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Substitution treatment for adolescent opioid users
Summary of the evidence
Maintenance treatment with different medications was assessed in a systematic review (Minozzi et al., 2014, 2 studies, N=189 aged 14-21) finding no conclusive results on:
- completion of treatment;
- reducing the use of substances; and
- improving health and social status.
Among the studies, one (N=152) compared Buprenorphine-Naloxone maintenance with buprenorphine detoxification and found:
- the maintenance treatment group had fewer drop out (RR 0.37, 95 % CI 0.26 to 0.54);
- but no differences were found for opioid use (RR 0.97, 95 % CI 0.78 to 1.22)
Details
Note: this evidence summary is only valid for the outcomes, target groups, settings and substances/patterns of use described below.
