Long-acting buprenorphine is a promising new treatment for opioid use disorder, but it usually requires a seven-day stabilization period before initiation. Here, researchers develop and evaluate a novel protocol for initiating long-acting injectable buprenorphine in a single day. The trial is small, but results are promising.

The period immediately following release from incarceration is associated with an elevated risk of overdose among those with opioid use disorder. In this randomized trial, researchers were able to show that long-acting injectable buprenorphine (Sublocade) is a feasible and effective treatment for this high-risk population.