2020 to 2023 saw increase in buprenorphine dispensing for teens

Buprenorphine dispensing increased among adolescents and decreased among young adults between 2020 and 2023, according to a research letter published online Dec. 23 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Eileen Lee, M.D., from the National Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Public Health Infrastructure and Workforce in Atlanta, and colleagues examined trends in buprenorphine dispensing from retail pharmacies to adolescents and young adults in the United States using data from 2020 to 2023. Annual estimates of individuals dispensed buprenorphine were obtained for adolescents and young adults overall, by age group, and by prescriber specialty.

The researchers found that the overall number of adolescents and young adults dispensed buprenorphine decreased 6.5 percent annually between 2000 and 2023, from 47,759 to 38,907. The overall decline was driven by significant decreases in prescribing in the larger population of young adults aged 20 to 24 years (annual percentage change, −8.7 percent); among adolescents, there was an increase seen in the number dispensed buprenorphine, but absolute numbers remained low (from 67 to 188, from 335 to 1,026, and from 2,966 to 4,111 for those aged 10 to 15, 16 to 17, and 18 to 19 years, respectively). There was variation observed in buprenorphine dispensing by provider specialty; compared with other specialties, nurse practitioners prescribed more buprenorphine. In seven of 13 specialty groups, significant increases were seen among adolescents, while among young adults, significant decreases were seen in eight specialty groups.

“Despite some positive trends, buprenorphine dispensing to adolescents and young adults remains low,” the authors write.

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