Methadone Treatment of Opiate Addiction: A Systematic Review of Comparative Studies

Conclusion and Recommendations More intervention-based clinical trials are needed to provide a strong alternative candidate therapy for management of opiate use disorder. Buprenorphine, although a promising candidate, should be researched more regarding treatment retention and patient satisfaction before any conclusions can be made regarding its standard use for opiate substitution maintenance treatment of pregnant patients with opiate use disorder. Heroin-assisted treatment still cannot be considered in opiate addicts refractory to MMT; more data should be collected regarding efficacy in larger participant populations under blinded conditions. Safety, generalizability, and diversion should be studied in further detail. Based on the present data, SROM is not a more effective alternative to methadone. Further clinical research with sound methodology is warranted to explore its potential use in this respect.   References Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality. (2015). Behavioral Health Trends in the United States: Results from the 2014 National Survey on Drug Use and Health. Rockville, MD: Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Available at http://www.samhsa.gov/data/sites/default/files/NSDUH-FRR1-2014/NSDUH-FRR1-2014.pdf Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality File. (2015). Number and Age-Adju...
Source: Innovations in Clinical Neuroscience - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Tags: Current Issue General Review buphernorphin heroin methadone opiate opiate addiction treatment withdrawal Source Type: research