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Objective To develop effective programs for people who are opioid-dependent and to impact the opioid epidemic in New York City, it is crucial that we monitor attitudes about opioid addiction treatments among opioid users who have experienced barriers to engagement and retention in addiction treatment. Design We conducted a qualitative study using focus groups. Methods We conducted six focus groups in three needle exchanges in New York City, which were audio recorded, transcribed, and systematically coded. We report on the main themes related to the study objectives. Participants Participants of each needle exchange who were opioid-dependent and had some knowledge of both methadone and buprenorphine were eligible. Results There were four main findings. Participants felt: (1) buprenorphine is an appropriate option only for those heroin users who are motivated to stop using; (2) they have less control over their addiction treatment with methadone than they would have with buprenorphine; (3) buprenorphine treatment is not accessible to many New York City residents who would benefit from this treatment; and (4) lack of access to buprenorphine treatment is the cause of treatment-related diversion. Conclusions Both methadone maintenance and buprenorphine treatment opportunities are necessary to address the diverse treatment needs of opioid-dependent people in New York City. However, the current medical model of buprenorphine treatment may be too restrictive for some opioid-dependent people, and may be contributing to the use of illicit buprenorphine. New models to deliver buprenorphine treatment may address these problems.

Needle EXchange Technology (NEXT) Harm Reduction is an online, mail-based platform designed for sending (1) naloxone kits to people at risk for overdose and (2) sterile syringes and other equipment directly to people who otherwise cannot access safe supplies. From its inception in 2017 through the end of 2019, NEXT Harm Reduction sent naloxone kits to 3609 individuals and 1230 packages of sterile syringes and supplies and received 335 reports of overdose reversals using naloxone provided by NEXT Harm Reduction and its affiliates. (Am J Public Health. Published online ahead of print February 18, 2021: e1–e5. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2020.306124 )

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