Why people stop buprenorphine treatment early
Official title: Predictors and Processes of Early Buprenorphine Discontinuation
Funded at Portland VA Medical Center · NIH-11216513 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at why people with opioid use disorder stop buprenorphine treatment early and what could help them stay on it.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Portland VA Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project start | October 1, 2023 |
| Project end | March 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| NIH project number | 5I01HX003745-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11216513 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are Veterans with opioid use disorder who are receiving or recently started buprenorphine treatment, especially rural Veterans, women, and Veterans from minoritized racial or ethnic groups.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not on buprenorphine, who do not receive care in the VA system, or whose care needs are unrelated to opioid use disorder may not directly benefit from this work.
What this research studies
If you are a Veteran taking buprenorphine, this work will combine national VA medical records with patient voices to learn why many stop treatment within the first year. The team will deliberately include more rural Veterans, women, and Veterans from racial and ethnic minority groups so their experiences are heard. Researchers will also examine how provider and VA system factors affect whether people remain on medication. The goal is to identify real-world reasons for early stops so care can be changed to help people stay safer and in treatment.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could lead to changes in care that help more people stay on buprenorphine and reduce overdose, hospital visits, and return to substance use.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research using administrative data has identified some risk factors for stopping buprenorphine, but few national studies have combined patient perspectives and system-level factors, so this approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
Portland VA Medical Center
Portland, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wyse, Jessica Jasmine — Portland VA Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Wyse, Jessica Jasmine
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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.