Methadone
Methadone may provide a more durable treatment option for opioid addiction
Individuals receiving methadone for opioid use disorder had a lower risk for discontinuing treatment compared with the combination of buprenorphine and naloxone, study results published in JAMA showed.
Acupuncture helps reduce opioid cravings in patients receiving methadone
Acupuncture was superior to sham acupuncture in reducing methadone doses and opioid cravings in patients undergoing treatment for opioid addiction, findings showed.
Naltrexone use in pregnancy ‘reasonable’ for opioid use disorder option
Current data support naltrexone use as medication for opioid use disorder in pregnancy, with encouraging perinatal outcomes, according to a systematic review published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Buprenorphine, methadone treatment now permanently available via telehealth
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration issued a final rule that permanently allows patients to be prescribed buprenorphine via telehealth, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced in a press release.
Lower malformation risk with buprenorphine vs. methadone exposure in pregnancy
Infants exposed in utero to buprenorphine had lower risk for malformations associated with opioid exposure compared with methadone-exposed infants, according to cohort study results published in JAMA Internal Medicine.
Syringe sharing reduced among PWID with improved access to methadone providers
BOSTON — There is a reduction in syringe sharing when methadone providers are spread out near areas with the greatest density of people who inject drugs, according to research presented at The Liver Meeting.
Patients seeking opioid use treatment increasingly test positive for illicit drug co-use
From 2017 to 2021, people seeking treatment for opioid use disorder increasingly tested positive for fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine at presentation, according to findings published in Addiction.
Tips for starting medication in patients with opioid use disorder
SAN DIEGO — “Now more than ever,” physicians need to manage opioid use disorder with pharmacological treatment in the primary care setting, according to a speaker at the ACP Internal Medicine Meeting.
Placebo adjunct to methadone for OUD improves treatment retention, sleep quality
The use of open-label placebo alongside methadone for opioid use disorder was associated with greater 90-day treatment retention rates and better sleep quality compared with the use of methadone alone, a randomized clinical trial found.
Bupropion may promote cocaine abstinence in some opioid users
In addition to a financial incentive, bupropion may help some people being treated for opioid use disorder to stop using cocaine, according to findings published in JAMA Network Open.