Adolescent health brief
Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder With Buprenorphine Among US Adolescents and Young Adults During the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2022.03.015Get rights and content

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

Opioid use disorder
Adolescent
Adolescent health services
Medication for addiction treatment
Medication for opioid use disorder
Insurance
Medicaid
COVID-19

Cited by (0)

Conflicts of interest: Dr. Alexander is past Chair and a current member of FDA’s Peripheral and Central Nervous System Advisory Committee; is a cofounding Principal and equity holder in Monument Analytics, a health care consultancy whose clients include the life sciences industry as well as plaintiffs in opioid litigation; and is a past member of OptumRx’s National P&T Committee. This arrangement has been reviewed and approved by Johns Hopkins University in accordance with its conflict-of-interest policies. No other disclosures were reported.

View Abstract