and after release.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could improve treatment retention and reduce overdoses for people re-entering the community after incarceration.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies suggest that pharmacist-administered and telemedicine-supported interventions can support treatment continuity, but this PPT will explore patient preference in a real-world jail-to-community setting.
Where this research is happening
-
Friends Research Institute, INC.
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blue, Thomas — Friends Research Institute, INC.
- Study coordinator: Blue, Thomas
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.