Researchers are still working to piece all of the results from the trial together. Here are some quick facts about what they have found so far:
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This was measured using urinary drug screens (UDS).
BUP/NAL: 24% of participants in this group had an opioid-free UDS.
Methadone: 18.5% of participants in this group had an opioid-free UDS.
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Retention was measured as the number of participants with an active prescription who had a positive urinary drug screen for the medication they were assigned to (i.e., Buprenorphine/Naloxone or Methadone).
What did they find?
23.4% of participants in the BUP/NAL group were continued to take their assigned medication
33.8% of participants in the methadone group continued to take their assigned medication.
This means that participants in the BUP/NAL group were slightly less likely to stay with their assigned medication vs. those who were in the methadone group.
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The most common drug-related adverse events were:
Withdrawal symptoms
Overdose
Hypogonadism (i.e., lower sex drive/libido)
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Quality of Life (QoL) was assessed using a survey called the EuroQol-5D. QoL increased in both groups:
Buprenorphine/Naloxone Group: From 57.0 ± 21.4 (at baseline) to 72.2 ± 20.2 (at week 24).
Methadone Group: From 61.2 ± 20.0 (at baseline) to 71.0 ± 18.5 (at week 24).
Primary Outcome:
Opioid Use
The primary outcome was opioid use. This was measured by the proportion of opioid-free urine drug screens (UDS) during the 24 weeks. UDS tested for the presence of:
morphine
oxycodone
fentanyl
benzodiazepines
cocaine
amphetamine & methamphetamine
9-tetrahydrocannabinol
buprenorphine
methadone
tramadol
What did they find?
24% (+/- 34.4%) of people in the BUP/NAL group had opioid-free urinary drug screens vs. 18.5% (+/- 30.5%) of people in the methadone group had opioid-free urinary drug screens.
Other Outcomes
Several other outcomes were measured during the trial including: retention in treatment, safety of the study interventions, medication adherence, treatment satisfaction, patient engagement, use of other illicit substances and changes in drug-related problems, quality of life, cost-effectiveness of the study treatments, psychological functioning, and pain and risk behaviours.
The results from the trial are still being analyzed and summarized as we speak. It is a time-consuming and lengthy process but well worth the wait! Learn more about what has been found so far by clicking on each of the papers below:
Impact of fentanyl use on initiation and discontinuation of methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone among people with prescription-type opioid use disorder: secondary analysis of a Canadian treatment trial.
Effects of Buprenorphine/Naloxone and Methadone on Depressive Symptoms in People with Prescription Opioid Use Disorder: A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial
Buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone effectiveness for reducing craving in individuals with prescription opioid use disorder: Exploratory results from an open-label, pragmatic randomized controlled trial.
Patient Satisfaction With Standard Methadone and Flexible Buprenorphine/Naloxone Models of Care: Results From a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.