07 Jan Which Patients Stick With Office Based Opioid Treatment with Buprenorphine?

MedicalResearch.com Interview with:

Dr. Zoe Weinstein

Zoe M. Weinstein MD
Assistant Professor of Medicine, Boston University
Director, Addiction Consult Service
Boston Medical Center
Boston MA 02118

MedicalResearch.com: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?

Response: Like other chronic, life-long medical conditions such as hypertension or diabetes, opioid use disorder (OUD) requires long-term engagement in therapy; however many individuals who participate in Office Based Addiction Treatment are not able to be retained in care long-term.

This observational study followed more than 1,200 patients over 12 years with the goal of identifying patient-specific factors associated with retention in the treatment program for longer than one year. While the study found that older age, female, and co-morbid psychiatric diagnosis were associated with greater odds of treatment retention beyond one year, patients who were black or Hispanic, unemployed, and had evidence of hepatitis C viral infection were associated with decreased odds of treatment retention beyond one year.

MedicalResearch.com: What should readers take away from your report?

Response: Long-term buprenorphine treatment retention is common; however, significant disparities exist, including poorer retention for patients who were younger, black, Hispanic, unemployed or with hepatitis C.

MedicalResearch.com: What recommendations do you have for future research as a result of this study?

Response: With the current opioid epidemic, there is increased focus from researchers and clinicians to expand access and improve retention in opioid agonist treatment, including buprenorphine. We hope our findings, highlighting disparities in long-term buprenorphine retention, will lead to positive change in our health care systems to help all patients impacted by this epidemic remain in care. Future research needs to focus on how we can better support patients to stay engaged in care and break-down systemic barriers to entering and staying in this life-saving treatment.

MedicalResearch.com: Is there anything else you would like to add?

Disclosures: The project described was supported by grant R25DA033211 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, grant R25DA0123582 from the National Institute on Drug Abuse, grant T32AI052074 from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and grant 1UL1TR001430 from the National Center For Advancing Translational Sciences. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases or the National Center For Advancing Translational Sciences. No funding sources had any role in study design; in the collection, analysis and interpretation of data; in the writing of the report; or in the decision to submit the paper for publication.

MedicalResearch.com: Thank you for your contribution to the MedicalResearch.com community.

Citation:
Long-term retention in Office Based Opioid Treatment with buprenorphine
Weinstein, Zoe M. et al.
Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment , Volume 74 , 65 – 70
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2016.12.010
December 30, 2016

Note: Content is Not intended as medical advice. Please consult your health care provider regarding your specific medical condition and questions.

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Last Updated on January 7, 2017 by Marie Benz MD FAAD