Research ethics in stopping opioid use disorder medication [editorial].

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), such as methadone, buprenorphine, and extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX), have been shown to reduce or eliminate opioid use and craving, protecting against opioid overdose and death. Stopping medication is associated with risk of relapse and potential overdose. Unsurprisingly, patients may desire to stop MOUD because of adverse effects, burden, or preference for recovery without medication, asking, “How long do I need to take medication?” Clinicians who treat OUD often encounter this uncomfortable risk-benefit discussion with patients who want to stop MOUD, hoping that the patients can do so successfully, while acknowledging the major risks. Prospective data are needed to inform those discussions. In designing one of the first clinical trials focused on MOUD discontinuation—the Discontinuation Phase of the Optimizing Retention, Duration, and Discontinuation Strategies for Opioid Use Disorder Pharmacotherapy (RDD) trial (NCT04464980)2—the investigators identified ethical issues that needed consideration in designing the study.

The authors of this Viewpoint are study investigators, including a social worker (S.E.P.) and 2 psychiatrists experienced with MOUD (R.D.W. and E.V.N.). In this Viewpoint, we describe those ethical challenges and our attendant solutions to inform the design of other studies of medication discontinuation, where discontinuing treatment could have grave consequences.

Related protocols: CTN-0100