Medication-Assisted Treatment Can Help Teens Who Misuse Opioids, Study Suggests

Medication used to treat opioid addiction can be helpful for teens who misuse opioids, a new study suggests. Until now, the evidence for the effectiveness of medication-assisted treatment in teens has been unclear, HealthDay reports.

“Adolescents with severe opioid use disorder may benefit from a medication as part of a larger comprehensive treatment plan,” study lead author Dr. Deepa Camenga of the Yale School of Medicine said in a news release. Only 2%-5% of teens with an opioid use disorder receive medication-assisted treatment, she noted.

The new study, published in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs, reviewed previous research that examined the effect of opioid treatment medications on teens. They found treatment with methadone, buprenorphine or extended-release naltrexone increased the number of teens who remained in treatment, decreased their opioid use, and led to greater opioid abstinence.