Buprenorphine is an incredibly safe and effective drug as both an analgesic as well as a front-line therapy for the treatment of an opioid use disorder (OUD). However, decisions around the management of this drug in the perioperative period have generated substantial confusion and anxiety amongst patients, policymakers, and healthcare providers. In this month’s “RAPM Focus,” Editor-in-Chief Brian Sites, MD, interviews Lynn Kohan, MD, the senior author of “Buprenorphine management in the perioperative period: educational review and recommendations from a multisociety expert panel,” first published in August 2021 (https://rapm.bmj.com/content/46/10/840). This multi-center and multi-disciplinary project establishes expert recommendations for the perioperative management of patients with OUD and brings clarity to many of these questions.

Dr. Kohan is an associate professor of anesthesiology and pain medicine at the University of Virginia (UVA) Pain Management Center. She did her anesthesiology residency at Georgetown University and her pain fellowship at UVA. She has served as the chronic pain fellowship director for the past several years and was recently appointed division chief of pan medicine. She is actively involved with ASRA Pain Medicine, serving as the chair of the membership committee. In addition, she holds leadership positions in the area of education, serving as the president-elect of the Association of Pain Program Directors, council member of the Society of Academic Associations of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine, and the chair of the fellowship committee at the American Academy of Pain Medicine.

*The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. The content of this podcast does not constitute medical advice, and it is not intended to function as a substitute for a healthcare practitioner’s judgement, patient care, or treatment. The views expressed by contributors are those of the speakers. BMJ does not endorse any views or recommendations discussed or expressed on this podcast. Listeners should also be aware that professionals in the field may have different opinions. By listening to this podcast, listeners agree not to use its content as the basis for their own medical treatment or for the medical treatment of others.