Home- versus office-based buprenorphine inductions for opioid-dependent patients.
Recent legislation permits the treatment of opioid-dependent patients with buprenorphine in the primary care setting, opening doors for the development of new treatment models for opioid dependence. We modified national buprenorphine treatment guidelines to emphasize patient self-management by giving patients the opportunity to choose to have buprenorphine inductions at home or the physician's office. We examined whether patients who had home-based inductions achieved greater 30-day retention than patients who had traditional office-based inductions in a study of 115 opioid-dependent patients treated in an inner-city health center. Retention was similar in both groups: 50 (78.1%) in office-based group versus 40 (78.4%) in home-based group, p = .97. Several patient characteristics were associated with choosing office- versus home-based inductions, which likely influenced these results. We conclude that opioid dependence can be successfully managed in the primary care setting. Approaches that encourage patient involvement in treatment for opioid dependence can be beneficial.
Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, Community Health and Social Medicine, City College of the City University of New York, NY 10031, USA. nsohler@sci.ccny.cuny.edu
Nancy L
NL
Sohler
Xuan
X
Li
Hillary V
HV
Kunins
Galit
G
Sacajiu
Angela
A
Giovanniello
Susan
S
Whitley
Chinazo O
CO
Cunningham
D000328:Adult; D000554:Ambulatory Care Facilities; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010347:Patient Care Planning; D010349:Patient Compliance; D018579:Patient Selection; D011320:Primary Health Care; D012646:Self Administration / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D002047:Buprenorphine