Opioid Use DisorderPEERSNCT07197801
Evaluation of a Peer Recovery Support Program Adapted to Target Retention in Clinic-based Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
A study testing Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatment in people with Opioid Use Disorder, run by Geisinger Clinic at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if receiving peer recovery support (support services provided by trained "peers" with lived experience of addiction and recovery) improves retention in medication treatment among people with opioid use disorder. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 89 years
- Conditions the study is for
- Opioid Use Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatment
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 218 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 23 Dec 2025to 31 Jul 2029
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 89 years
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Adult ≥ 18 years of age
- Initiated medication for opioid use disorder treatment in past 45 days in a Geisinger outpatient clinic
- Willing and able to give informed consent
Who cannot join
- Received medication for opioid use disorder treatment at a Geisinger outpatient clinic in the 90-day period prior to the treatment initiation date
- Not proficient in English
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
United States1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
Geisinger Clinic
Danville, Pennsylvania, 17822
Melissa N Poulsen, PhD, MPH
About this study
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if receiving peer recovery support (support services provided by trained "peers" with lived experience of addiction and recovery) improves retention in medication treatment among people with opioid use disorder. The main question it aims to answer is: does peer recovery support improve retention in medication treatment for opioid use disorder?
Researchers will compare two groups: (1) standard care combined with a peer recovery support program, and (2) standard care alone, to see if peer recovery support works to improve retention in medication treatment for opioid use disorder.
Participants will: visit clinics as they normally would to receive standard care (medication treatment for opioid use disorder); complete two questionnaires - one when they start treatment and one 6 months later; and agree to let researchers use information from their medical record. Participants in group 1 will also be invited to meet with a peer recovery support specialist for up to 6 months.
- Conditions
- Opioid Use Disorder
- Being tested
- Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatment
- Keywords
- Medication for opioid use disorder, Peer recovery support
- Medical subject headings
- Opioid-Related Disorders
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatmentBehavioural
The intervention adds a peer recovery support (PRS) program to standard outpatient medication for opioid use disorder treatment and medical care. The PRS program will entail meeting one-on-one with a peer recovery specialist over a 6-month period, who will utilize their lived experience with substance use and recovery to provide emotional, informational, instrumental, and affiliational support to participants.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Care | No intervention | Study participants will receive the standard care - medication treatment for opioid use disorder |
| Standard Care + Peer Recovery Support | Experimental | In addition to standard care (medication treatment for opioid use disorder), study participants will receive support provided by a peer recovery support specialist Receives: Behavioral: Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatment |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
6-month treatment retention
Data will come from the electronic health records. Retention will be defined as a participant not having a lapse in days' supply of medication for opioid use disorder treatment (buprenorphine, buprenorphine-naloxone, or naltrexone) within the 6-month follow-up period that is greater than 30 days.
Measured: 180 days from initiation of medication treatment for opioid use disorder
Length of time in treatment
Data will come from the electronic health records. Length of time in treatment will be determined by summing days' supply of consecutive orders for medications for opioid use disorder treatment(buprenorphine, buprenorphine- naloxone, or naltrexone). Treatment will be considered ended if a participant has a gap in supply of more than 30 days.
Measured: 180 days from initiation of medication treatment for opioid use disorder
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted29 Sep 2025
- Study start23 Dec 2025
- Primary completion31 Jan 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Jul 2029 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Opioid Use DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 218 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Geisinger Clinic
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- UConn Health
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Melissa Poulsen, Geisinger Clinic
- Investigators
- Melissa Poulsen, PhD, Principal investigator, Geisinger Clinic
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07197801
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- R33DA059880-02
- Acronym
- PEERS
- Status last verified
- Feb 2026
- First submitted
- 26 Sep 2025
- Last updated
- 18 Feb 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: A dataset from the randomized controlled trial (RCT) of U.S. adult patients initiating medication for opioid use disorder treatment will be shared. The data will be obtained from electronic health records (EHRs) and two assessments completed by study participants at baseline and 6-months follow-up. Data elements include each patients' study group assignment (standard care (SC) or SC plus the peer recovery support program), study outcomes, demographic and clinical covariates, and potential mediating and moderating variables. A second dataset from the subset of individuals randomized to SC+PRS will be shared. This data will come from a combination of EHRs, study logs, and assessments completed by patients. Data includes variables pertaining to patient's degree of engagement and satisfaction with the PRS program.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 18 Feb 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Evaluation of a Peer Recovery Support Program Adapted to Target Retention in Clinic-based Medication for Opioid Use Disorder Treatment
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07197801
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- PEERS / R33DA059880-02
- Conditions
- Opioid Use Disorder
- Keywords
- Medication for opioid use disorder, Peer recovery support
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 218 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Geisinger ClinicUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- UConn Health
- Study start
- 23 Dec 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 31 Jan 2029 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Jul 2029 (estimated)
- First posted
- 29 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if receiving peer recovery support (support services provided by trained "peers" with lived experience of addiction and recovery) improves retention in medication treatment among people with opioid use disorder. The main question it aims to answer is: does peer recovery support improve retention in medication treatment for opioid use disorder?
Researchers will compare two groups: (1) standard care combined with a peer recovery support program, and (2) standard care alone, to see if peer recovery support works to improve retention in medication treatment for opioid use disorder.
Participants will: visit clinics as they normally would to receive standard care (medication treatment for opioid use disorder); complete two questionnaires - one when they start treatment and one 6 months later; and agree to let researchers use information from their medical record. Participants in group 1 will also be invited to meet with a peer recovery support specialist for up to 6 months.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Care | No intervention | –Study participants will receive the standard care - medication treatment for opioid use disorder |
| Standard Care + Peer Recovery Support | Experimental | Behavioral: Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatmentIn addition to standard care (medication treatment for opioid use disorder), study participants will receive support provided by a peer recovery support specialist |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 89 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Adult ≥ 18 years of age
- Initiated medication for opioid use disorder treatment in past 45 days in a Geisinger outpatient clinic
- Willing and able to give informed consent
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Received medication for opioid use disorder treatment at a Geisinger outpatient clinic in the 90-day period prior to the treatment initiation date
- Not proficient in English
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatmentThe intervention adds a peer recovery support (PRS) program to standard outpatient medication for opioid use disorder treatment and medical care. The PRS program will entail meeting one-on-one with a peer recovery specialist over a 6-month period, who will utilize their lived experience with substance use and recovery to provide emotional, informational, instrumental, and affiliational support to participants. | Behavioural | Standard Care + Peer Recovery Support |
Primary outcome
6-month treatment retention
Time frame: 180 days from initiation of medication treatment for opioid use disorder
Data will come from the electronic health records. Retention will be defined as a participant not having a lapse in days' supply of medication for opioid use disorder treatment (buprenorphine, buprenorphine-naloxone, or naltrexone) within the 6-month follow-up period that is greater than 30 days.
Length of time in treatment
Time frame: 180 days from initiation of medication treatment for opioid use disorder
Data will come from the electronic health records. Length of time in treatment will be determined by summing days' supply of consecutive orders for medications for opioid use disorder treatment(buprenorphine, buprenorphine- naloxone, or naltrexone). Treatment will be considered ended if a participant has a gap in supply of more than 30 days.
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 18 Feb 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. A dataset from the randomized controlled trial (RCT) of U.S. adult patients initiating medication for opioid use disorder treatment will be shared. The data will be obtained from electronic health records (EHRs) and two assessments completed by study participants at baseline and 6-months follow-up. Data elements include each patients' study group assignment (standard care (SC) or SC plus the peer recovery support program), study outcomes, demographic and clinical covariates, and potential mediating and moderating variables. A second dataset from the subset of individuals randomized to SC+PRS will be shared. This data will come from a combination of EHRs, study logs, and assessments completed by patients. Data includes variables pertaining to patient's degree of engagement and satisfaction with the PRS program.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
Melissa Poulsen, PhD principal investigator
Geisinger Clinic
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Peer recovery support to enhance patient engagement in medication for opioid use disorder treatment in people with Opioid Use Disorder, run by Geisinger Clinic at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 18 Feb 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Project Manager (1-866-910-6486, Option 3, PEERS@geisinger.edu), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
6-month treatment retention (time frame: 180 days from initiation of medication treatment for opioid use disorder). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 18 Feb 2026.