Resource Category
Articles and Publications

Buprenorphine/naloxone Diversion Continues While Treatment Remains Inaccessible

Posted 7/19/2021 (updated 4/2/2024)

Buprenorphine/naloxone, an evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorder, is sometimes diverted for non-medical use. In Rhode Island, the prevalence of opioid use and, more recently, of fentanyl in the illicit drug supply is driving overdose fatalities, which increases the need for treatment and raises questions about the changing role of diverted medication in shaping overdose risk.