Can a monthly injection be the key to curbing addiction? These experts say yes
LA TimesDr. Andrew Herring, who works in the addiction clinic at Highland Hospital in Oakland, says that Sublocade, an injectable form of buprenorphine, could be a “game changer” for patients with opioid use disorder. Dr. Andrew Herring has a clear goal walking into every appointment with patients seeking medication to treat an opioid use disorder: persuade them to get an injection of extended-release buprenorphine. “At many hospitals, that will mean either a delay in getting this medication on our shelves or just opting out,” said Dr. Rais Vohra, regional director for the California Bridge Network, a state-funded program that supports hospitals in offering treatment for substance use disorders, including Herring’s clinic. “The most important question isn’t whether long-acting injectable bupe is a better solution than sublingual buprenorphine for opioid use disorder,” said Dr. Michael Ostacher, a professor at Stanford University School of Medicine, who is comparing injectable and oral versions of buprenorphine through Veterans Affairs.
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