Abstract
BackgroundBuprenorphine is an effective treatment for opioid dependence that can be provided in a primary care setting. Offering this treatment may also facilitate the identification and treatment of other chronic medical conditions.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 168 patients who presented to a primary care clinic for treatment of opioid dependence and who received a prescription for sublingual buprenorphine within a month of their initial visit.ResultsOf the 168 new patients, 122 (73%) did not report having an established primary care provider at the time of the initial visit. One hundred and twenty-five patients (74%) reported at least one established chronic condition at the initial visit. Of the 215 established diagnoses documented on the initial visit, 146 (68%) were not being actively treated; treatment was initiated for 70 (48%) of these within one year. At least one new chronic medical condition was identified in 47 patients (28%) during the first four months of their care. Treatment was initiated for 39 of the 54 new diagnoses (72%) within the first year.ConclusionsOffering treatment for opioid dependence with buprenorphine in a primary care practice is associated with the identification and treatment of other chronic medical conditions.
Highlights
Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for opioid dependence that can be provided in a primary care setting
All of the practitioners provide primary care, with a concentration on caring for patients with substance use disorders and HIV infection. It is the policy of the practice that buprenorphine treatment is provided as part of primary care, and buprenorphine is only prescribed to patients who receive their primary care at this practice
One hundred eighty-nine new patients had come to the practice to receive treatment for opioid dependence and received a prescription for buprenorphine within a month of their initial visit
Summary
Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for opioid dependence that can be provided in a primary care setting. Offering this treatment may facilitate the identification and treatment of other chronic medical conditions. Opioid and other drug dependence are chronic medical conditions, which can be treated in an outpatient primary care setting as other illnesses are [1]. A number of studies have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of office-based treatment of opioid dependence with sublingual formulations of buprenorphine [2,3,4,5,6]. Individuals with drug dependence have a high burden of medical and psychiatric illness [13,14,15].
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