Clinical Pearls

Buprenorphine Use for Patients with Substance Use Disorders

Amy L. Davis, DO MS FACP FAAHPM, and Jeremy M. Hirst, MD

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 2016 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH) estimated that 20.1 million Americans older than 11 years of age had a substance use disorder (SUD) in the prior year, with 2.1 million having had an opioid use disorder (OUD).¹ A growing body of vigorous research demonstrates broad benefits with medication-assisted therapy (MAT). Buprenorphine’s unique pharmacologic properties make it among the most versatile of such treatments, and the 2016 NSDUH estimated that 2.25 million Americans used a buprenorphine product in the past year.² However, these same pharmacological properties make concurrent pain management more challenging.