NALTREXONE PHARMACOTHERAPY FOR OPIOID DEPENDENT FEDERAL PROBATIONERS

Federal probationers or parolees with a history of opioid addiction we re referred by them selves or their probation/parole officer for a nal trexone treatment study. Participation was voluntary and subjects coul d drop out of the study at any time without adverse consequences. Foll owing orientation and informed consent, 51 volunteers were randomly as signed in a 2:1 ratio to a 6-month program of probation plus naltrexon e and brief drug counseling, or probation plus counseling alone. Naltr exone subjects received medication and counseling twice a week; contro ls received counseling at similar intervals. All therapy and medicatio n were administered in an office located adjacent to the federal proba tion department. Fifty-two percent of subjects in the naltrexone group continued for 6 months and 33% remained in the control group. Opioid use was significantly lower in the naltrexone group. The overall mean percent of opioid positive urine tests among the naltrexone subjects w as 8%, versus 30% for control subjects (p < .05). Fifty-six percent of the controls and 26% of the naltrexone group (p <.05) had their proba tion status revoked within the 6-month study period and rearmed to pri son. Treatment with naltrexone and brief drug counseling call be integ rated into the Federal Probation/Parole system with favorable results on both opioid use and re-arrest rates. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.