Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41442975›Full record

ArticleDrug and alcohol dependence2026

Outpatient initiation of direct-to-inject buprenorphine.

Sarah Rosenwohl-Mack, Megan Heeney, Lysa Samuel, Erik Anderson, Andrew A Herring, Lauren Roller Sirey, Damian Peterson, Alexander R Bazazi, Hannah Snyder, Leslie W Suen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Drug and alcohol dependence, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Sarah Rosenwohl-MackDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States. Electronic address: sarah.rosenwohl-mack@ucsf.edu.
Megan HeeneyDivision of Addiction Medicine, Highland Hospital - Alameda Health System, Oakland, CA, United States.
Lysa SamuelDivision of Addiction Medicine, Highland Hospital - Alameda Health System, Oakland, CA, United States.
Erik AndersonDivision of Addiction Medicine, Highland Hospital - Alameda Health System, Oakland, CA, United States.
Andrew A HerringDivision of Addiction Medicine, Highland Hospital - Alameda Health System, Oakland, CA, United States.
Lauren Roller SireyDivision of Addiction Medicine, Highland Hospital - Alameda Health System, Oakland, CA, United States.
Damian PetersonSan Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA, United States.
Alexander R BazaziDivision of Substance Use and Addiction Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco CA, United States.
Hannah SnyderDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.
Leslie W SuenDivision of General Internal Medicine at San Francisco General Hospital, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, United States.

Funding

Enhancing buprenorphine low dose initiation (COPILOT)K23DA060329 · NIDA · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · PI Leslie W. Suen · 2024 to 2026
$593k
NIDA NIH HHS K23 DA060329
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundFentanyl-involved overdose deaths have surged, yet buprenorphine remains underutilized for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment, partly due to the risk of precipitated withdrawal during buprenorphine initiation. Direct-to-inject (DTI) buprenorphine using weekly long-acting injectable formulations may reduce this risk with a gradual and sustained rise in serum buprenorphine levels.

objectiveTo evaluate 90-day treatment retention, withdrawal tolerability, and associated factors following DTI buprenorphine initiation across multiple outpatient safety-net settings.

methodsWe conducted a retrospective cohort study of 131 DTI initiations among 114 patients with OUD across San Francisco and Oakland safety-net clinics from March 2024 to May 2025. Patients were initiated on weekly long-acting buprenorphine. We assessed withdrawal severity in the first 24h and calculated continuous treatment retention at 7, 30, and 90 days using pharmacy and chart data.

resultsMean age was 42 years; 79 % reported fentanyl use, and 67 % were unstably housed or unhoused. In the 24h after injection, 37 % experienced no withdrawal, 31 % experienced mild-moderate withdrawal, and 11 % experienced severe withdrawal, with 21 % missing data. Overall, 72 % continued buprenorphine beyond initial injection, with most transitioning to monthly formulations. Retention rates were 69 % at 7 days, 68 % at 30 days, and 43 % at 90 days. No demographic or clinical factors predicted 90-day retention.

conclusionsIn this retrospective study, DTI buprenorphine initiation demonstrated favorable tolerability and retention in a high-risk population across diverse outpatient settings. This approach may offer a viable pathway to long-acting buprenorphine treatment for individuals using fentanyl who may not tolerate traditional initiation methods.

Indexed as

BuprenorphineNarcotic AntagonistsOpiate Substitution TreatmentOpioid-Related DisordersAdultFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedOutpatientsRetrospective StudiesSubstance Withdrawal SyndromeBuprenorphineNarcotic AntagonistsBuprenorphineFentanylOpioid use disorderRetention in care

Identifiers

PMID41442975
PMCPMC13271074

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.