This Buprenorphine Quick Start Guide is a clinical resource designed to help healthcare providers safely and effectively prescribe and manage buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder (OUD). It walks through a six-step prescribing checklist covering patient assessment, informed consent, withdrawal evaluation, co-occurring disorders, integrated treatment approaches, and referral pathways. The guide also includes practical clinical tools like the Clinical Opiate Withdrawal Scale (COWS), an induction algorithm, dosing equivalency tables, and guidance on managing precipitated withdrawal. Rounding it out are sections on maintenance therapy, diversion prevention, and the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for OUD, making it a comprehensive desk reference for office-based buprenorphine treatment.
