Monthly Injection Curbs Opioid Cravings, But Few Treatment Centers Use It
By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
MONDAY, April 1, 2024 -- A monthly long-acting injection of buprenorphine can be an easier and more effective therapy for people struggling with opioid addiction, but treatment centers aren’t much interested in using it, a new study discovers.
Only one-third of treatment facilities (33%) offer long-acting buprenorphine injections to patients, according to findings published recently in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Researchers suspect this is because substance use treatment centers face administrative obstacles that make it more difficult to offer buprenorphine injections, compared to the daily pill form of the drug.
“This paper highlights gaps that exist in the system,” said lead researcher Nitin Vidyasagar, a second-year student at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine. “We can now use the information to help treat people who need it the most.”
Buprenorphine works by activating the same brain receptors that more powerful opioids target. However, the effects are weaker, helping addicts wean themselves off other substances like heroin and fentanyl.
Analyzing federal data on substance use, researchers found that primary care doctors are more likely to offer long-acting buprenorphine shots than treatment centers.
This might be because doctor’s offices face fewer regulatory and administrative hurdles to prescribe the medication as a monthly injection, the researchers said.
“The takeaway is, we still have a lot of work to do to make the full complement of opioid treatment options available to patients,” researcher Dr. Samuel Bunting, an adult psychiatry resident with University of Chicago Medicine, said in a university news release.
Sources
- University of Chicago, news release
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted April 2024
Read this next
When in Life Are Folks Most Lonely?
TUESDAY, April 30, 2024 -- At what age does loneliness strike adults the hardest? A new review maps it out, finding that people are more lonely as young adults, grow less lonely...
Staying Fit Boosts Kids' Mental Health
TUESDAY, April 30, 2024 -- The benefits of physical fitness for kids spill over into their mental health, new research shows. Getting plenty of exercise may guard against...
Medicare Warnings Stop Nursing Homes From Overusing Antipsychotic Meds
FRIDAY, April 25, 2024 -- Warning letters sent by Medicare officials can prompt a decline in antipsychotic prescriptions for seniors with dementia, a new study finds. Letters...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.
