{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,9]],"date-time":"2026-05-09T21:50:37Z","timestamp":1778363437032,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":38,"publisher":"BMJ","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,17]],"date-time":"2023-03-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1679011200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":16,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["bmj.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["BMJ Open"],"accepted":{"date-parts":[[2023,2,28]]},"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2023,3]]},"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Objectives<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>During the COVID-19 pandemic, addiction treatment services received official guidance asking them to limit face-to-face contact with patients and to prescribe opioid agonist treatment (OAT) medication flexibly. With the aim for most patients to receive take-home supplies for self-administration rather than attendance for observed daily dosing.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This was a theory-driven, clinically applied qualitative study, with data for thematic analysis collected by semi-structured, audio-recorded, telephone interviews.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Participants<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Twenty-seven adults (aged \u226518 years) enrolled in sublingual (tablet) buprenorphine and oral (liquid) methadone OAT.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Setting<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Community addictions centre in the London Borough of Lambeth operated by South London and Maudsley NHS Trust.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Three major themes were identified: (1) dissatisfaction and perceived stigma with OAT medication dispensing arrangements before the pandemic; (2) positive adaptations in response to COVID-19 by services; (3) participants recommended that, according to preference and evidence of adherence, OAT should be personalised to offer increasing medication supplies for self-administration from as early as 7 days after commencement of maintenance prescribing.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>In an applied qualitative study of patients enrolled in OAT during the COVID-19 pandemic, participants endorsed their opportunity to take medication themselves at home and with virtual addiction support. Most patients described a preference for self-administration with increased dispensing supplies, from as early as 7 days into maintenance treatment, if they could demonstrate adherence to their prescription.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1136\/bmjopen-2022-069857","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,21]],"date-time":"2023-03-21T12:58:53Z","timestamp":1679403533000},"page":"e069857","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/crossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":12,"title":["Patients\u2019 perceptions of self-administered dosing to opioid agonist treatment and other changes during the COVID-19 pandemic: a qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.1136","volume":"13","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7038-2396","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Gemma","family":"Scott","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Lambeth Addiction, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sophie","family":"Turner","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lambeth Addiction, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9137-5005","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Natalie","family":"Lowry","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lambeth Addiction, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"},{"name":"Department of Addictions, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Annette","family":"Hodge","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lambeth Addiction, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Waniya","family":"Ashraf","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lambeth Addiction, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Katie","family":"McClean","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lambeth Addiction, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mike","family":"Kelleher","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lambeth Addiction, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Luke","family":"Mitcheson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lambeth Addiction, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-1307-2498","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"John","family":"Marsden","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Lambeth Addiction, South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK"},{"name":"Department of Addictions, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"239","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2023,3,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"2025121400400068000_13.3.e069857.1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"American Psychiatric Association . 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