Opioid Use Disorder

Recent Pattern of Substance Use Among Patients with Substance Use Disorders in a Rehabilitation and Treatment Centre for Addiction in Dubai

Scientific article

BACKGROUND: Substance use disorders (SUDs) are a major contributor to global disease burden, premature mortality, and social disruption. While international data demonstrate shifting trends in polysubstance use, evidence from the United...

Webinar Reflection: Integrated Care for Syndemics, Bringing SUD, HIV & HCV Treatment Together

ISSUP hosted a webinar on 4 December 2025 with Dr Sarah Kattakuzhy, exploring integrated care for the syndemic of SUD, HIV, and HCV. She highlighted that these conditions often occur together and intensify one another, making siloed approaches ineffective. The session showcased strong evidence that integrated care models; whether co-located, mobile, telemedicine-supported, or provider-integrated; improve treatment uptake, viral suppression, and HCV cure rates. Case studies illustrated how person-centred, joined-up care strengthens trust, stability, and quality of life. The discussion emphasized the significant opportunity to scale integrated, flexible, and humane care models across diverse health systems.

Clinical implementation of AI-based screening for risk for opioid use disorder in hospitalized adults

Scientific article

3 April 2025

The article reports on an NIH-supported clinical trial showing that an artificial intelligence (AI)–based screening tool for opioid use disorder (OUD) can improve hospital outcomes without reducing quality of care. Embedded in the...

Navigating stigma: a qualitative study of barriers to opioid treatment engagement in Tanzania

Scientific article

13 October 2025

Background Stigma related to drug use is a well-documented barrier to engaging and remaining on medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD), yet little is known about how stigma operates across multiple social and institutional settings in...

"Addressing Underlying Trauma in Opioid Use" with speaker Tanya Saraiya, PhD

22 April 2025

Washington, DC

United States

Trauma exposure and the subsequent development of post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTSS) or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) frequently co-occur with opioid use disorder (OUD).

Clinician Willingness to Prescribe Medications for Opioid Use Disorder to Adolescents in Indiana

Scientific article

25 September 2024

Abstract Importance Prescribing medications for opioid use disorders (MOUD), including buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone, to adolescents remains an underused evidence-based strategy for reducing harms associated with opioid use...

Factors Associated With the Availability of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in US Jails

Scientific article

24 September 2024

Abstract Importance In 2023, more than 80 000 individuals died from an overdose involving opioids. With almost two-thirds of the US jail population experiencing a substance use disorder, jails present a key opportunity for providing...

Prevalence of problematic pharmaceutical opioid use in patients with chronic non-cancer pain: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Scientific article

7 August 2024

Abstract Background and aims Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is one of the most common causes of disability globally. Opioid prescribing to treat CNCP remains widespread, despite limited evidence of long-term clinical benefit and evidence of...

A telemedicine bridge clinic improves access and reduces cost for opioid use disorder care

Scientific article

12 March 2024

Abstract Objective We evaluated the impact of a telemedicine bridge clinic on treatment outcomes and cost for patients with opioid use disorder. Telemedicine bridge clinics deliver low-barrier rapid assessment of patients with opioid use...

PSMG: Reducing Opioid Use Disorder and Overdose in the United States: Model Development and Policy Analysis

Video and audio recordings

16 November 2021

Authors: Mohammad Jalali, PhD Harvard University Wayne Wakeland, PhD Portland State University Abstract: The opioid crisis is one of the most pressing public health issues in the U.S. today. Opioid overdoses are the proverbial “tip of the...