Individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) who were prescribed a lower buprenorphine dose were 20% more likely to discontinue treatment than those on a higher dose, according to a study of patients prescribed buprenorphine in Rhode Island from 2016 to 2020, as fentanyl became widely available. “The current recommended target dose of buprenorphine was derived from studies conducted prior to the widespread availability of fentanyl. Now, we’re seeing people with higher levels of tolerance to and dependence on opioids, and our findings suggest that a higher buprenorphine dose – up to 24 mg – may help improve treatment retention for these individuals,” said Rachel Wightman, M.D., Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine and Epidemiology at Alpert Medical School of Brown University and one of the principal investigators of the study.
