Long-Acting Injectable Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder Explained

Research shows that individuals in their first two weeks post-release from incarceration face overdose mortality rates that are up to 40 times higher than the national average, representing a critical window for care.¹³

Struggles with OUD management in carceral settings cost taxpayers $52 billion annually, or about $44,000 per inmate.¹⁴Closing the treatment access gap for incarceratedindividuals can help reduce overdoses, lower recidivism rates, enhance public safety, and lower system strain.

Barriers to Care and Opportunities^15,16,17

Despite the availability of evidence-based treatment options, many people living with OUD do not receive care due to systemic barriers, such as low retention with non-medication-assisted treatments and a shortage of qualified clinicians.

The combination of behavioral therapy and long-acting injectable buprenorphine delivers $295,000 in annual savings per patient, representing the greatest economic benefit across all treatment options.¹⁷

Looking ahead, it is important for treatment to transition from crisis care to sustainable care that is focused on long-term recovery outcomes. Increasing the availability of MOUD is one way to create safer, more productive communities.

References

1. The White House. "The Staggering Cost of the Illicit Opioid Epidemic in the United States." WhiteHouse.gov, March 26, 2025. https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/2025/03/the-staggering-cost-of-the-illicit-opioid-epidemic-in-the-united-states/
2. National Center for Drug Abuse Statistics. "Drug Abuse Statistics." Accessed Feb. 2, 2026. DrugAbuseStatistics.org, https://drugabusestatistics.org/
3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. "Key Substance Use and Mental Health Indicators in the United States: Results from the 2024 National Survey on Drug Use and Health." SAMHSA.gov, July 2025. https://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/reports/rpt56287/2024-nsduh-annual-national-report.pdf
4. Lindenfeld, Z., et al. "Availability of Medications for Opioid Use Disorder in Opioid Treatment Programs." RAND.org, June 30, 2025. https://www.rand.org/pubs/external_publications/EP70966.html
5. Foglesong Stabile, Jillian. "Methadone: How It's Used, Pros and Cons, and Addiction Potential." AddictionCenter.com, Nov. 24, 2025. https://www.addictioncenter.com/opiates/methadone/
6. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services. "What is Naltrexone? Side Effects, Uses, Dose and Risk." SAMHSA.gov, Dec. 22, 2025.
7. U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. "Buprenorphine for Opioid Use Disorder." pbm.va.gov, Accessed Feb. 2, 2026.
8. Internal: NP - BAG - US (Indivior Internal Material)
9. Alkermes. (2026). Vivitrol prescribing information. https://www.alkermesmedicalaffairs.com/product-information/vivitrol/pdf/prescribing-information
10. Continuum of Care: OHS SEER Facilitating Continuity of Care
11. National Institute on Drug Abuse. "Fewer than half of U.S. jails provide life-saving medications for opioid use disorder." NIDA.nih.gov, Sept. 24, 2024. https://nida.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/2024/09/fewer-than-half-of-us-jails-provide-life-saving-medications-for-opioid-use-disorder
12. Wolfe, C., Gaiazov, S., Valera, P., Mullen, W., MacDonald, R., & Heidbreder, C. (2026). Medications for opioid use disorder in correctional facilities: A 2022 cross-sectional survey of Health Care Staff. Journal of Correctional Health Care. https://doi.org/10.1177/10783458251406288
13. Shabbar I. Ranapurwala, Meghan E. Shanahan, Apostolos A. Alexandridis, Scott K. Proescholdbell, Rebecca B. Naumann, Daniel Edwards Jr, and Stephen W. Marshall. "Opioid Overdose Mortality Among Former North Carolina Inmates: 2000-2015." American Journal of Public Health 108, 1207_1213, https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2018.304514
14. Avalere Health. "The Cost of Opioid Use Disorder." AvalereHealth.com, May 19, 2025. https://advisory.avalerehealth.com/insights/white-paper-the-cost-of-opioid-use-disorder
15. Judd, D., King, C., Galke, C. "The Opioid Epidemic: A Review of the Contributing Factors, Negative Consequences, and Best Practices." Cureus, July 10, 2025. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10410480/
16. Locklear, Mallory. "Treating opioid disorder without meds more harmful than no treatment at all." YaleNews., Dec. 19, 2023. https://news.yale.edu/2023/12/19/treating-opioid-disorder-without-meds-more-harmful-no-treatment-all
17. Benefits to Care and the Barrier: Internal Indivior Resources