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Behavioral drug and HIV risk reduction counseling (BDRC) with abstinence-contingent take-home buprenorphine: a pilot randomized clinical trial.

Chawarski MC, Mazlan M, Schottenfeld RS

Yale University School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, New Haven, CT 06519, USA. marek.chawarski@yale.edu

This pilot randomized clinical trial evaluated whether the efficacy of office-based buprenorphine maintenance treatment (BMT), provided with limited counseling or oversight of medication adherence is improved by the addition of individual drug counseling and abstinence-contingent take-home doses of buprenorphine. After a 2-week buprenorphine and stabilization period, heroin dependent individuals (n=24) in Muar, Malaysia were randomly assigned to Standard Services BMT (physician administered advice and support, and weekly, non-contingent medication pick-up) or Enhanced Services (nurse-delivered manual-guided behavioral drug and HIV risk reduction counseling (BDRC) and abstinence-contingent take-home buprenorphine (ACB), 7 day supply maximum). Outcomes included retention, proportion of opioid-negative urine tests, self-reported drug use, and self-reported HIV risk behaviors. 12/12 (100%) of Enhanced Services and 11/12 (92%) of Standard Services participants completed the entire protocol. The proportion of opioid-negative urine tests increased significantly over time for both groups (p<0.001), and the reductions were significantly greater in the Enhanced Services group (p<0.05); Enhanced Services group achieved higher overall proportions of opiate negative urine toxicology tests (87% vs. 69%, p=0.04) and longer periods of consecutive abstinence from opiates (10.3 weeks vs. 7.8 weeks, p=0.154). Both groups significantly reduced HIV risk behaviors during treatment (p<0.05), but the difference between Enhanced and Standard Services (26% vs. 17% reductions from the baseline levels, respectively) was not statistically significant (p=0.9). Manual-guided behavioral drug and HIV risk reduction counseling and abstinence-contingent take-home buprenorphine appear promising for adding to the efficacy of office-based BMT provided with limited drug counseling and medication oversight.

Published 22 February 2008 in Drug Alcohol Depend, 94(1): 281-4.
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