By Deanna DePeau
Treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD) after a nonfatal opioid overdose with either methadone or buprenorphine is underused when compared with each therapy’s proven ability to dramatically reduce mortality rates (Ann Intern Med 2018 Jun 19. [Epub ahead of print]).
Researchers used the data from 17,568 adults in Massachusetts who overdosed on opioids between 2012 and 2014 to investigate the benefits and frequency of medication-assisted treatment for OUD.
“Nonfatal