Rethinking Medication Treatment for Opioid Use Disorders
Longer, even lifelong, treatment with methadone or buprenorphine advocated
By Mark S Gold
Published by Psychology Today on October 15, 2025
Key points
• The shift from heroin to fentanyl to polydrug use increased risks for fatal overdoses.
• Most adults needing opioid use treatment (OUD) don’t think they need it or aren’t offered it.
• Long-term methadone or buprenorphine can save lives, reduce suffering, and help start the process of recovery.
Opioids relieve pain but are dangerous and highly addictive. In a recent 12-month period, there were 109,600 USA drug-overdose deaths, with 70% linked to opioids. In 2023, 5.7 million people in the U.S. 12 years and older had an opioid use disorder (OUD).
Despite high numbers of opioid abusers needing treatment, most don’t receive it. Some can’t find it, others delay treatment, and others refuse it. In 2022, only about 25% of U.S. adults with OUDs received medication-assisted treatment (MAT) like methadone or buprenorphine.
