Evaluation of the depot buprenorphine program in Bourke – barriers and enablers to success

This study will:
• Conduct research to understand substance treatment service delivery in Bourke, a severely disadvantaged rural NSW community
• Conduct research to understand the barriers and enablers of success of a Buvidal treatment program in a small rural town
• Inform ways to improve / expand treatment service delivery across other NSW rural towns - dramatically improve access and reduce costs of treatment in remote settings

Expected Outcomes
The proposed project will aim to identify the following data related to the OTP in Bourke
Identification of enablers and barriers to access opioid treatment programs in Bourke, NSW
Identify patient and health care provider perceptions of treatment programs
Identify rates of comorbidity and impact of opioid dependency in rural communities, particularly within the Aboriginal community.
It is expected that the data from this proposal could inform a community co-designed opioid treatment program that could be implemented in Bourke with potential as a pilot program for opioid treatment in other disadvantaged communities.