A comparison of buprenorphine and lofexidine for community opiate detoxification: results from a randomized controlled trial.

Objective: To investigate whether a buprenorphine opiate detoxification regimen can be considered to be at least as clinically effective as a lofexidine regimen.

Design: An open-label randomized controlled trial (RCT) using a non-inferiority approach. Non-inferiority is demonstrated if, within a 95% confidence interval, buprenorphine performs within a preset tolerance limit of clinically acceptable difference in outcomes and completion rates between the two treatments.