February 2020: Adverse Outcomes Following Buprenorphine Discontinuation

Executive Editor Michael Roy speaks with Arthur Robin Williams, M.D., M.B.E., and Mark Olfson, M.D., M.P.H., about their research on adverse health outcomes following discontinuation of buprenorphine among Medicaid beneficiaries who were retained for variable periods beyond 6 months.

• How buprenorphine helps patients, and factors affecting the use of this medication [2:50]
• Are there any quality measures for buprenorphine or for the treatment of opioid use disorder more generally? [7:48]
• What the authors aimed to achieve in the study [10:59]
• How the authors determined what methods to use in the study [13:51]
• Main findings with regard to adverse health outcomes after patients discontinued buprenorphine [16:22]
• Implications of the results [19:01]
• What further studies should explore with regard to treatment for opioid use disorder [21:50]
• Takeaways for researchers, clinicians, and other mental health professionals [23:06]

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