Journal of Substance User & Addiction Treatment: Buprenorphine Discontinuation in Telehealth-Only Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

Journal of Substance User & Addiction Treatment: Buprenorphine Discontinuation in Telehealth-Only Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, federal agencies permitted telehealth initiation of buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) without in-person assessment. This longitudinal cohort analysis found that a telehealth-only platform reduced risk of buprenorphine discontinuation compared to treatment as usual office-based/mixed telehealth opioid treatment. This finding provides additional evidence that an in-person evaluation to receive buprenorphine may not be necessary for some treatment-seeking patients.