title: Buprenorphine prescription compliance: an original observational and longitudinal study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Buprenorphine is one of the main opioid dependence treatments, especially in France, where it has been widely prescribed since 1996. But it can easily be misused and its prescription has to be followed up. In the literature, we found several studies on buprenorphine, but we did not find long-term ecological follow-up studies on buprenorphine prescription and compliance.
  
  
  METHODS
  The main purpose of this study was to define stability or instability of the prescription of buprenorphine to opiate-addicted patients. We carried out a forecast study on prescription of buprenorphine over a 10-year period, using software collecting prescription data. We performed statistical analysis of the conditions and transitions of opiate-addicted patients treated with buprenorphine along appointments.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We showed that 70% of buprenorphine prescriptions are stable; we assumed that our results correspond to buprenorphine compliance. The retention in treatment was associated with a positive evolution of prescription stability. Prior criminal records were the only factor linked to instability. We showed that collecting precise prescription data in face to face appointments using software, including legal prescription rules that guide practitioners in following buprenorphine prescription compliance, seemed to be a useful method to measure buprenorphine compliance.
authors: a Addictology, CHU Nantes , France.
authors: Morgane
authors: M
authors: Guillou Landreat
authors: Véronique
authors: V
authors: Sebille-Rivain
authors: Caroline
authors: C
authors: Victorri Vigneau
authors: Yohann
authors: Y
authors: Foucher
authors: Jean Luc
authors: JL
authors: Venisse
authors: Pascale
authors: P
authors: Jolliet
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011307:Drug Prescriptions; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006785:Hospitals, University; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008390:Markov Chains; D055118:Medication Adherence; D008875:Middle Aged; D009294:Narcotics / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D012984:Software; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D002047:Buprenorphine
keywords: Markov model; buprenorphine; compliance; opiate-related disorders