JAMA February 11 Emergency Department–Initiated Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder

This study investigates whether a seven-day injectable dose of medication-assisted treatment in the emergency department is more effective than the standard sublingual tablets for patients with opioid use disorder. Researchers found that both methods yielded comparable rates of treatment engagement at the one-week and one-month marks, suggesting that the long-acting injection is a viable alternative to daily prescriptions. While neither method showed a clear superiority in keeping patients in long-term care, the injectable group reported lower drug cravings and fewer days of illegal substance use. Ultimately, the trial demonstrates that initiating recovery in an emergency setting is safe and well-tolerated, even in a landscape where high-potency synthetic opioids like fentanyl are prevalent.