Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Search research articles

Related Experiment Videos

Buprenorphine versus methadone maintenance: a cost-effectiveness analysis.

Christopher M Doran¹, Marian Shanahan, Richard P Mattick

¹National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, NSW 2052, Sydney, Australia. c.doran@unsw.edu.au

Drug and Alcohol Dependence

|September 6, 2003

Summary

Methadone treatment for opioid dependence was found to be more cost-effective than buprenorphine, though not statistically significant. Both treatments offer viable options for managing opioid use disorder.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Interactions of environmentally relevant polyethylene terephthalate (PET) micro-nanoplastics with toxic elements and organic co-pollutants: Chemical corona formation and impact on toxicity and bioavailability during gastrointestinal co-ingestion.

Journal of hazardous materials·2026

Same author

Erratum: Imaging- and Tumor Biomarker-Based Multivariable Model for Early Prediction of Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Systemic Therapy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer.

JCO precision oncology·2026

Same author

Lifecycle Implications of Poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) Micro(nano)plastics (MNPs): Interactions with Coexposed Environmental Pollutants (EPs) and Impact on Their Toxicity and Bioavailability.

Environmental science & technology·2026

Same author

Antibiotic-mediated heteroaggregation and sedimentation of nanoplastics with minerals: Mechanisms and environmental implications in natural water.

Journal of hazardous materials·2026

Same author

Tucatinib-trastuzumab-capecitabine for treatment of leptomeningeal metastasis in women with HER2<sup>+</sup> breast cancer: TBCRC049 phase 2 study results.

Nature cancer·2026

Same author

Prevalence and factors associated with use of prophylaxis for HIV and sexually transmitted infections among sexual health service attendees in England: findings from a cross-sectional observational study.

BMJ public health·2026

Area of Science:

Pharmacoeconomics
Addiction Medicine
Clinical Trials

Background:

Opioid dependence is a significant public health issue requiring effective management strategies.
Buprenorphine and methadone are commonly used medications for opioid use disorder.
Assessing the cost-effectiveness of these treatments is crucial for healthcare policy and resource allocation.

Purpose of the Study:

To compare the cost-effectiveness of buprenorphine versus methadone in treating opioid dependence.
To evaluate the safety, efficacy, and economic impact of flexible dosing regimens for these medications.

Main Methods:

A randomized controlled trial involving 405 subjects in two Australian cities.
Double-blind assessment of buprenorphine and methadone with flexible, high-dose regimens.

Related Experiment Videos

Cost-effectiveness analysis from a service provider perspective, measuring heroin-free days.

Main Results:

Methadone treatment was associated with lower costs and greater effectiveness (more heroin-free days) compared to buprenorphine.
The observed differences in cost-effectiveness between methadone and buprenorphine were not statistically significant.
Buprenorphine was indicated as a viable alternative to methadone.

Conclusions:

While methadone demonstrated a trend towards dominance in cost-effectiveness, buprenorphine remains a clinically relevant and viable treatment option for opioid dependence.
Study findings offer valuable policy insights into the comparative costs and outcomes of methadone and buprenorphine treatments.