Implant May Prove More Effective Treatment for Opioid Addiction
Opioid dependence can take over the life of the individual, heightening the need for treatment. While a number of different methods have been tried, researchers are now examining the effectiveness of implanting medication.
A recent Science Daily release explored a study that showed opioid dependents who received an implant of buprenorphine had less opioid use after 16 weeks of treatment. The implantable formulation of buprenorphine was introduced as a more effective alternative to the standard treatment of administering the drug under the tongue.
The challenge with traditional applications of buprenorphine was poor adherence to treatment among addicts, which led to increased cravings and withdrawal symptoms. This increased the chances of relapse and therefore made the treatment less effective.
When buprenorphine is implanted, the patient receives a constant and low level of the drug to prevent opioid use and relapse.
As the study was administered, the group receiving the buprenorphine implant had significantly more samples of urine that tested negative for illicit opioids during the first 16 weeks of treatment at 40.4 percent. An average of 20.8 percent in the placebo group was able to produce a comparable urine sample with no illicit opioid use.
Another notable difference was how long individuals were able to participate in the study. Of the individuals participating in the study who received the buprenorphine implant, 65.7 percent finished the study; while only 30.9 percent of the placebo patients were able to stick with it until the end.
And, while no patients in the implant group met the definition of treatment failure, 30.9 percent of the placebo group were classified as treatment failures.
