Buprenorphine, a proven treatment for opioid addiction, has been underprescribed in the US despite being available for over two decades. This lack of widespread use may have prevented tens of thousands of lives from being saved.
The synthetic opioid fentanyl is driving the US opioid crisis, with 105,000 people dying from overdoses in 2023 – three-quarters of which were caused by fentanyl and other opioids. Fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin and 100 times more potent than morphine, making it a significant threat.
Buprenorphine, an opioid itself, has been shown to be effective in preventing overdose deaths compared to abstinence-based treatments. By engaging the same receptors as fentanyl, buprenorphine can blunt cravings and withdrawal symptoms, reducing the risk of relapse.
Countries like France, which fully exploited buprenorphine’s potential, have seen a significant decline in overdose deaths from heroin and other opioids. The US government partly funded buprenorphine’s development but has struggled to make it easily accessible to all doctors.
Fentanyl is difficult to control due to its small production requirements and ability to be smuggled across the southern border. Mexico’s president suggests that American demand for illicit opioids, which can be reduced with effective medication-based treatments like buprenorphine, drives the problem.
Experts believe that a medication like buprenorphine is more effective than stopping cold turkey in treating opioid-use disorder. It reduces cravings and misery that could provoke relapse. The US has seen a remarkable reversal in overdose deaths after years of relentless rises, but experts are puzzling over which interventions are saving lives.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/17/magazine/buprenorphine-addiction-treatment-takeaways.html