According to the New York Times (11/9, Baumgaertner), “even when Black and Hispanic patients start a prescription for buprenorphine – the most popular medication to help those in recovery fight cravings – the typical duration of their treatment is shorter than that of white patients,” investigators concluded in findings published online Nov. 9 in a research letter in JAMA Psychiatry. After sorting through “15 years of prescription data by race and ethnicity,” the study team found that “the percentage of minority patients who remained on buprenorphine for more than 180 days – the minimum recommended duration – was significantly below that of white patients.”
Related Links:
— “Medication Treatment for Addiction Is Shorter for Black and Hispanic Patients, Study Finds “Emily Baumgaertner, The New York Times , November 9, 2022