Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder With Buprenorphine Among US Adolescents and Young Adults During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic.
J Adolesc Health
; 71(2): 239-241, 2022 08.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1930929
ABSTRACT
PURPOSE:
The COVID-19 pandemic's impact on buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder among adolescents and young adults (AYAs) is unknown.METHODS:
We used IQVIA Longitudinal Prescription Claims, including US AYAs aged 12-29 with at least 1 buprenorphine fill between January 2018 and August 2020, stratifying by age group and insurance. We compared buprenorphine prescriptions in March-August 2019 to March-August 2020.RESULTS:
The monthly buprenorphine prescription rate increased 8.3% among AYAs aged 12-17 but decreased 7.5% among 18- to 24-year-olds and decreased 5.1% among 25- to 29-year-olds. In these age groups, Medicaid prescriptions did not significantly change, whereas commercial insurance prescriptions decreased 12.9% among 18- to 24-year-olds and 11.8% in 25- to 29-year-olds, and cash/other prescriptions decreased 18.7% among 18- to 24-year-olds and 19.9% in 25- to 29-year-olds (p < .001 for all).DISCUSSION:
Buprenorphine prescriptions paid with commercial insurance or cash among young adults significantly decreased early in the pandemic, suggesting a possible unmet treatment need among this group.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Buprenorphine
/
COVID-19
/
Opioid-Related Disorders
Type of study:
Experimental Studies
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Adolescent
/
Adult
/
Humans
/
Young adult
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
J Adolesc Health
Journal subject:
Pediatrics
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
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