Office-Based Buprenorphine Treatment Identifying Factors That Promote Retention in Opioid-Dependent Patients

Opiate addiction is a serious global health issue that profoundly impacts the welfare of populations around the world. Opioid addiction affects an estimated 1.9 million individuals in the United States alone, stimulating a rise in treatment options such as medication-assisted treatment with buprenorphine. When combined with counseling and relapse prevention groups, medication-assisted treatment has proven to be an effective office-based opioid treatment for opiate dependence. Office-based opioid treatment has broadened access to treatment of opioid dependence, has decreased the risk for overdose, and is effective for reducing cravings and opioid use at proper dosing levels. However, treatment retention and relapse remain significant challenges. The purpose of this study was to identify characteristics predictive of retention in treatment time of opioid-dependent individuals receiving office-based buprenorphine treatment. The records of individuals enrolled in a public health office buprenorphine clinic (n = 350) were analyzed to determine retention time in treatment and whether retention time varied by selected individual variables. Participants in the study had a cumulative predicted retention time on buprenorphine of 65% at 30 days, 35% at 6 months, 25% at 12 months, and 18% at 18 months.