Long-acting buprenorphine is a promising new treatment for opioid use disorder, but it usually requires a seven-day stabilization period before initiation. Here, researchers develop and evaluate a novel protocol for initiating long-acting injectable buprenorphine in a single day. The trial is small, but results are promising.

The process of starting a patient on buprenorphine, called an induction, can be a bit tricky and puts a patient at risk of a precipitated opioid withdrawal. In this article, we discuss the three most common buprenorphine induction approaches, review the pros and cons of each, and include straightforward guidance that will help you perform a successful buprenorphine induction for your patients.