Association between buprenorphine capacity rates and percentages of ethnic/racial minorities at the county level in the United States.

Objective: This study investigated the association between patient treatment capacity rates and the percentage of racial/ethnic minorities at the county level.

Design: Ecological study at the county level.

Exposure: The percentages of racial/ethnic minorities and the people living in poverty in 3,140 counties serve as the main exposure and confounder variables.

Main outcome measure: "No or low patient capacity" was defined as a patient capacity rate less than or equal to the 40th percentile of the distribution. Patient capacity rates were calculated by adding the maximum number of patients X-waivered providers could potentially treat in each county.

Result: Counties in higher racial/ethnic minority quintiles had significantly lower odds of "no or low patient capacity" than those in the lowest quintile in multiple logistic regression (adjusted odds ratio, 0.29; 95 percent CI, 0.14-0.61).

Conclusion: Since racial/ethnic minorities continue to have limited access to buprenorphine, as shown in individual-level studies, merely increasing treatment capacity is largely insufficient.