TY - JOUR
KW - Adult
KW - Aged
KW - Analgesics, Opioid/pharmacokinetics/therapeutic use
KW - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
KW - Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
KW - Female
KW - Germany/epidemiology
KW - Heroin/pharmacokinetics/therapeutic use
KW - Humans
KW - Male
KW - Mental Health
KW - Methadone/pharmacokinetics/therapeutic use
KW - Middle Aged
KW - Opiate Substitution Treatment/adverse effects/methods
KW - Opioid-Related Disorders/diagnosis/drug therapy/epidemiology/psychology
KW - patient outcome assessment
KW - Patient Preference/statistics & numerical data
KW - Substance Withdrawal Syndrome/prevention & control
KW - Surveys and Questionnaires
KW - Therapeutic Equivalency
AU - L. K. Bald
AU - F. Bermpohl
AU - A. Heinz
AU - J. Gallinat
AU - S. Gutwinski
A1 - 
AB - OBJECTIVE: This study focused on the question whether patients with conventional opioid maintenance treatment (COMT) would prefer a switch to heroin maintenance treatment (HMT). METHODS: We performed a region-wide anonymous survey of patients in the opioid maintenance program in Berlin, Germany. All 20 psychiatric hospitals and all 110 physicians' practices in Berlin licensed to offer COMT were approached to reach patients under COMT and also fulfilling the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) criteria of opiate dependence. The anonymous questionnaire focused on the question whether patients would prefer HMT to COMT. In our study, 986 of 5032 patients (19.6%) with COMT in Berlin participated. Of them, 881 (89.4%) patients gave information whether they would prefer HMT to COMT. RESULTS: Of the participating patients, 40.9% would prefer HMT to COMT. These patients report more detoxification therapies (P < 0.001), a higher dose of methadone equivalent (P = 0.001), and more often continued use of multiple illegal drugs despite COMT (P < 0.001) than patients not preferring HMT. They also report less improvement in mental health (P < 0.001) and working abilities (P < 0.001) because of COMT than patients not preferring HMT. CONCLUSIONS: The data on the patients' perspective complement the existing clinical studies, showing that previously unresponsive opioid-addicted patients especially would switch to HMT, whereas most patients would prefer continuation of COMT.
BT - Journal of addiction medicine
C5 - Opioids & Substance Use
CP - 6
CY - United States
DO - 10.1097/ADM.0b013e3182a11ad0
IS - 6
JF - Journal of addiction medicine
N2 - OBJECTIVE: This study focused on the question whether patients with conventional opioid maintenance treatment (COMT) would prefer a switch to heroin maintenance treatment (HMT). METHODS: We performed a region-wide anonymous survey of patients in the opioid maintenance program in Berlin, Germany. All 20 psychiatric hospitals and all 110 physicians' practices in Berlin licensed to offer COMT were approached to reach patients under COMT and also fulfilling the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) criteria of opiate dependence. The anonymous questionnaire focused on the question whether patients would prefer HMT to COMT. In our study, 986 of 5032 patients (19.6%) with COMT in Berlin participated. Of them, 881 (89.4%) patients gave information whether they would prefer HMT to COMT. RESULTS: Of the participating patients, 40.9% would prefer HMT to COMT. These patients report more detoxification therapies (P < 0.001), a higher dose of methadone equivalent (P = 0.001), and more often continued use of multiple illegal drugs despite COMT (P < 0.001) than patients not preferring HMT. They also report less improvement in mental health (P < 0.001) and working abilities (P < 0.001) because of COMT than patients not preferring HMT. CONCLUSIONS: The data on the patients' perspective complement the existing clinical studies, showing that previously unresponsive opioid-addicted patients especially would switch to HMT, whereas most patients would prefer continuation of COMT.
PP - United States
PY - 2013
SN - 1932-0620; 1932-0620
SP - 401
EP - 404
EP - 
T1 - Heroin or conventional opioid maintenance? The patients' perspective
T2 - Journal of addiction medicine
TI - Heroin or conventional opioid maintenance? The patients' perspective
U1 - Opioids & Substance Use
U2 - 24145159
U3 - 10.1097/ADM.0b013e3182a11ad0
VL - 7
VO - 1932-0620; 1932-0620
Y1 - 2013
ER -