Buprenorphine dispensing among youths decreased significantly from 2015 to 2020 despite a rise in opioid-related overdoses, according to a study published in Pediatrics.
The findings suggest that many youths in the United States with opioid use disorder (OUD) who could benefit from medication for OUD (MOUD) are not receiving it, Andrew Terranella, MD, MPH, a researcher in the CDC’s Division of Overdose Prevention, and colleagues said.
“Opioid-involved overdose deaths among youth are increasing, and many of these deaths could be prevented through treatment for opioid use disorders,”