Care options for Veterans on long-term opioids who are misusing their medicine
Official title: Diagnosing and Treating Veterans with Chronic Pain and Opioid Misuse
Funded at Veterans Health Administration · NIH-11392810 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project compares buprenorphine and other treatment approaches to help Veterans on long-term opioid prescriptions who are misusing their medications reduce harms and manage pain better.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Veterans Health Administration NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX003411-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11392810 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans on long-term opioid therapy who show signs of misusing their prescription opioids but do not meet formal criteria for opioid use disorder.
✕Less likely to help
People not on long-term opioid therapy, those already diagnosed with opioid use disorder who need specialized addiction treatment, or non-Veterans are unlikely to benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
You would be identified as a Veteran taking long-term opioid pills who shows signs of misuse but does not meet opioid use disorder criteria. If you join, researchers may offer switching to buprenorphine or other care approaches and follow your pain, function, and opioid-related harms over time. The team will compare outcomes between different treatment paths to see which helps patients keep pain controlled while lowering risky opioid use. Participation would likely involve clinic visits, surveys, and review of your medical records.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could offer safer medication options that lower opioid-related harms while keeping pain under control for Veterans on long-term opioids.
How similar studies have gone: Buprenorphine is proven for opioid use disorder and has some support for treating pain, but rigorous trials specifically in patients on long-term opioid therapy with misuse are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
Veterans Health Administration
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lagisetty, Pooja — Veterans Health Administration
- Study coordinator: Lagisetty, Pooja
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.