Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29509558›Full record

ArticleJournal of addiction medicine

Transferring Patients From Methadone to Buprenorphine: The Feasibility and Evaluation of Practice Guidelines.

Nicholas Lintzeris, Lauren A Monds, Consuelo Rivas, Stefanie Leung, Adrian Dunlop, David Newcombe, Carina Walters, Susanna Galea, Nancy White, Mark Montebello and 3 more

Abstract readMulticenter Study
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of addiction medicine. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Treating Chronic Pain with Buprenorphine-The Practical Guide.Current treatment options in oncology · 2021
    Review
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Review
  11. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Nicholas LintzerisSouth Eastern Sydney Local Health District (SESLHD), NSW Health, Australia (NL, LAM, SL, MM, AD, NS); The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia (NL, LAM, CR, SL); Hunter New England Local Health District, NSW Health, Australia (AD); The University of Newcastle, Newcastle, NSW, Australia (AD); The University of Auckland, New Zealand (DN, CW); Waitemata District Health Board, Auckland, New Zealand (SG); The University of Adelaide, SA, Australia (NW, RA); University New South Wales, Sydney Australia (MM, AD, RA).
Lauren A Monds
Consuelo Rivas
Stefanie Leung
Adrian Dunlop
David Newcombe
Carina Walters
Susanna Galea
Nancy White
Mark Montebello
Apo Demirkol
Nicola Swanson
Robert Ali

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

INTRODUCTION AND

aimsTransfer from methadone to buprenorphine is problematic for many opioid-dependent patients, with limited documented evidence or practical clinical guidance, particularly for the range of methadone doses routinely prescribed for most patients (>50 mg). This study aimed to implement and evaluate recent national Australian guidelines for transferring patients from methadone to buprenorphine. DESIGN AND

methodsA multisite prospective cohort study. Participants were patients who transferred from methadone to buprenorphine-naloxone at 1 of 4 specialist addiction centers in Australia and New Zealand. Clinicians were trained in the guidelines, and medical records were reviewed to examine process (eg, transfer setting, doses, and guideline adherence) and safety (precipitated withdrawal) measures. Participants completed research interviews before and after transfer-assessing changes in substance use, health outcomes, and side effects.

resultsIn all, 33 participants underwent transfer, 9 from low methadone doses (<30 mg), 9 from medium doses (30-50 mg), and 15 from high doses (>50 mg). The majority of high-dose transfers occurred in inpatient settings. There was reasonable guideline adherence, and no complications identified in the low and medium-dose transfers. Three high-dose transfers (20%) experienced precipitated withdrawal, and 7/33 participants (21%) returned to methadone within 1 week of attempted transfer. DISCUSSIONS AND

conclusionsTransfer is feasible in outpatient settings for those transferring from methadone doses below 50 mg; however, inpatient settings and specialist supervision is recommended for higher-dose transfers. The Australian clinical guidelines appear safe and feasible, although further research is required to optimize high-dose transfer procedures.

Indexed as

Drug SubstitutionAdultAnalgesics, OpioidAustraliaBuprenorphineFeasibility StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMethadoneMiddle AgedNew ZealandOpiate Substitution TreatmentOpioid-Related DisordersOutcome Assessment, Health CarePractice Guidelines as TopicAnalgesics, OpioidBuprenorphineMethadone

Identifiers

PMID29509558
PMCPMC5976217

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.