WHO adds long-acting injectables to opioid treatment options

SWITZERLAND — The World Health Organization has released updated recommendations addressing the treatment of opioid dependence and community management of opioid overdose, marking a significant advancement in global drug policy and healthcare.

Opioid dependence continues to devastate communities across the world, claiming hundreds of thousands of lives each year.

In 2023 alone, approximately 316 million people worldwide engaged in drug use, with around 61 million individuals using opioids outside of medical supervision.

Opioids bear responsibility for the largest portion of drug-related deaths globally, accounting for roughly 450,000 of the approximate 600,000 annual deaths linked to drug use.

Despite these alarming figures, access to treatment remains severely limited.

An estimated 64 million people worldwide struggle with drug use disorders, yet fewer than one in ten currently receive any form of treatment.

This treatment gap underscores the urgent need for expanded, accessible healthcare solutions.

New guidelines strengthen treatment access

The WHO has developed these updated guidelines to help countries narrow this critical gap by providing evidence-based approaches to opioid dependence management and overdose prevention.

The organization aims to increase access to effective care while simultaneously reducing fatal overdoses through rigorous, scientifically-supported recommendations.

The guideline development process incorporated comprehensive research and careful evaluation.

Experts conducted systematic reviews of both quantitative and qualitative evidence, examining the balance between benefits and harms, patient preferences, cost-effectiveness, health equity, and implementation feasibility.

A dedicated Guideline Development Group used these findings to revise existing recommendations and introduce new ones.

Expanding treatment options

The updated guidelines reaffirm WHO’s strong support for opioid agonist maintenance treatment, a medical approach that administers carefully evaluated opioid medications through accredited professionals to help people manage their dependence and achieve treatment goals.

Building on established protocols using methadone and oral buprenorphine, the WHO now extends its endorsement to include a new option: long-acting injectable buprenorphine formulations, though this represents a conditional recommendation pending further evidence.

These expanded treatment options recognize that different patients respond to different therapeutic approaches.

By broadening the toolkit available to healthcare providers, the guidelines enable more personalized, effective care pathways for individuals struggling with opioid dependence.

Implementation on the horizon

The WHO Guidelines Review Committee, working alongside the Guideline Development Group and methodology experts, continues advancing the peer review and finalization process.

Healthcare professionals and policymakers can expect the comprehensive guidelines, complete with detailed recommendations, supporting evidence, implementation strategies, and identified research priorities, to become available either later this year or in early 2027.