In this study, we used the IBM MarketScan® databases to analyze non-fatal drug-related poisoning (including overdose events) associated with specific benzodiazepines and dose regimens in OUD patients. Even though buprenorphine treatment days conferred a nearly 40% reduction in poisonings, benzodiazepine treatment days corresponded to a near-doubling in poisoning risk. While individuals taking both buprenorphine and benzodiazepines are at elevated risk of poisoning, they still had a lower net-risk than those taking benzodiazepines without buprenorphine. We found no association between SSRIs and drug-related poisoning, making it less likely that underlying conditions for which patients were receiving benzodiazepines were contributing to overdoses. Additionally, we found no dose-dependence for the association between buprenorphine and poisoning risk.
