Study Looks at Role of Medication-Assisted Treatment Started in the ER

A new study will assess whether starting medication-assisted treatment in the emergency room within hours of an opioid overdose will prevent people from relapsing after they recover.

Researchers at Virginia Tech, Carilion Clinic and Inova Fairfax Hospital received a $1 million grant to conduct the study, The Roanoke Times reports. Participants treated for opioid overdoses in the emergency room will be asked if they want to participate in the study. If they consent, they will receive an injection of Sublocade, an extended-release form of buprenorphine, a drug that reduces opioid cravings.

Sublocade was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in November. It is the first ever buprenorphine injection for the treatment of moderate-to-severe opioid use disorder in adult patients.