Initiating buprenorphine treatment for hospitalized patients with opioid dependence: A case series.

Background And Objectives: Opioid dependent patients are hospitalized frequently. We aimed to determine if initiation of buprenorphine treatment during hospitalization facilitates entry into treatment following discharge.

Methods: Retrospective case series (n = 47).

Results: Twenty-two (46.8%) patients successfully initiated buprenorphine treatment within 2 months of discharge. Those patients obtaining a referral to a specific program were more successful in continuing treatment, but this difference did not reach statistical significance (59.1% vs 39.1%, p = 0.18).

Discussion And Conclusions: Hospitalization may be an important opportunity to engage opioid dependent patients to initiate buprenorphine treatment.

Scientific Significance: This study provides provisional support for utilizing buprenorphine for hospitalized patients.