Am Fam Physician. 2026;113(3):217A-217B
Author disclosure: No relevant financial relationships.
DETAILS FOR THIS REVIEW
Study Population: Adults and adolescents with opioid dependence from multiple settings (clinical, residential, outpatient, prison or parole, voluntary or mandated treatment); one study included adolescents and adults 15 to 21 years of age; all other studies included adults 18 years or older
Efficacy End Points: Illicit opioid use (nonprescription use), treatment retention (median retention assessment at 6 months), treatment acceptability (number of patients initiating treatment)
Harm End Points: Severe adverse events (death, overdose, study treatment discontinued because of adverse event)
| Compared with opioid agonists |
| Harms |
| 1 in 11 had a higher risk for illicit opioid use with sustained-release naltrexone |
| Compared with oral naltrexone |
| Benefits |
| 1 in 4 had a higher risk for illicit opioid use with oral naltrexone |
| 1 in 4 had better treatment retention with sustained-release naltrexone |
| Compared with placebo |
| Benefits |
| 1 in 4 had better treatment retention with sustained-release naltrexone |
| Compared with treatment as usual |
| Benefits |
| 1 in 6 had a lower risk for illicit opioid use with sustained-release naltrexone |
| 1 in 18 had a lower risk of serious adverse events with sustained-release naltrexone |
| Harms |
| 1 in 6 had lower treatment initiation with sustained-release naltrexone |
Already a member/subscriber?
Log In
Subscribe
From $180- Immediate, unlimited access to all AFP content
- More than 125 CME credits/year
- Print delivery available
Issue Access
$59.95- Immediate, unlimited access to this issue's content
- CME credits
- Print delivery available
Interested in AAFP membership?
Learn More
