How do you approach buprenorphine dosing and titration in older adults with opioid use disorder?

I apply the same care and principles here with buprenorphine dosing in persons age 65 and older as I do with starting other psychoactive medications and medications that are metabolized by the liver. I also see many persons younger than 65 who have the physical health of persons older than 65 because many persons with OUD have not had adequate evidence-based treatment, and now they have many severe medical consequences (directly and indirectly related) to their substance use, particularly if the...

It's important to remember that there is no such thing as "opiate use disorder". There is certainly addictive/compulsive use of opiates, as with alcohol, gambling, eating, or exercising. These are all compulsive psychological symptoms that are often substituted for one another. To label each different focus of the compulsion as if each one is a separate "disorder" reflects a failure to understand the psychology behind addictive behavior. See either of the books, "The Heart of Addiction" or "Brea...