Understanding Gaps in Opioid Addiction Care: A Clinician-Led Insight Study

Opioid use disorder (OUD) remains one of the most significant and complex global health challenges, affecting over 40 million people worldwide and contributing to approximately 600,000 drug-related deaths each year, with the majority linked to opioid overdose and related complications. Despite ongoing advancements in treatment,
addiction care systems remain largely reactive, with clinicians often relying on intermittent assessments, patient self-reporting, and limited objective data to guide decision-making.

At Pharmaceutech, we are developing OpiBud, a biosensor-driven platform designed to enable continuous monitoring of physiological signals and biomarkers associated with patient status in opioid use disorder. Our research focuses on understanding how realtime physiological and behavioural data can be used to detect early changes in patient condition, support clinical decision-making, and ultimately enable earlier and more effective intervention.

Advances in biosensor and microneedle-based technologies have made it increasingly feasible to capture continuous physiological data outside of traditional clinical settings. However, while the technical capability exists, there remains a critical gap in understanding how such systems can be meaningfully integrated into clinical workflows and whether they address the real needs of clinicians and patients.

To address this, we are conducting a clinician-led insight study to ensure that the development of OpiBud is grounded in real-world clinical practice. The study aims to explore how opioid addiction is currently managed across different care environments, including NHS services, community settings, and private treatment providers. It seeks
to understand how clinicians assess risk, what tools are currently used, where existing approaches fall short, and what challenges may arise in adopting new monitoring technologies such as OpiBud.

This research is based on the principle that meaningful innovation in healthcare must be both scientifically robust and clinically relevant. By capturing insights directly from healthcare professionals, we aim to bridge the gap between emerging scientific capabilities and practical implementation. The findings will directly inform the ongoing development of OpiBud, ensuring it supports clinician workflows, aligns with real-world care pathways, and delivers measurable value in improving patient outcomes.

Healthcare professionals working in addiction care are invited to participate in the survey and contribute to this research.

As a thank you for your time and insight, participants who complete the survey will be entered into a draw to win a £100 Love2Shop voucher.

Access the survey