A large cohort study found a clear dose response relationship between higher early buprenorphine dosing and reduced mortality. Patients receiving more than 16 mg daily in the first month had substantially lower overdose and all cause death rates compared to lower dose groups.

Two large cohort studies compared retention and ongoing opioid use among patients receiving methadone versus buprenorphine. Methadone showed slightly higher retention, while both medications reduced illicit opioid use effectively. Choosing between them remains a patient centered clinical decision.

Long-acting injectable formulations of buprenorphine can be a good treatment option for patients with opioid use disorder, particularly for those with poor adherence. However, starting long-acting injectable medications typically requires the patient to be on a stable dose of sublingual buprenorphine. Here, researchers demonstrate the feasibility of starting buprenorphine with a microinduction approach followed shortly by administration of a long-acting injection.

Buprenorphine induction typically requires that a patient experience moderate opioid withdrawal before starting the medication in order to avoid precipitating severe withdrawal symptoms. This waiting period is uncomfortable and can be a treatment barrier. In this study, researchers develop and test an induction protocol using injectable buprenorphine that gets around this initial waiting period.