Risk of opioid overdose during buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder in the fentanyl era.

ABSTRACT:

Background

For patients who use fentanyl, higher than currently recommended maintenance doses of buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) may be needed to prevent cravings and withdrawal, but some clinicians and regulators are concerned that higher doses may increase overdose risk. We evaluated buprenorphine effectiveness for overdose prevention in the fentanyl era.

Methods

We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Rhode Island residents initiating buprenorphine for OUD (October 2016‒September 2022) using statewide administrative data. On each of 365 follow-up days, patients were classified as having an active buprenorphine prescription (yes/no) and a non-fatal or fatal opioid overdose (yes/no). Follow-up was discontinued if patients died or initiated methado

SUBMITTER: Chambers LC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12937454 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature