Long-Acting Buprenorphine (Buvidal) Budgets, Policies and Data
Case reference FOI2026/00660
Received 18 March 2026
Published 16 April 2026
Request
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the commissioning and use of long-acting injectable buprenorphine (Buvidal) within your drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services. Please provide the following information for the financial years 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25 (and 2025/26 where available):
1. COMMISSIONING AND POLICY
1a. Does your current contract with your drug and alcohol treatment provider(s) include provision for Buvidal (long-acting injectable buprenorphine)? Please provide a yes/no answer for each financial year.
1b. If yes, when was Buvidal first included as a funded treatment option within your commissioned services?
1c. Does your council have a written policy, clinical pathway, or formulary decision regarding Buvidal? If so, please provide a copy or summary.
2. EXPENDITURE
2a. What was the total expenditure on Buvidal within your commissioned drug and alcohol treatment services in each financial year?
2b. From which budget line(s) was this expenditure drawn (e.g. Public Health Grant, SSMTRG, DATRIG, or other)?
3. PATIENT NUMBERS
3a. How many patients were initiated on Buvidal in each financial year?
3b. What proportion of your total opioid substitution therapy (OST) caseload does this represent?
4. BARRIERS AND DECISION-MAKING
4a. Has your council or your commissioned provider(s) conducted any formal review or assessment of Buvidal as a treatment option? If so, please provide any written outputs from this review.
4b. Are there any documented reasons why Buvidal has not been commissioned or expanded, if applicable?
Response
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 regarding the commissioning and use of long-acting injectable buprenorphine (Buvidal) within your drug and alcohol treatment and recovery services. Please provide the following information for the financial years 2022/23, 2023/24, and 2024/25 (and 2025/26 where available):
1. COMMISSIONING AND POLICY
1a. Does your current contract with your drug and alcohol treatment provider(s) include provision for Buvidal (long-acting injectable buprenorphine)? Please provide a yes/no answer for each financial year.
Answer: The Service Area have advised Buvidal is explicitly listed in the prescribing section of the Provider’s Tender (Schedule 6), where it states that clinical delivery includes:
“Pharmacological interventions (Methadone, Buprenorphine, Buvidal, Naloxone)”
Because the contract runs from 1 April 2021 – 31 March 2026, and Buvidal is included in the Provider’s Tender that forms part of the contract documentation.
|
Financial year |
Is Buvidal included? |
|
2021/22 |
Yes |
|
2022/23 |
Yes |
|
2023/24 |
Yes |
|
2024/25 |
Yes |
|
2025/26 |
Yes |
1b. If yes, when was Buvidal first included as a funded treatment option within your commissioned services?
Answer: 2024/25.
The Service Area have advised the Provider’s Tender — which is formally part of the contract — explicitly lists Buvidal as one of the pharmacological interventions available within the service. The relevant text states:
“clinical delivery, harm reduction and OST (Methadone, Buprenorphine, Buvidal, Naloxone)”
1c. Does your council have a written policy, clinical pathway, or formulary decision regarding Buvidal? If so, please provide a copy or summary.
Answer: The Service Area have advised yes – Herefordshire Council Substance Misuse Needs Assessment 2023:
“The supervised consumption service consists of pharmacists who supervise the consumption of methadone and buprenorphine to service‑users at the point of such medicines being dispensed”
2. EXPENDITURE
2a. What was the total expenditure on Buvidal within your commissioned drug and alcohol treatment services in each financial year?
Answer: 2024/25 = £281.25
2025/26 = £8,211.91
2b. From which budget line(s) was this expenditure drawn (e.g. Public Health Grant, SSMTRG, DATRIG, or other)?
Answer: SSMTRG.
3. PATIENT NUMBERS
3a. How many patients were initiated on Buvidal in each financial year?
Answer: 2024/25 = 1
2025/26 = 17
2026/27 = 5 (pending)
3b. What proportion of your total opioid substitution therapy (OST) caseload does this represent?
Answer: 6%
4. BARRIERS AND DECISION-MAKING
4a. Has your council or your commissioned provider(s) conducted any formal review or assessment of Buvidal as a treatment option? If so, please provide any written outputs from this review.
Answer: The Service Area have advised Depot Buprenorphine (Buvidal®) has been in use in Turning Point services since 2019. Turning Point has undertaken a recent national audit to monitor compliance with prescribing guidelines and policies. No additional formal review has been completed or required.
4b. Are there any documented reasons why Buvidal has not been commissioned or expanded, if applicable?
Answer: N/A
Documents
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