title: [Buprenorphine vs. methadone as maintenance treatment for opioid dependence].
abstract: The efficacy of buprenorphine in opioid dependent patients (n = 20) was compared to methadone maintained subjects (n = 20) in a randomized comparison trial. Sublingual application of buprenorphine as an alternative synthetical opioid is being compared to methadone during a 24 week study period. A trend (p = 0.06) could be found in the retention rate of investigated patients being maintained on a mean dosage of 63 mg oral applicable methadone (racemat of L- and D-methadone) in comparison to the group on a mean dosage of 7.3 mg buprenorphine (sublingual tablets). The dropout-rate of 11 subjects at the end of the study in the buprenorphine group was higher when compared to the dropout-rate of 5 in the methadone group. There was no significant difference between the two groups over the treatment period in respect to additional consumption of opiates, benzodiazepines and cocaine as evaluated through urine toxicology. The result in regard to compliance over the study period demonstrates that methadone appears to be the more successful oral opioid (p = 0.04). Nevertheless, efficacy of buprenorphine in maintenance could be demonstrated in the remaining subjects, and further studies with higher daily doses and a higher number of subjects have to be performed.
authors.affiliation: Klinische Abteilung für Allgemeine Psychiatrie, Drogenambulanz, Universitätsklinik für Psychiatrie, Wien.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Gombas
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Eder
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Jagsch
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Stühlinger
authors.forename: H N
authors.initials: HN
authors.lastname: Aschauer
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kasper
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D000328:Adult; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008691:Methadone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000652:urine; D010352:Patient Dropouts; D015813:Substance Abuse Detection; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D009294:Narcotics; D002047:Buprenorphine; D008691:Methadone