Citation

Chang DC, Klimas J, Wood E, Fairbairn N. Am. J. Drug Alcohol Abuse 2018; 44(2): 143-146.

Affiliation

Department of Medicine , University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital , Vancouver , BC , Canada.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2018, Informa - Taylor and Francis Group)

DOI

10.1080/00952990.2017.1399403

PMID

29190156

Abstract

The prevalence of risky opioid use, opioid use disorder, and related harms continue to rise among youth (adolescents and young adults age 15-25) in North America. With an increasing number of opioid overdoses, there remain significant barriers to care for youth with opioid use disorder, and there is an urgent need to expand evidence-based care for treatment of opioid use disorder among this population. Based on the extensive literature on treatment of opioid use disorder among adults, medicated-assisted treatment is likely to be an important or even essential component of treatment of opioid use disorder for most youth. In this article, we outline the current dilemmas and questions regarding the use of medication-assisted treatment among youth with opioid use disorder and propose some potential solutions based on the current evidence.

Language: en

Keywords

Youth; adolescent; buprenorphine; methadone; naltrexone; opioid use disorder