Abstract
International experience suggests that buprenorphine–naloxone combination can be misused and diverted. Little is known about the non-adherence to take-home buprenorphine–nloxone in India. A retrospective pilot study of 100 consecutive urine samples of heroin-dependent patients on take-home buprenorphine–naloxone medication was carried out. Urinalysis was done by thin layer chromatography, using a modified hydrolysis method. The mean daily dose for prescribed buprenorphine was 7.93 ± 2.73 mg/day, dispensed once or twice a week. Urinalysis results revealed that 30% of samples tested negative for prescribed drug despite being on regular take-home buprenorphine–naloxone medication. Nearly half of these patients also tested positive for a non-prescribed drug. The results and trends of urinalysis results carry important clinical implications and urges for a close monitoring for non-adherence and diversion of take-home medication.
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