Treating Opioid Use Disorder Without Medication Yields Worse Outcomes Than No Treatment

The rate of fatal overdoses among people with opioid use disorder (OUD) was not reduced by receipt of traditional addiction treatment that relies on detoxification and long-term rehabilitation services. The relative risk of fatal overdose following either of these treatments in the six months prior to death was about 27% higher than for those who received no treatment. However, treatment with buprenorphine or methadone reduced the relative risk of a fatal opioid overdose by 34% and 38%, respectively.

The incidence rate for opioid poisoning among those treated with methadone was 6.06 per 1,000, compared to 17.36 . . .