Iftekhar (Sharaf) Ahmed
Examining How Treatment of Depression Affects Clinical Outcomes During Buprenorphine Therapy for Opioid Use Disorder
Summary
Opioid use disorder is characterized by a problematic pattern of opioid use where a person cannot stop using opioids despite the harms caused by them. Buprenorphine is a medication that is effective in managing opioid use disorder. However, nearly one-third of patients with opioid use disorder also have depression, which increases the risk of opioid use and overdose and is associated with poor retention to buprenorphine therapy, meaning individuals stop taking their medication before treatment is complete. It is, therefore, likely that treatment of depression with antidepressants (medications used to treat depression) will improve retention to buprenorphine therapy and treatment outcomes. However, the effect of antidepressant therapy on clinical outcomes during buprenorphine therapy remains largely unknown. This study aims to investigate the impact of antidepressant treatment on retention to buprenorphine, relapse to opioid use, opioid overdose, and mortality. This is a population-based study using data from the Indiana Network for Patient Care. Overall, this study will inform clinicians about the effective management of opioid use disorder in patients with co-occurring depression.
Watch a Q&A with Sharaf
I would like to thank the PhRMA Foundation for supporting my research on opioid use disorder and depression. This award serves as a recognition of the potential impact of my research in pharmacoepidemiology and is a significant milestone in my graduate education.
