A Stepwise Strategy Utilizing Buprenorphine and Methadone

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2006-03-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

The objective of this study is to compare optimally given methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for heroin dependence with a novel, sequential strategy, where patients are offered buprenorphine as first line treatment, allowed dose adjustments as needed, and switched to methadone if the maximal dose of buprenorphine is insufficient.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Karolinska University Hospital
• Collaborators: Region Stockholm; Schering-Plough; Stockholm County Council, Sweden; Swedish National Drug Policy Coordinator
• Treatments: Buprenorphine; Methadone

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Heroin dependence according to DSM IV > 1year

• Age > 20 years

• Acceptance of the stated treatment principles.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Severe psychiatric illness such as dementia or psychosis compromising the patient's ability to provide informed consent

• Other clinically significant psychiatric illness unless stable under treatment

• Severe medical condition such as advanced lung disease, unstable cardiovascular disease, severe liver disease

• Other clinically significant medical condition unless stable under treatment

• Treatment with anti-seizure drugs or disulfiram

• Pregnancy or intent to become pregnant within the next year

• Ongoing nursing

• Patients involuntarily discharged from a methadone or buprenorphine maintenance program within the last 3 months not eligible.