Substitution Treatment of Dependence on Heroin with Buprenorphine

Overview

Buprenorphine originally used for detoxification of patients addicted to heroin started to be usedalso for short-term substitution treatment. Practice showed that it is suitable also for long-termsubstitution. It is particularly interesting because of its agonistic and antagonistic action onopioid receptors.Experience with buprenorphine in a total of 32 out-patients – mean age 22–23 years – with a reporteddaily dose of heroin of 0.4 to 2.5 g is described. Does of 2–8 mg buprenorphine per day provedsufficient for long-term treatment of patients addicted to heroin.Termination of treatment is sometimes associated with the phenomenon of the last drug dose. Theauthor describes undesirable complications among which the most serious one is abuse of buprenorphinefor administration by injection.

Key words:
heroin addiction, buprenorphine substitution, last drug dose phenomenon.