The effectiveness of community maintenance with methadone or buprenorphine for treating opiate dependence.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Opiate dependence is a major health and social issue in many countries. A mainstay of therapy has been methadone maintenance treatment, but other treatments, particularly buprenorphine, are increasingly being considered.

Aim

To conduct a systematic review to synthesise and critically appraise the evidence on the effectiveness of community maintenance programmes with methadone or buprenorphine in treating opiate dependence.

Method

A systematic review of databases, journals and the grey literature was carried out from 1990-2002. Inclusion criteria were: community-based, randomised controlled trials of methadone and/or buprenorphine for opiate dependence involving subjects who were aged 18 years old or over.

Results

Trials were set in a range of countri

SUBMITTER: Simoens S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1463190 | biostudies-literature | 2005 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature