Comparison of maintenance therapy with Methadone and Buprenorphine in reduction of opiate use and related factors in Tabriz

Abstract

Opioids are used as analgesics and other therapeutic purposes, but due to their sedative and euphoric effects, there is a history of abuse for them. Continuous use of opioids can lead to addiction and abuse syndrome and can interfere with the person's cognitive behavior and functions. Due to the increase in the number of opioid dependent individuals, treatment of these disorders is important. Two treatments using methadone and buprenorphine are widely used as maintenance in opioid dependent individuals. Various factors affect the retention of patients in maintenance therapy. Method: This study compared the retention rates of patients for two groups of methadone and buprenorphine, as well as some of the predictors of treatment. 400 patients who had the inclusion criteria were selected from addiction treatment clinics in the city of Tabriz and divided into 200-patient groups of methadone and buprenorphine. During the treatment, patients were followed up for a period of 16 months in terms of referral and drug use and the effects of factors such as occupation, educational level, type of treatment and dosage were studied. Results: According to the results, the methadone group had a longer retention and less opioid use during the follow-up period compared with the buprenorphine group, and maintenance in treatment had a significant relation with drug dosage and type of drug.