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
a) 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.
b) If yes, when was Buvidal first included as a funded treatment option within your commissioned services?
c) Does your council have a written policy, clinical pathway, or formulary decision regarding Buvidal? If so, please provide a copy or summary.

2. EXPENDITURE
a) What was the total expenditure on Buvidal within your commissioned drug and alcohol treatment services in each financial year?
b) From which budget line(s) was this expenditure drawn (e.g. Public Health Grant, SSMTRG, DATRIG, or other)?

3. PATIENT NUMBERS
a) How many patients were initiated on Buvidal in each financial year?
b) What proportion of your total opioid substitution therapy (OST) caseload does this represent?

4. BARRIERS AND DECISION-MAKING
a) 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.
b) Are there any documented reasons why Buvidal has not been commissioned or expanded, if applicable?

If any information is not held centrally by the council but is held by a commissioned provider, I would be grateful if you could indicate this and, where possible, advise how I might obtain that information.