Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction: Treatment Improvement Protocol Series (Tip 40)

This Treatment Improvement Protocol (Tip), Clinical Guidelines for the Use of Buprenorphine in the Treatment of Opioid Addiction, provides consensus- and evidence-based treatment guidance for the use of buprenorphine, a new option for the treatment of opioid addiction. The goal of this Tip is to provide physicians with information they can use to make practical and informed decisions about the use of buprenorphine to treat opioid addiction. These guidelines address the pharmacology and physiology of opioids, opioid addiction, and treatment with buprenorphine; describe patient assessment and the choice of opioid addiction treatment options; provide detailed treatment protocols for opioid withdrawal and maintenance therapy with buprenorphine; and include information on the treatment of special populations, e.g., pregnant women, adolescents, and polysubstance users. This Tip represents another step by the Center for Substance Abuse Treatment. . .