Dj. Rhodes et Sa. Grossman, HYDROMORPHONE POLYMER IMPLANT - A POTENTIAL ALTERNATIVE TO METHADONE-MAINTENANCE, Journal of substance abuse treatment, 14(6), 1997, pp. 535-542
Although methadone maintenance remains the best available treatment fo
r opioid addiction, the need for daily oral dosing limits the effectiv
eness of methadone as opioid substitution therapy. Limitations of meth
adone maintenance include the administrative costs and burdensome time
commitment associated with daily clinic visits, the danger of illicit
diversion and accidental overdose associated with oral dosing, the lo
w rate of treatment retention, and inadequate treatment capacity. A ne
w opioid delivery device awaiting approval for clinical use may overco
me some of these limitations. The device, a button-size polymer contai
ning hydromorphone, releases near constant levels of opioid opioid whe
n implanted subcutaneously. Because of its location and duration of ef
fect, the polymer may eliminate the need for daily clinic visits, redu
ce the costs and time constraints of treatment, reduce the risk of ill
icit diversion, provide an incentive for compliance with initial metha
done maintenance treatment, and increase treatment capacity and retent
ion. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.