Abstract

Objective: Owing to the higher cost of Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment (BMT) and harm reduction policy in Taiwan, the percentage of Heroin Use Disorder (HUD) patients receiving BMT is much lower than that of receiving methadone maintenance treatment in Taiwan despite the lower addictive, milder withdrawal symptoms and safer characteristics of BMT. As a consequence, the study on treatment outcomes of BMT in Taiwanese HUD patients is relatively limited. The purpose of this prospective, 1-year observational study was to investigate the effects of BMT on the quality of life, self-efficacy, substance use, and retention rate among HUD patients in Taiwan.
Methods: Forty-two HUD patients aged between 20 and 60 years old without serious psychiatric illness were recruited from five medical centers and were given BMT for 12 months. Efficacy assessments using the Taiwan version of Brief Version of World Health Organization Quality of Life Instrument (WHOQoL-BREF-TW) and 8-item Drug-Taking Confidence Questionnaire (DTCQ-8), as well as urine drug test were performed at baseline and every 3 months thereafter.
Results: Of the 25 subjects who comprised the Intent-To-Treat (ITT) population for efficacy analyses, significant improvements were seen in the psychological and social relation domains of the WHOQoL-BREF at 9 months. Significant improvements also observed in the DTCQ score under both pleasant and unpleasant emotions, testing self-control, and friend’s incitement circumstances throughout the study period. The 12 months retention rate was 36%. The positive rates of urine morphine maintained low during the study.
Conclusion: This study indicated the long-term efficacy of BMT on the quality of life, self-efficacy, and reduction of illicit drug use in Taiwanese heroin use disorder patients who maintained in the BMT treatment.

Keywords: Heroin use disorder; Buprenorphine maintenance treatment; Quality of life; Self-efficacy; Retention rate; Urinary drug screening