TY - JOUR
T1 - Feasibility of referring drug users from a needle exchange program into an addiction treatment program
T2 - Experience with a mobile treatment van and LAAM maintenance
AU - Kuo, Irene
AU - Brady, Joseph
AU - Butler, Carol
AU - Schwartz, Robert
AU - Brooner, Robert
AU - Vlahov, David
AU - Strathdee, Steffanie A.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to acknowledge Michelle Brown and the Baltimore City NEP staff, Tyrone Fleming, Joanne Ryles, Charles Rouse, Wardell Barksdale, Rob Robinson, Eric Peck, Robyn Moore, and Anita Loughlin for their contributions in program operations and data entry. We would also like to thank Robert Foreman and Mahboobeh Safaeian for their statistical support. Data in this paper were reported in part at the 11th International Conference on the Reduction of Drug Related Harm, Jersey, England, April 2000. Funding for this study was provided by NIDA Grant DA09225-06S3 and the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment.
PY - 2003/1
Y1 - 2003/1
N2 - We evaluated program entry, retention, and early treatment response of needle exchange program (NEP) attenders referred to a drug treatment program using levomethadyl acetate hydrochloride (LAAM). Of 163 referrals, 114 (70%) entered the program, and 84% were retained for at least 90 days. Comparing baseline and follow-up visits after 1 month, there were significant reductions in the Addiction Severity Index subscale scores for drug and alcohol use and legal situation. We observed a 31% and 22% reduction in heroin- and cocaine-positive urine tests, respectively (p < .0001). Although LAAM is no longer considered a first line treatment for heroin addiction, these results demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing long-acting agonist therapies such as LAAM to treat opioid dependence among NEP attenders.
AB - We evaluated program entry, retention, and early treatment response of needle exchange program (NEP) attenders referred to a drug treatment program using levomethadyl acetate hydrochloride (LAAM). Of 163 referrals, 114 (70%) entered the program, and 84% were retained for at least 90 days. Comparing baseline and follow-up visits after 1 month, there were significant reductions in the Addiction Severity Index subscale scores for drug and alcohol use and legal situation. We observed a 31% and 22% reduction in heroin- and cocaine-positive urine tests, respectively (p < .0001). Although LAAM is no longer considered a first line treatment for heroin addiction, these results demonstrate the feasibility of utilizing long-acting agonist therapies such as LAAM to treat opioid dependence among NEP attenders.
KW - Buprenorphine
KW - Drug treatment
KW - LAAM
KW - Mobile van
KW - Needle exchange program
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U2 - 10.1016/S0740-5472(02)00343-4
DO - 10.1016/S0740-5472(02)00343-4
M3 - Article
C2 - 12646332
AN - SCOPUS:0037222151
SN - 0740-5472
VL - 24
SP - 67
EP - 74
JO - Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
JF - Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment
IS - 1
ER -