Clinician Survey: Kratom Listed Among Drugs Complicating Addiction Treatment in US Buprenorphine Prescribers

Why it matters

Clinician-reported data on kratom complicating OUD treatment indicates need for better understanding of interactions between kratom use and medication-assisted treatment. This real-time surveillance identifies emerging substances affecting treatment outcomes.

The big picture

A national survey of buprenorphine-waivered clinicians identified drugs other than fentanyl complicating treatment initiation for opioid use disorder. While methamphetamine and synthetic cannabinoids were most commonly reported, kratom emerged as a notable complication in open-text responses.

Key findings

• Kratom was mentioned by 15 of 46 clinicians providing open-text "other drug" responses; methamphetamine was most frequently reported (86.4%); synthetic cannabinoids (42.7%), xylazine (41.4%), and designer benzodiazepines (31.8%) also common; clinicians across nearly all US regions reported these drugs complicating treatment; survey captured real-time clinician experience with polysubstance use patterns

What they say

Study authors noted: "Rapid clinician surveys can provide real-time data on changing patterns of drug use's impact on treatment outcomes."

Bottom line

**Kratom is recognized by addiction medicine clinicians as a substance complicating buprenorphine treatment for opioid use disorder, though prevalence and specific clinical impacts require further study.**