Buprenorphine treatment of heroin dependence (detoxification and maintenance) in a private practice setting

At the conclusion of a 3-year demonstration project in a medical setting in which refusal to accept methadone was an inclusion criterion, IZ subjects were unable to detoxify from buprenorphine and remained adamant in their re fusal to enroll in a MMTP. In order to study the feasibility of expanding o pportunities for treatment previously unavailable to this under-served popu lation of heroin addicts, these 12 subjects plus an additional 11 subjects (N = 23) were recruited for a 12 months trial of buprenorphine treatment co nducted in an office-based setting on a fee-for-service basis. An additiona l cohort of 40 heroin dependent subjects were entered in a protocol for det oxification only. The findings demonstrate both feasibility and patient acc eptance of office based fee-for-service buprenorphine treatment, supporting the need fur (1) additional studies of this population and (2) changes in government regulations to reintroduce addiction treatment under physician a uspices in private practice settings. (C) 2001 by The Haworth Press, Inc. A ll rights reserved.