A PRELIMINARY INVESTIGATION OF OUTCOME FOLLOWING GRADUAL OR RAPID BUPRENORPHINE DETOXIFICATION

Eight opioid-dependent individuals were maintained on daily sublingual buprenorphine (8 mg) for 28 days and assigned randomly to one of two outpatient detoxification schedules under double-blind, double-dummy c onditions. The two detoxification schedules were buprenorphine gradual (36 days; N = 3) or buprenorphine rapid(12 days; N = 5). Outcome vari ables were subject- and observer-ratings of opioid withdrawal, treatme nt retention and illicit-opioid use. Outcome measures were similar for the two groups during buprenorphine maintenance. Increases in subject -rated opioid withdrawal and illicit-opioid use, and a drop in treatme nt retention occurred during rapid detoxification. Stable subject-rate d opioid withdrawal and treatment retention, and less illicit-opioid u se occurred during gradual detoxification. These data suggest that gra dual reduction in buprenorphine dose is likely to produce superior tre atment outcomes than more rapid buprenorphine detoxification.