Trends and Characteristics of Buprenorphine-Involved Overdose Deaths Prior to and During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

ABSTRACT:

Importance

Buprenorphine remains underused in treating opioid use disorder, despite its effectiveness. During the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the US government implemented prescribing flexibilities to support continued access.

Objective

To determine whether buprenorphine-involved overdose deaths changed after implementing these policy changes and highlight characteristics and circumstances of these deaths.

Design, setting, and participants

This cross-sectional study used data from the State Unintentional Drug Overdose Reporting System (SUDORS) to assess overdose deaths in 46 states and the District of Columbia occurring July 2019 to June 2021. Data were analyzed from March 7, 2022, to June 30, 2022.

Main outcomes and measures

Buprenorphine-involved and othe

SUBMITTER: Tanz LJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9860517 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature