Since 2000, a threefold increase in unintentional opioid poisonings among adolescents has followed a dramatic increase in adult opioid-related deaths. In 2016, 1 in 13 high school seniors reported past-year nonprescription use of opioids. Despite these increases, only 8.5% of adolescents received addiction treatment.
In September 2016, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement recommending that pediatricians offer medication for the treatment of severe opioid use disorder (OUD). There are 3 medications approved for OUD treatment: buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone. Buprenorphine and methadone are opioid agonists that decrease cravings for opioids and treat withdrawal symptoms. In addition, both provide opioid blockade, which means that if an individual uses another opioid after taking their medication, euphoric effects are blocked. Naltrexone, an opioid antagonist, blocks the opioid receptor, preventing the effects of opioid use. It may also reduce cravings for opioids. Head-to-head clinical trials of these medications in adolescents...
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