Loading...
For treating opioid use disorder, both buprenorphine-naloxone combination (BN; suboxone) and extended-release naltrexone (ERN) can be prescribed in any clinic with minimal provider training, unlike methadone. A recent study showed similar efficacy for ERN and BN, but randomization occurred after detoxification (NEJM JW Psychiatry Dec 2017 and JAMA Psychiatry 2017 Oct 18; [e-pub]). As a full opioid antagonist, ERN can precipitate severe withdrawal, so patients need to be completely detoxified before starting ERN, unlike BN, which patients can start while still in mild withdrawal. Now, researchers report results from a multicenter study that randomized individuals before detoxification, allowing measurement of induction success.
The 570 inpati…