Study: Medication Availabile to Treat Opioid Use Disorder is Underutilized in Youth

Opioid overdose deaths in the United States are on the rise, and the trend in adolescents mirrors that of the entire population. A medication called buprenorphine can help prevent overdose deaths, according to research, but it is not being used for teens very often, according to a study, “Buprenorphine Dispensing Among Youth Aged ≤ 19 Years in the United States: 2015-2020.” The study, published in the February 2023 Pediatrics (published online Jan. 24), found buprenorphine dispensing to youth is low and declining in recent years. Yet the rate of opioid-involved overdose deaths in children and adolescents increased nearly four-fold from 2010-2021, with most of this increase driven by illicitly manufactured fentanyl. Buprenorphine produces effects such as euphoria or respiratory depression at low to moderate doses and helps diminish the effects of physical dependency to opioids, such as withdrawal symptoms and cravings. The study cites an analysis of data from 39 states and the District of Columbia identifying nearly 3,000 opioid associated deaths in youth ages 15-24 years in 2020 alone. Buprenorphine is approved for use in children age 16 or older and is frequently used off-label in younger adolescents. Between 2015-2020, the number of youths who received buprenorphine declined by 45%, while there was 47% increase in the number of adults dispensed buprenorphine during that period. The authors suggest emphasizing treatment in pediatric clinics and expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder for this high-risk population.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.