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The opioid crisis has come sharply into public focus recently, but its roots in the United States date back to the 19th century, when opium-laced patent medicines and morphine injections for injured Civil War soldiers introduced widespread dependence. Fueled by the heroin epidemic of the 20th century and highly potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl in the 21st century, opioid use disorder (OUD) is now a complex and urgent public health emergency. Addressing a crisis of this scale demands solutions grounded in research, precision, and real-world applicability.
Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder delivers evidence-based solutions to today's clinicians. This extensively updated third edition delivers practical guidance tailored to modern clinical realities, equipping practitioners with the knowledge and confidence needed to provide effective, patient-centered care in a rapidly shifting treatment landscape.
New chapters reflect the field's most pressing priorities:
• Harm reduction strategies such as safe injection, overdose education, and preventing diversion
• Dosing of buprenorphine to optimize patient adherence and well-being
• The use of buprenorphine in emergency department and hospital settings
• The impact of stigma on prevention and treatment for people with OUD
The guide further provides in-depth analysis of topics that include guidance for choosing buprenorphine versus methadone or naltrexone, how to manage co-occurring medical and psychiatric disorders, OUD among adolescents, and considerations when dispensing buprenorphine in an office setting. Throughout, readers benefit from practical tools—case studies, key points, and curated online resources—that support both clinical decision-making and ongoing education.
Accessible, informative, and action-oriented, this guide is an indispensable resource for clinicians committed to improving outcomes in the current opioid crisis.
John A. Renner, Jr, M.D., is Professor of Psychiatry at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine in Boston, Massachusetts, and former President of the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.
Clement Chen, Pharm.D., is Academic Detailer and Clinical Pharmacist Specialist at the Northern NJ Medication-Assisted Treatment Center of Excellence, which is based at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, New Jersey.
Joji Suzuki, M.D., is Associate Professor of Psychiatry and faculty within the Division of Addiction Treatment and Prevention, Department of Psychiatry,
Mass General Brigham, Boston, Massachusetts.
Petros Levounis, M.D., M.A., is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychiatry and Associate Dean for Professional Development at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School; Chief of Service at University Hospital in Newark, New Jersey; and former President of the American Psychiatric Association (2023–2024).
Chapter 1. Opioid Use Disorder in America: History and Overview
Chapter 2. General Opioid Pharmacology
Chapter 3. Safety and Efficacy of Buprenorphine
Chapter 4. Patient Assessment
Chapter 5. Clinical Use of Buprenorphine
Chapter 6. Buprenorphine Treatment in Office-Based Settings
Chapter 7. Psychosocial and Supportive Treatment
Chapter 8. Referral, Logistics, and Diversion
Chapter 9. Methadone, Naltrexone, and Naloxone
Chapter 10. Psychiatric Comorbidity
Chapter 11. Medical Comorbidity
Chapter 12. Acute Pain
Chapter 13. Chronic Pain
Chapter 14. Opioid Use Disorder Among Adolescents and Young Adults
Chapter 15. Women's Health and Pregnancy
Chapter 16. Novel Dosing Strategies
Chapter 17. Harm Reduction: A Life-Saving Philosophy and Practice in Clinical Practice
Chapter 18. Initiating Buprenorphine in the Emergency Department
Chapter 19. Buprenorphine in Criminal Legal Systems and Correctional Facilities
Chapter 20. Stigma and Persons with Opioid Use Disorder: Implication and Intersections for Prevention and Treatment
Chapter 21. Comments on the Case Vignettes