Friedmann, P. D., Wilson, D., Hoskinson, R., Jr, Poshkus, M., & Clarke, J. G. (2018). Initiation of extended release naltrexone (XR-NTX) for opioid use disorder prior to release from prison. Journal of substance abuse treatment, 85, 45–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2017.04.010 

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28527855/ 

This pilot study examined the feasibility and acceptability of extended-release injectable naltrexone (XR-NTX) injection prior to prison release among adult inmates with opioid use disorder, followed by six months of community XR-NTX treatment. The authors concluded that initiation of XR-NTX injection prior to release from prison might be an effective approach to reduce relapse to opioids. However, these findings were limited by the small sample size, and larger clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings. Nonetheless, this is a useful resource for those interested in exploring the potential for XR-NTX to be used as treatment for opioid overdose for justice-involved populations. 

Bottom Line: While the sample size was small (15 individuals participated in this study), this study found that extended-release injectable naltrexone treatment before release from prison was correlated with continuing treatment after release and longer time to relapse.