title: Criminal charges prior to and after initiation of office-based buprenorphine treatment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is little data on the impact of office-based buprenorphine therapy on criminal activity. The goal of this study was to determine the impact of primary care clinic-based buprenorphine maintenance therapy on rates of criminal charges and the factors associated with criminal charges in the 2 years after initiation of treatment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We collected demographic and outcome data on 252 patients who were given at least one prescription for buprenorphine. We searched a public database of criminal charges and recorded criminal charges prior to and after enrollment. We compared the total number of criminal cases and drug cases 2 years before versus 2 years after initiation of treatment.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was at least one criminal charge made against 38% of the subjects in the 2 years after initiation of treatment; these subjects were more likely to have used heroin, to have injected drugs, to have had any prior criminal charges, and recent criminal charges. There was no significant difference in the number of subjects with any criminal charge or a drug charge before and after initiation of treatment. Likewise, the mean number of all cases and drug cases was not significantly different between the two periods. However, among those who were opioid-negative for 6 or more months in the first year of treatment, there was a significant decline in criminal cases. On multivariable analysis, having recent criminal charges was significantly associated with criminal charges after initiation of treatment (adjusted odds ratio 3.92); subjects who were on opioid maintenance treatment prior to enrollment were significantly less likely to have subsequent criminal charges (adjusted odds ratio 0.52).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among subjects with prior criminal charges, initiation of office-based buprenorphine treatment did not appear to have a significant impact on subsequent criminal charges.
authors.affiliation: Albert Einstein College of Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center, 1621 Eastchester Road Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
authors.forename: Elizabeth E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Janet Soeffing
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Jacapraro
authors.forename: Darius A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Rastegar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003415:Crime / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D002047:Buprenorphine