EVEN IN BLUE STATES –

Nov. 9, 2022 – Researchers have long known that racial and ethnic minorities are less likely to be prescribed lifesaving addiction treatment options than white people.

But even when Black and Hispanic patients start a prescription for buprenorphine — the most popular medication to help those in recovery fight cravings — the typical duration of their treatment is shorter than that of white patients, according to a new data analysis published Wednesday in JAMA Psychiatry.

The analysis, which sorted through 15 years of prescription data by race and ethnicity, also revealed that the percentage of minority patients who remained on buprenorphine for more than 180 days — the minimum recommended duration — was significantly below that of white patients.

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