Characterization of a Young Adult Sample Accessing Buprenorphine Via Telehealth in Philadelphia, PACharacterization of a Young Adult Sample Accessing Buprenorphine Via Telehealth in Philadelphia, PA
Addiction Medicine: Beyond the Abstract
Researchers talk through a study of young adults using a telehealth warm line in Philadelphia to access buprenorphine and stay in treatment. The conversation highlights how peer-led, low-barrier care can offset insurance gaps and systemic inequities while supporting people at different stages of recovery.
33:42•26 Mar 2026
Young Adults, Telehealth and Buprenorphine: How a Warm Line Keeps Care Going
Episode Overview
- Telehealth warm lines can offer same-day, low-barrier access to buprenorphine, acting as a safety net when other services fall through.
- Peers with lived experience at the centre of the model help build trust, provide practical support and make care feel approachable.
- In this study, young adults had similar 30-day retention on buprenorphine to older adults when offered this accessible care model.
- Lack of insurance and the combination of younger age and Black race were linked to lower retention, underlining persistent structural inequities.
- Clinicians are encouraged to reduce unnecessary hurdles, involve peers and consider flexible, harm reduction-focused models to keep people in care.
“"It is truly a safe place for people to land and learn more about how they can begin their recovery, regardless of what stage they're in."”
Curious about how others navigate their sobriety journey? This episode of *Addiction Medicine: Beyond the Abstract* takes a close look at young adults accessing buprenorphine for opioid use disorder through a telehealth "warm line" in Philadelphia. Host Dr Shawn McNeil talks with Dr Margaret Lowenstein and Jasmine Barnes about their study on CareConnect, a virtual addiction medicine bridge clinic. Callers can phone a single number, speak with peers, and, if they choose, get same-day buprenorphine prescribed over the phone.
As Barnes explains, "It is truly a safe place for people to land and learn more about how they can begin their recovery, regardless of what stage they're in." You’ll hear Barnes weave in her family experience of substance use and why lived experience is central to the programme’s design. The pair describe how peers help callers with far more than medication: transport, appointments, insurance issues, and simply having someone kind and non-judgemental on the line.
The research itself compares young adults (18–29) with older callers. A key finding is that younger adults in this model did **not** have worse 30-day retention on buprenorphine, pushing back against the idea that young people can’t stick with medication treatment. At the same time, the data highlight serious gaps: lower retention for callers who are uninsured and for younger callers who identify as Black, and the constant threat of fragmented care when insurance lapses or people leave incarceration.
For clinicians, the message is plain: low-barrier, telehealth-based care, led by peers and focused on reducing “unnecessary hurdles”, can keep people in treatment who might otherwise fall through the cracks. If you’re interested in practical, research-backed ways to make opioid treatment more humane and accessible, this conversation is well worth your time. Could this kind of warm line be the missing link in your local treatment system?
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