Exploring the Italian Experience with Long-Acting Buprenorphine Formulations (LAIB) for the Treatment of Opioid Use Disorder: A Series of Narrative Interviews

TL;DR

This study explores how long-acting buprenorphine helps treat opioid addiction in Italy by capturing patient experiences and showing benefits like reduced stigma and improved autonomy.

Contribution

It presents the first narrative-based evidence from Italy on patient experiences with long-acting injectable buprenorphine for opioid use disorder.

Findings

LAIB improves autonomy, emotional balance, and reduces stigma compared to daily buprenorphine.

Patient narratives reveal LAIB supports social reintegration and strengthens therapeutic relationships.

Incorporating patient stories can lead to more personalized and sustainable addiction treatment.

Abstract

Public health relevance—How does this work relate to a public health issue?
Opioid Use Disorder is a chronic public health condition requiring long-term, sustainable treatment strategies that extend beyond symptom control.Long-acting buprenorphine (LAIB) formulations address structural and psychosocial barriers associated with daily opioid agonist therapy.

Opioid Use Disorder is a chronic public health condition requiring long-term, sustainable treatment strategies that extend beyond symptom control.

Long-acting buprenorphine (LAIB) formulations address structural and psychosocial barriers associated with daily opioid agonist therapy.

Public health significance—Why is this work of significance to public health?
The present analysis provides the first narrative-based evidence from Italy on patient experiences with long-acting injectable buprenorphine.Findings show that treatment effectiveness in OUD includes autonomy, stigma reduction, and psychosocial recovery, not only pharmacological stabilization.

The present analysis provides the first narrative-based evidence from Italy on patient experiences with long-acting injectable buprenorphine.

Findings show that treatment effectiveness in OUD includes autonomy, stigma reduction, and psychosocial recovery, not only pharmacological stabilization.

Public health implications—What are the key implications or messages for practitioners, policy makers and/or researchers in public health?
Incorporating patient narratives into addiction care can inform more personalized, recovery-oriented, and acceptable treatment pathways.LAIB may support broader public health goals by improving adherence, social reintegration, and long-term treatment sustainability.

Incorporating patient narratives into addiction care can inform more personalized, recovery-oriented, and acceptable treatment pathways.

LAIB may support broader public health goals by improving adherence, social reintegration, and long-term treatment sustainability.

Long-Acting Buprenorphine Formulations (LAIB) have emerged as an alternative pharmacological approach for opioid use disorder, offering potential benefits extending beyond clinical stabilisation. Narrative medicine provides a unique approach to understand patients’ perspectives and experiences with sublingual buprenorphine and LAIB dispensed to fourteen patients across different Italian Addiction Services, examining how they impact the emotional, social, and motivational dimensions of recovery. Narratives were analysed by thematic content across eight domains: dependence on daily treatment regimen, emotional impact, self-perception, determination to change, quality of life, craving and withdrawal symptoms, treatment adherence, social burden, and therapeutic relationship. Statements were categorised by valence; experiential patterns were qualitatively analysed. Sublingual buprenorphine, although effective, was associated with reduced autonomy, symptom control, and difficulties in balancing treatment, work and life. These aspects were correlated with worse adherence. The stigma and burden of daily intake can reduce motivation and hinder identity reconstruction. In this setting, transitioning to LAIB resulted in improved self-autonomy, emotional balance, symptom control, self-esteem, and reduced daily and psychological burden, craving and stigma, facilitating social reintegration, and strengthening the therapeutic relationship. The results emphasise the importance of including both experiential and narrative elements in clinical care, as this helps create more tailored, recovery-focused treatment pathways.

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