ASAM recommends higher doses if needed for treatment with buprenorphine

Abstract

In a clear but measured and scientific dispute against standard practice today, the American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM) has called for an end to the standardization of doses of buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD). The recommendations, published in the Journal of Addiction Medicine, ASAM's flagship journal, note that doses should be optimal based on the individual needs of the patient. This was never in question within medical circles, including ASAM, but insurance policies and the tyranny of what is expected have led to suboptimal doses, both in the induction phase and the maintenance phase, of treatment.