PT  - JOURNAL ARTICLE
AU  - Ira L. Mintzer
AU  - Mark Eisenberg
AU  - Maria Terra
AU  - Casey MacVane
AU  - David U. Himmelstein
AU  - Steffie Woolhandler
TI  - Treating Opioid Addiction With Buprenorphine-Naloxone in Community-Based Primary Care Settings
AID  - 10.1370/afm.665
DP  - 2007 Mar 01
TA  - The Annals of Family Medicine
PG  - 146--150
VI  - 5
IP  - 2
4099  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/5/2/146.short
4100  - http://www.annfammed.org/content/5/2/146.full
SO  - Ann Fam Med2007 Mar 01; 5
AB  - PURPOSE Office-based treatment of opioid addiction with a combination of buprenorphine and naloxone was approved in 2002. Efficacy of this treatment in nonresearch clinical settings has not been studied. We examined the efficacy and practicality of buprenorphine-naloxone treatment in primary care settings. METHODS We studied a cohort of 99 consecutive patients enrolled in buprenor-phine-naloxone treatment for opioid dependence at 2 urban primary care practices: a hospital-based primary care clinic, and a primary care practice in a free-standing neighborhood health center. The primary outcome measure was sobriety at 6 months as judged by the treating physician based on periodic urine drug tests, as well as frequent physical examinations and questioning of the patients about substance use. RESULTS Fifty-four percent of patients were sober at 6 months. There was no significant correlation between sobriety and site of care, drug of choice, neighborhood poverty level, or dose of buprenorphine-naloxone. Sobriety was correlated with private insurance status, older age, length of treatment, and attending self-help meetings. CONCLUSIONS Opioid-addicted patients can be safely and effectively treated in nonresearch primary care settings with limited on-site resources. Our findings suggest that greater numbers of patients should have access to buprenorphine-naloxone treatment in nonspecialized settings.