Treating Opioid Addiction With Buprenorphine-Naloxone in Community-Based Primary Care Settings
Ann Fam Med Mintzer et al.
5: 146
The Article in Brief
Treating Opioid Addiction With Buprenorphine-Naloxone in Community-Based Primary Care Settings
Ira L. Mintzer, MD, and colleagues
Background Buprenorphine is a medication that has been approved for treating patients who are addicted to opioids, a group of drugs that include heroin and some prescription pain relievers. Doctors who receive special certification can provide buprenorphine treatment in their office. This study examines the effectiveness and practicality of buprenorphine treatment in two primary care offices.
What This Study Found Opioid-addicted patients can be safely treated in primary care offices. In this study, 54% of patients were sober at 6 months, which is similar to success rates in more specialized drug treatment centers.
Implications
- Opioid-addicted patients can be safely and effectively treated in primary care offices with limited on-site resources.
- The authors call for more buprenorphine treatment outside of specialized treatment centers, and they encourage other primary care doctors to consider providing such treatment.
