Date of Award
2025
Document Type
Capstone
Degree Name
Master of Science (MS)
Committee Chair
Trey Boyd
Abstract
Introduction: Buprenorphine, a partial opioid agonist, has gained significant attention for its potential to address both opioid use disorder (OUD) and pain management. Offering an alternative to traditional opioids, buprenorphine is seen as a promising option, particularly for patients with a history of opioid misuse. Despite its increasing use in treating OUD, the evidence supporting its effectiveness in pain management remains limited, especially among broader patient populations. This review aims to explore current research findings and highlight buprenorphine’s role in managing pain among individuals with OUD.
Methods: A comprehensive search of PubMed was conducted using keywords such as “pain,” “buprenorphine,” “opioid-related disorders,” and “analgesics, opioid,” resulting in 218 articles. These articles were screened for relevance, and after applying filters for full-text availability and selecting recent studies—specifically meta-analyses, clinical trials, randomized controlled trials, and reviews—nine studies were chosen for further examination. Of those, five key studies focused specifically on buprenorphine’s role in pain management for patients with OUD.
Results: The reviewed studies emphasize buprenorphine’s effectiveness in treating OUD while providing pain relief, especially through micro-dosing strategies, which were associated with fewer withdrawal symptoms and higher success rates in transitioning patients. However, its efficacy in addressing chronic pain varied, with up to 62% of patients continuing to experience pain despite ongoing buprenorphine treatment.
3 Discussion: While buprenorphine shows promise as a dual therapy for both OUD and pain management, the current body of evidence is not robust enough to support its widespread use solely for pain control. Additional large-scale studies are needed to assess its long-term effects on pain relief and its potential in preventing opioid relapse. Such research will be critical in informing future clinical guidelines and public health initiatives aimed at mitigating opioid-related harm. buprenorphine as an adjunctive therapy for pain management in opiate use disorder
Recommended Citation
Hogston, Zane, "Buprenorphine as an Adjunctive Therapy for Pain Management in Opiate Use Disorder" (2025). The PA Department Journal of Medical Science. 7.
https://digitalcommons.gardner-webb.edu/pa-department-journal-of-medical-science/7
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