title: Treatment outcome for flexible dosing buprenorphine maintenance treatment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Achieving the best treatment outcome with the least cost should be the goal for buprenorphine office-based treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted an observational retrospective chart review to compare the treatment outcome for patients (n = 56) receiving high dose of buprenorphine (above 16 mg daily) and patients (n = 21) receiving moderate doses (8-16 mg daily).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The percentages of the first four urine drug screens (UDS) positive for opiates were significantly higher for the high-dose group than for the moderate-dose group (F = 7.93, df = 7, p < .0001). However, the percentages of the most recent four UDS positive for opiates were not statistically significant (F = .62, df = 7, p = .74). The difference in the percentages of the first and last UDS for the high-dose group showed significant reduction from admission to most recently but there was no significant difference for the moderate-dose group (t = 3.1, df = 105, p = .002 for the high-dose group and t = 1.1, df = 40, p = .27 for the moderate-dose group).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Using flexible buprenorphine dosing schedule with the option of titrating the dose up to 32 mg daily may offer better treatment outcome for patients who would not respond to the lower dose range.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Emory University School of Medicine/Atlanta VA Medical center, Decatur, GA 30033, USA. ayman.fareed@va.gov
authors.forename: Ayman
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fareed
authors.forename: Sreedevi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vayalapalli
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Casarella
authors.forename: Karen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Drexler
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000379:methods*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D002047:Buprenorphine