Trends in Buprenorphine Use in U.S. Emergency Departments

Although buprenorphine use in the ED increased from 2002 to 2017, there was significant variability in the uptake of this lifesaving treatment.

Medication for opioid use disorder (OUD), including buprenorphine, has been demonstrated to reduce mortality. In addition, buprenorphine is an effective treatment for symptoms of acute opioid withdrawal. Despite this, uptake of buprenorphine in the emergency department (ED) has been slow.

Using a nationally representative dataset of U.S. ED visits from 2002 to 2017, researchers examined trends in buprenorphine prescribing. During this period, buprenorphine was prescribed at 441,475 ED visits. Nearly all these visits (92.7%) were in urban areas, and most patients (66.3%) were non-Hispanic white. Over the course of the study period, there was a 3.5-fold increase in the number of ED visits in which buprenorphine was prescribed, from 12.3 to 42.…

Reviewing Author

Lauren M. Westafer, DO, MPH, MS

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Editorial BoardsAnnals of Emergency Medicine

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAcademy for Academic Women in Emergency Medicine (Social Media Chair)

Lauren M. Westafer, DO, MPH, MS

Disclosures

Grant/Research SupportNational Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Editorial BoardsAnnals of Emergency Medicine

Leadership Positions in Professional SocietiesAcademy for Academic Women in Emergency Medicine (Social Media Chair)

Trends in Buprenorphine Use in U.S. Emergency Departments

Topics

Reviewing Author