Buprenorphine use post-pandemic has risen among adolescents but declined among young adults, a new study on opioid use disorder treatment showed.
Buprenorphine dispensing for opioid use disorder increased among US adolescents but decreased among young adult s between 2020 and 2023, with overall dispensing declining 6.5% annually, a new study shows.Researchers conducted a cross-sectional analysis of 2020-2023 data from an all-payer pharmaceutical claims database, capturing 93% of prescriptions dispensed from retail pharmacies in the United States.
Analysis included annual estimates of individuals dispensed buprenorphine overall and by four age groups , as well as dispensing by prescriber specialty.Between 2020 and 2023, the overall number of individuals aged 10-24 years who were dispensed buprenorphine declined significantly from 47,759 to 38,907 . However, absolute numbers for this subgroup were still low .
Nurse practitioners prescribed more buprenorphine to adolescents and young adults than other specialties, whereas pediatricians prescribed to the fewest number of adolescents in 2020 but showed the largest increase from 2020 to 2023 , prescriptions dispensed outside retail pharmacies, and the clinical setting or specialty for nurse practitioners and physician assistants.No funding information was provided for the study. The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
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