For Opioid Overdose Survivors, One Treatment May Reduce Risk of Death Over Another

A new study from Canada has found that starting methadone treatment may reduce the risk of death for individuals who have experienced an opioid overdose, compared to starting buprenorphine-naloxone. In a retrospective cohort study, the researchers analyzed data from over 5,800 opioid overdose survivors. They found that 5.6% of those who started methadone died within a year, compared to 7.1% of those who started buprenorphine-naloxone.

After accounting for various factors, the researchers concluded that methadone was associated with a 22% lower risk of death during the following year.

However, the study did not find a significant difference in the time to treatment discontinuation or the time to first opioid overdose between the two groups. In fact, nearly 90% of participants discontinued treatment during the follow-up period. The researchers noted that these findings highlight the need for improved treatment outcomes in this high-risk population, and suggested that further epidemiologic studies and pragmatic trials are needed to confirm these results.