Real-world access to buprenorphine treatment in Philadelphia: A secret shopper study

107 programs were reached with audit calls (82 % response rate). 52 % were primary care offices and 48 % were specialty addiction providers. Median time-to-appointment was 3 business days (range 0–120), and 42 % of visits were offered with a single call. Only 42 % of programs could confirm the possibility of a buprenorphine prescription at an initial visit. 48 % of programs could not provide information about requirements for counseling or behavioral health, and few could provide information about policies for patients with ongoing substance use. Specialty models were more likely than primary care programs to provide information about medication availability at the first visit but also were more likely to require counseling and abstinence.