Manish K Jha, Udi E Ghitza, Thomas Carmody, Snoben Kuruvila, Steven Shoptaw, Abu Minhajuddin, Sidarth Wakhlu, Joy M Schmitz, Phillip O Coffin, Gavin Bart, Edward V Nunes, Paul Kenny, Madhukar H Trivedi
{"title":"Craving, Impulsivity, and Subsequent Methamphetamine Use With Naltrexone-Bupropion Versus Placebo: Findings From a Randomized Clinical Trial.","authors":"Manish K Jha, Udi E Ghitza, Thomas Carmody, Snoben Kuruvila, Steven Shoptaw, Abu Minhajuddin, Sidarth Wakhlu, Joy M Schmitz, Phillip O Coffin, Gavin Bart, Edward V Nunes, Paul Kenny, Madhukar H Trivedi","doi":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001538","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000001538","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>The accelerated development of additive pharmacotherapy treatment (ADAPT-2) for methamphetamine use disorder (MUD) trial demonstrated the efficacy of extended-release injectable naltrexone (NTX) and oral bupropion (BUP). In this secondary analysis, we determined whether craving and impulsivity levels could predict subsequent use of methamphetamine.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants (N = 357) of the ADAPT-2 trial with at least one transition point [transition from positive-to-negative urine drug screen (UDS) or vice versa] during stage 1 (baseline through week-6) were included in this secondary analysis. Craving was assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Impulsivity was assessed using the 2-item impulsivity factor of the Concise Health Risk Tracking (CHRT) Scale.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A significant treatment by craving by time interaction was noted (P = 0.018), where higher craving levels were consistently associated with a lower likelihood positive-to-negative UDS transition at the next visit in both NTX-BUP and placebo groups. However, no such effect was present by week 6 of treatment in the placebo group. CHRT Impulsivity also had a significant effect on the probability of a positive-to-negative UDS transition (P = 0.019) in addition to the 3-way interaction of VAS, week, and treatment group. Individuals with lower craving levels but higher impulsivity exhibited a lower probability of transitioning to negative UDS at the next visit. Higher craving, but not impulsivity, was associated with a higher likelihood of negative-to-positive UDS transition at the next visit in both treatment groups.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Further investigations are necessary to optimize NTX-BUP treatment, focusing on the impact of craving and impulsivity on outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":14744,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Addiction Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144583906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Godwin Okoye, Eswar C Gopalakrishnan, Chanhyun Park, Anton L V Avanceña
{"title":"Hospital Readmission and Mortality Among Alcohol-related Cancer Survivors With an Alcohol Use Disorder Diagnosis.","authors":"Godwin Okoye, Eswar C Gopalakrishnan, Chanhyun Park, Anton L V Avanceña","doi":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001540","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000001540","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Unhealthy alcohol use, which includes alcohol use disorder (AUD), is common among cancer survivors and can lead to negative health outcomes. Prior research found that an AUD diagnosis is associated with hospital readmission up to 180 days after discharge among alcohol-related cancer survivors. This study investigates whether AUD diagnosis is associated with hospital readmission 30 and 90 days after discharge and in-hospital mortality.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the all-payer Nationwide Readmissions Database (NRD) from 2017 to 2020. We identified hospitalized adults with a history of alcohol-related cancer and stratified them by AUD diagnosis status. We applied 1:1 propensity score matching to balance measured demographic and clinical characteristics. We used logistic regression models to assess the association between AUD diagnosis and 30-day and 90-day readmission and mortality and Cox proportional hazards models to estimate time to readmission and mortality.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 70,731 alcohol-related cancer survivors, 3067 (4.34%) had an AUD diagnosis. In the matched cohort (n=2916), AUD diagnosis was significantly associated with increased odds of 90-day readmission (odds ratio [OR], 1.150; 95% CI, 1.021-1.295) but was not significantly associated with 30-day readmission (OR, 1.102; 95% CI, 0.888-1.368) or mortality (OR, 1.102; 95% CI, 0.888-1.368).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Hospitalized cancer survivors with AUD are at a higher risk for 90-day readmission. Findings from this and prior studies underscore the need for targeted postdischarge interventions to reduce the risk of long-term readmission in this population.</p>","PeriodicalId":14744,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Addiction Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144626377","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Olanzapine/Samidorphan (Lybalvi) and Buprenorphine: Considerations for a Contradictory Combination: A Case Report.","authors":"Alyssa Thomas, Joseph Mott, Karen Antwiler","doi":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001542","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001542","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Samidorphan is an opioid receptor antagonist and naltrexone analogue that has been harnessed in unique ways. Samidorphan has been paired with olanzapine in the new oral agent Lybalvi, approved by the FDA in 2021 for the treatment of schizophrenia and bipolar I disorder. The addition of samidorphan to olanzapine has the intention of reducing olanzapine's metabolic side effects (ie, weight gain), however, samidorphan's antagonism of the mu opioid receptor can lead to complications in patients with opioid use disorder on agonist therapy. These complications include not just precipitated withdrawal, as explored in prior case studies, but also the risk of reduced opioid tolerance and overdose in the event of olanzapine/samidorphan (Lybalvi) discontinuation and concurrent opioid use.</p><p><strong>Case report: </strong>A 42-year-old female with a history of opioid use disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and bipolar disorder presented to an opioid treatment program for buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP/NX) continuation. On presentation, she was being treated with a combination of olanzapine/samidorphan (Lybalvi) for bipolar disorder and 18 mg/d of transmucosal BUP/NX for opioid use disorder. Due to concern for interaction between buprenorphine and samidorphan, she was gradually tapered to a lower dose of buprenorphine to allow for discontinuation of olanzapine/samidorphan then titrated to an effective buprenorphine dose for long-term treatment.</p><p><strong>Discussion: </strong>This case report outlines the safety concerns of utilizing an opioid antagonist (samidorphan) in conjunction with an opioid partial agonist (buprenorphine) and demonstrates the process for safe transition to an alternative regimen.</p>","PeriodicalId":14744,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Addiction Medicine","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144540251","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yuan Fang, Alvin D Jeffery, Stephen W Patrick, Jessica Young, Edwin Raffi, Gabrielle M Harder, Sarah Osmundson, Julia C Phillippi, Ashley A Leech
{"title":"Association of Opioid Use Disorder-Related Service Trajectories During Pregnancy and Postpartum Health Service Use: A Group-Based Multitrajectory Modeling Study.","authors":"Yuan Fang, Alvin D Jeffery, Stephen W Patrick, Jessica Young, Edwin Raffi, Gabrielle M Harder, Sarah Osmundson, Julia C Phillippi, Ashley A Leech","doi":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001434","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001434","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>The aim of the study was to examine the relationship between opioid use disorder (OUD)-related service trajectories during pregnancy and postpartum emergency department (ED) and hospitalizations.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We used the Merative MarketScan Commercial Claims and Encounters Database (2013-2021) to identify a cohort of pregnant individuals with OUD. We used group-based multitrajectory modeling to identify opioid-related treatment and service trajectories during pregnancy and examined their association with postpartum ED and hospital utilization.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Seven opioid-related treatment and service trajectories were identified in our cohort of 2,531 pregnant individuals with OUD. Compared to individuals initiating medications for OUD (MOUD) halfway through pregnancy but maintaining high adherence without ancillary services, those receiving only services throughout pregnancy had a higher risk of postpartum ED visits ( HR ED = 1.34). This latter group also faced significantly higher risks of postpartum hospitalizations, compared to adherent MOUD use (proportion of days covered ≥80%) alone, both throughout or in the latter half of pregnancy ( HR HOS = 1.93; HR HOS = 1.60), and patients without MOUD or services ( HR HOS = 1.43). Individuals initiating MOUD late in pregnancy with poor adherence and infrequent service use faced significantly higher risks of postdelivery hospitalization compared to consistent MOUD users throughout pregnancy ( HR HOS = 2.33), or in the latter half, with or without services ( HR HOS = 2.02; HR HOS = 1.93), and those not receiving MOUD or services ( HR HOS = 1.73).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Adherent MOUD use either throughout pregnancy or the latter half of pregnancy, irrespective of other service use, was associated with better postpartum outcomes defined by fewer ED visits and hospitalizations.</p>","PeriodicalId":14744,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Addiction Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"403-411"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142949199","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daisy Unsihuay, Ping Wang, Michael Milone, Ashish Thakrar, Jeanmarie Perrone
{"title":"Performance of a Xylazine Test Strip in Urine Biospecimens.","authors":"Daisy Unsihuay, Ping Wang, Michael Milone, Ashish Thakrar, Jeanmarie Perrone","doi":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001497","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1097/ADM.0000000000001497","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Herein, we evaluate the performance of xylazine test strips (XTS) in urine samples. XTS is used for community drug checking (powders and liquids) but lacks regulatory approval for human specimen testing.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We obtained n=85 human urine specimens from a toxicology laboratory in Philadelphia, originally submitted for qualitative mass spectrometry (MS) expanded drug analysis. Residual urine was tested for xylazine using XTS (BTNX Inc.), and results were then compared against the MS method. Synthetic urine spiked with xylazine standards was used to determine the XTS cutoff. An external quantitative MS method was used to investigate potential mismatches.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of n = 85 human urine specimens, XTS demonstrated 86% sensitivity and 93% specificity using a XTS cutoff of 750 ng/mL established with synthetic urine samples. Six false negatives (14%) among 43 qualitative MS-positive samples were observed, primarily due to XTS's lower sensitivity. Among 3 false positives (7%) observed in 42 qualitative MS-negative samples, lidocaine likely causes the interference. Interestingly, some XTS-positive samples were found to have xylazine concentration lower than 750 ng/mL using quantitative MS, suggesting cross-reactivity with unknown metabolites or analogs.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>XTS requires further refinement to achieve lab-quality performance, with a focus on improving sensitivity and minimizing false positives caused by nonspecific interactions with urine components. Further research is necessary to optimize their design, establish accurate detection thresholds, supporting clinical decision-making, and obtain regulatory validation.</p>","PeriodicalId":14744,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Addiction Medicine","volume":"19 4","pages":"484-486"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144753405","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pouya Azar, James S H Wong, Jessica Machado, Mohammadali Nikoo, Victor W Li, Martha J Ignaszewski, Nickie Mathew, Reinhard M Krausz, Andrew A Herring, Rodney Mullen, Julio S G Montaner, Anil R Maharaj
{"title":"Direct Induction of Buprenorphine Extended-Release: A Case Report.","authors":"Pouya Azar, James S H Wong, Jessica Machado, Mohammadali Nikoo, Victor W Li, Martha J Ignaszewski, Nickie Mathew, Reinhard M Krausz, Andrew A Herring, Rodney Mullen, Julio S G Montaner, Anil R Maharaj","doi":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001425","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001425","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Buprenorphine has superior safety in opioid use disorder compared with alternatives due to its action as a partial opioid agonist, which limits its ability to cause respiratory depression. There is a risk of precipitated opioid withdrawal after buprenorphine exposure in someone using full opioid agonists. Buprenorphine induction strategies that avoid precipitated withdrawal remain a crucial component for starting buprenorphine in individuals actively using opioids. These strategies start with low doses of buprenorphine increasing over time, which may avoid precipitated withdrawal at the cost of an extended initiation period, potentially discouraging patients and increasing healthcare costs. A 55-year-old male with severe opioid use disorder and unregulated fentanyl use presented after an overdose, was admitted due to a cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and anemia (hemoglobin of 4.4 g/dL), and was given 300 mg of buprenorphine injection depot subcutaneously without any prior buprenorphine stabilization. Prior to injection, he was taking 30 mg of methadone and 96 mg of oral hydromorphone equivalents daily. Over the 6 hours after injection, he received another 272 mg oral hydromorphone equivalents and experienced a maximum Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale score of 7. Over the next 18 hours, he received no additional hydromorphone, and his Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale was a maximum of 1. This case illustrates a buprenorphine induction method without precipitated withdrawal by relying on the elution of buprenorphine from the subcutaneous depot alongside full agonist opioids that are given as needed. If these results are readily replicable, this approach may have significant implications for the accessibility and acceptability of buprenorphine for patients and providers.</p>","PeriodicalId":14744,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Addiction Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"490-493"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142949203","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Relationship Between Methadone Induction Dosing and Retention in Treatment in Opioid Treatment Programs.","authors":"Robert C Sherrick","doi":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001473","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001473","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>Methadone medication for opioid use disorder is effective in reducing opioid use and associated risks, but early dropout from treatment remains a challenge. Current guidelines recommend conservative methadone dose titration, yet slower dose escalation may lead to continued withdrawal symptoms, opioid use, or premature treatment discontinuation. This study investigates the relationship between the first week of methadone dosing and 30-day treatment retention.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective cohort study included 14,489 patients newly admitted to a network of 64 OTPs between 2020 and 2023. Patients who received an initial methadone dose >30 mg or missed any dosing during the first week were excluded. The primary outcome was 30-day retention. Logistic regression was used to examine the association between methadone dose at day 7-day and 30-day retention.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Higher methadone doses on day 7 were significantly associated with improved 30-day retention ( P < 0.0001). Patients receiving 70 mg or more on day 7 had a retention rate of 91.24%, compared with 79.51% for those receiving <30 mg. A clear dose-response relationship was observed, with retention rates increasing as the day 7 dose increased.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>More rapid methadone induction, particularly higher doses by day 7, is associated with improved 30-day retention. Current conservative induction guidelines may need to be revised to allow for more rapid dose escalation while balancing improved treatment outcomes with safety. Further research is necessary to assess the impact of methadone induction dosing on mortality and adverse events.</p>","PeriodicalId":14744,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Addiction Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"446-448"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143585715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"The First 100 Days: The Trump Administration and Changes to Addiction Policy.","authors":"Regina M LaBelle","doi":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001515","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001515","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The first 100 days of the second Trump Administration have ushered in a raft of changes to every aspect of the federal government, and policies relating to substance use and addiction are no exception. This commentary reviews structural and budgetary changes that have implications for addiction policymaking, and seeks to clarify which changes are proposed and which have been implemented. Amidst the fast pace of change in the early days of the Administration, it is sometimes difficult to determine which policy proposals and revisions pose the most serious threats to the nation's addiction infrastructure. This article will provide an overview of how the federal government's approach to addiction will shift as a result of the Trump Administration's actions.</p>","PeriodicalId":14744,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Addiction Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"356-357"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144078145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Ty S Schepis, Jason A Ford, Philip T Veliz, Brady T West, Sean Esteban McCabe
{"title":"Heterogeneity in Prescription Opioid Misuse Motives by Age in Adolescents and Young Adults in the United States.","authors":"Ty S Schepis, Jason A Ford, Philip T Veliz, Brady T West, Sean Esteban McCabe","doi":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001428","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001428","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objective: </strong>Adolescent (12-17 years) and young adult (18-25 years) prescription opioid misuse (POM) is linked to poor health outcomes. We investigated how POM motives vary across these ages and the potential links between motives and other substance use, mental health, and sociodemographic characteristics to help guide screening and prevention.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Pooled 2015-2019 US National Survey on Drug Use and Health data were used, with 137,858 participants. Cross-tabulations estimated prevalence of individual motives and motive category by age. Mutually exclusive motive categories were no past-year POM, pain relief only, pain/sleep/relax (ie, some combination of only these motives), and any non-self-treatment motives (eg, get high, experiment). Logistic regression models evaluated links between motive category and sociodemographic, mental health, and substance use (eg, alcohol, cannabis, nicotine, other prescription misuse) outcomes by age group, versus reference groups of no past-year POM or pain relief only.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Pain relief was the most common POM motive (estimated at >50% at all ages), but POM for non-self-treatment motives was the most common category after 14 years. POM for non-self-treatment motives had the highest adjusted odds ratios (aORs) of all substance use and mental health characteristics (eg, past-year substance use disorder aORs of 6.11 in adolescents [95% confidence interval (CI), 4.23-8.85] and 4.81 [95% CI, 4.01-5.77] in young adults, versus the pain relief only reference).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>POM for any non-self-treatment motives is linked to the highest prevalence of other substance use and mental health concerns, whereas POM for pain relief also signals a need for substance use and mental health screening.</p>","PeriodicalId":14744,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Addiction Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"381-389"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12146424/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142800698","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Thomas R Blue, Michael S Gordon, Frank J Vocci, Marc J Fishman, Shannon Gwin Mitchell, Kevin Wenzel
{"title":"A Naturalistic Study of Individuals Involved in the Justice System Who Experienced Both Formulations of Extended-release Buprenorphine.","authors":"Thomas R Blue, Michael S Gordon, Frank J Vocci, Marc J Fishman, Shannon Gwin Mitchell, Kevin Wenzel","doi":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001430","DOIUrl":"10.1097/ADM.0000000000001430","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>This study aimed to compare participants' experiences on two different formulations of extended-release buprenorphine.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Participants were part of a larger parent study comparing Brixadi™ (extended-release buprenorphine), hereafter called Brixadi, to extended-release naltrexone. At the time, Brixadi, was not fully FDA approved, and because of medication supply issues, 12 individuals were switched to Sublocade™ (a different formulation of extended-release buprenorphine), hereafter called Sublocade, for one dose and then back to Brixadi. Ten of those individuals completed semistructured interviews regarding their experiences with each medication.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In general, most participants preferred Brixadi, and most found Sublocade to cause more injection site pain/discomfort. Participants' experiences with respect to cravings, medication wearing off too soon, withdrawal symptoms, and perceived helpfulness with recovery are also discussed.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Patients may prefer Brixadi to Sublocade because of injection site pain/discomfort. This could be mitigated with topical or subcutaneous anesthetics. Findings are mixed with respect to the effect of the medications on cravings, withdrawal symptoms, and the medication wearing off too soon. To address feelings of the medication wearing off too soon, patients could be given additional weekly doses of Brixadi (for patients on monthly doses of Brixadi) or supplemental sublingual buprenorphine (for patients on either Brixadi or Sublocade).</p>","PeriodicalId":14744,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Addiction Medicine","volume":" ","pages":"390-394"},"PeriodicalIF":3.2,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143070878","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}