Buprenorphine Maintenance Treatment of Opiate Dependence: Correlations Between Prescriber Beliefs and Practices

Despite the existence of evidence-based guidelines, different prescriber practices around buprenorphine maintenance treatment (BMT) of opiate dependence exist. Moreover, certain prescriber beliefs may influence their practice patterns.

To understand community BMT practice patterns and discern their relationship to practitioner beliefs.

Survey of 30 local BMT prescribers about aspects of BMT, and analysis of correlations between practices and practitioner beliefs.

Practitioners generally followed standard treatment guidelines, though the most-common maintenance dosages of BMT (4-12 mg) were lower than recommended by some studies. Endorsement of belief in a "spiritual basis" of addiction correlated with lower average BMT doses and less frequent endorsement of the belief that BMT-treated patients are "in recovery."

These data suggest that relatively standardized, longer-term BMT of opiate dependence is accepted among the majority of surveyed prescribers, and certain provider beliefs about addiction may influence prescribing habits and attitudes. Future studies should: (1) assess these findings in larger samples; (2) examine how prescriber beliefs about addiction and BMT compare with those of other addiction treatment providers; and (3) ascertain whether individual prescriber beliefs influence patient outcomes.