Policy Only 1 in 4 adolescent treatment facilities offer buprenorphine for opioid use disorder

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Only 1 in 4 adolescent treatment facilities offer buprenorphine for opioid use disorder​

National Institute on Drug Abuse
13 June 2023

Excerpts:

NIH-funded study indicates substantial need to expand access to evidence-based treatment among young people

Only 1 in 4 residential addiction treatment facilities caring for U.S. adolescents under 18 years old offer buprenorphine, a medication used to treat opioid use disorder, according to a new study.

Only 1 in 8 offer buprenorphine for ongoing treatment.

There has been a dramatic rise in overdose deaths among young people aged 14-18 in recent years, likely driven by illicit counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. For those with opioid use disorder, medications are the most effective treatment options for preventing both return to opioid use and overdose deaths. Buprenorphine is the only medication for opioid use disorder that is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in people aged 16-18.

 

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Summary: (cause it was a long article)



- A recent study supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) reveals that only 1 in 4 residential addiction treatment facilities in the United States offer buprenorphine, a medication used for treating opioid use disorder, to adolescents under 18 years old.

- Among these facilities, only 1 in 8 offer buprenorphine for ongoing treatment.

- The study highlights a significant gap in access to evidence-based addiction treatment for young people, as overdose deaths among adolescents aged 14-18 have been rising, potentially due to illicit counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.

- Buprenorphine is the only FDA-approved medication for treating opioid use disorder in individuals aged 16-18, and some medical societies recommend considering it as a treatment option for younger individuals.

- The researchers found that 24% of the residential treatment facilities surveyed offered buprenorphine to patients aged 16 or older, with specific parameters for offering the medication varying by site. Only 12.5% offered buprenorphine for ongoing treatment, and 7.5% offered it to adolescents under 16.

- Many facilities indicated that adolescents prescribed buprenorphine by their own clinicians could temporarily stay on the medication during treatment, but some would discontinue it before discharge. Some facilities required adolescents to not be taking buprenorphine to be admitted for residential treatment.

- The study emphasizes the need to support residential treatment centers in providing evidence-based care and increasing access to buprenorphine, which is a crucial treatment option for adolescents with severe opioid use disorder. Education, technical assistance, better funding, and raising public awareness are suggested to address the issue.