title: Treatment outcomes in opioid dependent patients with different buprenorphine/naloxone induction dosing patterns and trajectories.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Induction is a crucial period of opioid addiction treatment. This study aimed to identify buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP) induction patterns and examine their association with outcomes (opioid use, retention, and related adverse events [AEs]).
  
  
  METHODS
  The secondary analysis of a study of opioid-dependent adults seeking treatment in eight treatment settings included 740 participants inducted on BUP with flexible dosing.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Latent class analysis models detected six distinctive induction trajectories: bup1-started and remained on low; bup2-started low, shifted slowly to moderate; bup3-started low, shifted quickly to moderate; bup4-started high, shifted to low; bup5-started and remained on moderate; bup6-started moderate, shifted to high dose (Fig. 1). Baseline characteristics, including Clinical Opioid Withdrawal Scale (COWS), were important predictors of retention. When controlled for the baseline characteristics, bup6 participants were three times less likely to drop out the first 7 days than bup1 participants (adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) = .28, p = .03). Opioid use and AEs were similar across trajectories. Participants on ≥16 mg BUP compared to those on <16 mg at Day 28 were less likely to drop out (aHR = .013, p = .001) and less likely to have AEs during the first 28 days (aOR = .57, p = .03).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BUP induction dosing was guided by an objective measure of opioid withdrawal. Participants with higher baseline COWS whose BUP doses were raised more quickly were less likely to drop out in the first 7 days than those whose doses were raised slower.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study supports the use of an objective measure of opioid withdrawal (COWS) during BUP induction to improve retention early in treatment.
authors.affiliation: The EMMES Corporation, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Petra
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jacobs
authors.affiliation: UCLA, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Alfonso
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ang
authors.affiliation: UCLA, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Maureen P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hillhouse
authors.affiliation: VA Puget Sound Health Care, Seattle, Washington.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Saxon
authors.affiliation: University of New South Wales, National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Sydney, Australia.
authors.forename: Suzanne
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.affiliation: NIDA Center for the Clinical Trials Network, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Paul G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Wakim
authors.affiliation: The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland.
authors.forename: Barbara E
authors.initials: BE
authors.lastname: Mai
authors.affiliation: UCLA, Los Angeles, California.
authors.forename: Larissa J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Mooney
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: S Potter
authors.affiliation: The EMMES Corporation, Rockville, Maryland.
authors.forename: Jack D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Blaine
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000069479:Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000069479:Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists