ISSN:
1360-0443
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
,
Psychology
Notes:
Aims To evaluate slow-release oral morphine (SROM) as an alternative maintenance pharmacotherapy to methadone for treatment of opioid dependence.Design Open-label crossover study.Setting Out-patient methadone maintenance programme.Participants Eighteen methadone maintenance patients.Intervention Participants were transferred from methadone to SROM (once-daily Kapanol™) for approximately 6 weeks before resuming methadone maintenance.Measurements Patient outcomes were assessed (1) during the transition between medications (dose requirements, withdrawal severity) and (2) after at least 4 weeks on a stable dose of each drug (treatment preference, patient ratings of treatment efficacy and acceptability, drug use, health, depression and sleep).Findings Transfer from methadone to SROM was associated with relatively mild withdrawal for the first 5 days; the final mean SROM : methadone dose ratio was 4.6 : 1. Compared to methadone, SROM was associated with improved social functioning, weight loss, fewer and less troublesome side-effects, greater drug liking, reduced heroin craving, an enhanced sense of feeling ‘normal’ and similar outcomes for unsanctioned drug use, depression and health. The majority of subjects preferred SROM (78%) over methadone (22%).Conclusions These findings provide justification for further evaluation of SROM as a maintenance pharmacotherapy for opioid dependence.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1360-0443.2004.00764.x
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