Transition From Methadone to Buprenorphine Using a Short-acting Agonist Bridge in the Inpatient Setting: A Case Study

We describe an inpatient transition from methadone to buprenorphine using a hydromorphone bridge over a 7-day period. This method used commonly available dosages and formulations of buprenorphine. To our knowledge, this is the first time a method has been described that transitions a patient from methadone to buprenorphine using a short-acting opioid agonist bridge and readily available opioid dosages and formulations. This case provides a viable alternative for rapidly transitioning a patient from methadone to buprenorphine that can be used as a template for an alternative method to transitions between these medications.

Source: Journal of Addiction Medicine - September 1, 2020 Category: Addiction Tags: Case Reports Source Type: research