Patient-reported outcomes of treatment of opioid dependence with weekly and monthly subcutaneous depot and daily sublingual buprenorphine
In this study, participants who received depot buprenorphine reported improved treatment satisfaction compared to participants who received sublingual buprenorphine. The results highlight the application of patient-reported outcomes as an alternative endpoint to traditional markers of substance use in addiction treatment outcome studies.
Lintzeris N, Dunlop AJ, Haber PS, et al. Patient-reported outcomes of treatment of opioid dependence with weekly and monthly subcutaneous depot and daily sublingual buprenorphine: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA Network Open. 2021; 4(5): e219041. doi: 10.1001 / jamanetworkopen.2021.9041
Commentary
This study compared treatment options for the chronic disorder of opioid dependence. Currently, the standard treatment strategy seems to be a combination of psychosocial interventions and behavioral support, often combined with pharmacotherapy.
Medications used include methadone, sublingual (SL) buprenorphine, buprenorphine, and naloxone. This includes the treatments used. The long-acting, injectable depot buprenorphine formulation was developed with the goal of alleviating some of the concerns of daily medication. The purpose of the current RCT appears to be to compare depot buprenorphine with daily SL buprenorphine using a primary endpoint treatment satisfaction questionnaire.
