Buprenorphine and Substance Abuse Services for Prescription Opioid Dependence

Study Summary

This is a randomized trial of two group-based models of care for buprenorphine/naloxone (bup/nx) patients in Substance Use (SU) specialty treatment: Standard Medical Management (SMM) and Intensive Outpatient Treatment (IOT). The setting is a large outpatient SU treatment program, where a medical management model of care has not been empirically tested with bup/nx patients, and where a high prevalence of patients with co-occurring psychiatric and medical co-morbidities are treated. SSM includes brief weekly group-based visits consistent with previously studied medical models, and is drawn from primary care bup/nx research. IOT is a predominant model of care in specialty treatment, and incorporates psychosocial support, 12-step, educational and relapse-prevention based approaches. The investigators will recruit 300 adult patients inducted onto bup/nx, randomize them to either SMM or IOT, and conduct telephone follow-up interviews at 6 and 12 months. Study investigators will examine the impact of these treatment approaches on 90-day bup/nx adherence, opioid and SU abstinence, quality of life, and health care and societal costs. Further, investigators will examine whether the effect of IOT versus SMM on adherence and SU treatment outcomes is greater for those with medical or psychiatric co-morbidities. This innovative approach includes a focus on complex patients with psychiatric and medical co-morbidities in specialty care, adapting a care model previously only tested in primary care, a 12-month follow-up, no research-forced medication taper, an examination of health care and societal costs, and a combination of patient self-report and electronic medical record data. Through this approach, the proposed study will yield critically important findings on how best to treat complex prescription opioid dependent patients with an integrative behavioral services and medication treatment model in SU treatment.

Primary Outcome

Buprenorphine/naloxone adherence will be measured using KPNC's pharmacy database. Adherence will be based on prescription refills and calculated using Medication Possession Ratio methods, similar to other published KPNC studies which have measured adherence as a key outcome variable. Adherence will be defined as the patient having medication available on 80% or more of the 90 day period-that is, an MPR of .8 or higher.

Conditions Studied

Interventions

• BEHAVIORAL Standard Medical Management (SMM)

Study Locations (1)