Abstract | AIM: DESIGN: A pragmatic open-label randomized controlled study of patients recommended for opiate maintenance treatment to test equivalence of the two treatment options with follow-up continuing for up to 42 months after recruitment. SETTING: Assessment at either Edinburgh's Community Drug Problem Service or at two general practitioner practices with specialist drug community psychiatric nurses, then with shared care follow-up. PARTICIPANTS: Two hundred and thirty-five subjects (168 male, 67 female) with opiate dependence syndrome were recruited. Subjects selected were suitable for opiate maintenance treatment. Routine treatment was offered throughout. INTERVENTION: MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome measure was retention in treatment. Eight secondary outcomes included total illicit opiate use, reported crime, physical health, mental health, injecting drug use, overdoses, selling drugs and being in education or work. Measures were compared over 42 months follow-up. FINDINGS: There was no difference in groups for retention in treatment at follow-up and there was improvement in all secondary outcomes from baseline. No significant difference in outcomes was found between randomized groups over time. Compliance with randomized treatment differed by randomized group and was affected by experiences in custody during follow-up. Those randomized to dihydrocodeine were more likely to switch treatments. CONCLUSIONS:
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Authors | J Roy Robertson, Gillian M Raab, Malcolm Bruce, James S McKenzie, Helen R Storkey, Amy Salter |
Journal | Addiction (Abingdon, England)
(Addiction)
Vol. 101
Issue 12
Pg. 1752-9
(Dec 2006)
ISSN: 0965-2140 [Print] England |
PMID | 17156174
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Randomized Controlled Trial, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)
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Chemical References |
- Analgesics, Opioid
- Narcotics
- dihydrocodeine
- Methadone
- Codeine
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Topics |
- Administration, Oral
- Adolescent
- Adult
- Analgesics, Opioid
(therapeutic use)
- Codeine
(analogs & derivatives, therapeutic use)
- Female
- Follow-Up Studies
- Humans
- Male
- Methadone
(therapeutic use)
- Middle Aged
- Narcotics
(therapeutic use)
- Opioid-Related Disorders
(rehabilitation)
- Patient Compliance
- Surveys and Questionnaires
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