TY - JOUR
T1 - Consumer attitudes about opioid addiction treatment
T2 - A focus group study in New York City
AU - Sohler, Nancy L.
AU - Weiss, Linda
AU - Egan, James E.
AU - López, Carolina M.
AU - Favaro, Jamie
AU - Cordero, Robert
AU - Cunningham, Chinazo O.
PY - 2013/3
Y1 - 2013/3
N2 - Objective: To develop effective programs for people who are opioid dependent and to impact the opioid epidemic in New York City, it is crucial to monitor attitudes about opioid addiction treatments among opioid users who have experienced barriers to engagement and retention in addiction treatment. Design: The authors conducted a qualitative study using focus groups. Methods: Six focus groups in three needle exchanges in New York City were audio recorded, transcribed, and systematically coded. The authors report on the main themes related to the study objectives. Participants: Participants of each needle exchange who were opioid dependent and had some knowledge of both methadone and buprenorphine were eligible. Results: There were four main findings. Participants felt the following: 1) buprenorphine is an appropriate option for those heroin users who are motivated to stop using, 2) they have less control over their addiction treatment with methadone than they would have with buprenorphine, 3) buprenorphine treatment is not accessible to many New York City residents who would benefit from this treatment, and 4) lack of access to buprenorphine treatment is a cause of treatment-related diversion. Conclusions: Both methadone maintenance and buprenorphine treatment opportunities are necessary to address the diverse treatment needs of opioid-dependent people in New York City. However, the current medical model of buprenorphine treatment may be too restrictive for some opioid-dependent people and may be contributing to the use of illicit buprenorphine. New models to deliver buprenorphine treatment may address these problems.
AB - Objective: To develop effective programs for people who are opioid dependent and to impact the opioid epidemic in New York City, it is crucial to monitor attitudes about opioid addiction treatments among opioid users who have experienced barriers to engagement and retention in addiction treatment. Design: The authors conducted a qualitative study using focus groups. Methods: Six focus groups in three needle exchanges in New York City were audio recorded, transcribed, and systematically coded. The authors report on the main themes related to the study objectives. Participants: Participants of each needle exchange who were opioid dependent and had some knowledge of both methadone and buprenorphine were eligible. Results: There were four main findings. Participants felt the following: 1) buprenorphine is an appropriate option for those heroin users who are motivated to stop using, 2) they have less control over their addiction treatment with methadone than they would have with buprenorphine, 3) buprenorphine treatment is not accessible to many New York City residents who would benefit from this treatment, and 4) lack of access to buprenorphine treatment is a cause of treatment-related diversion. Conclusions: Both methadone maintenance and buprenorphine treatment opportunities are necessary to address the diverse treatment needs of opioid-dependent people in New York City. However, the current medical model of buprenorphine treatment may be too restrictive for some opioid-dependent people and may be contributing to the use of illicit buprenorphine. New models to deliver buprenorphine treatment may address these problems.
KW - Buprenorphine
KW - Heroin dependence
KW - Methadone
KW - Qualitative research
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84877867204&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84877867204&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.5055/jom.2013.0152
DO - 10.5055/jom.2013.0152
M3 - Article
C2 - 23709320
AN - SCOPUS:84877867204
SN - 1551-7489
VL - 9
SP - 111
EP - 119
JO - Journal of opioid management
JF - Journal of opioid management
IS - 2
ER -