A 3-year progress report on the implementation of LAAM in the United States

LAAM, a long-acting opioid agonist, was approved by the US Food and Drug Administration in 1993 for use in licensed narcotic treatment programs. These programs have the exclusive authority in the United States to dispense methadone and LAAM for the treatment of opiate dependence. The purpose of this report is to describe the course of LAAM's implementation and to document some of the factors that have influenced the time course and extent of this process.

Narcotic treatment programs approved for LAAM use were contacted by telephone at three timepoints following the FDA approval of LAAM in 1993.

Regulatory hurdles have been the most significant factor in slowing the use of LAAM. Some clinics have enthusiastically moved LAAM into mainstream use with great success. At other clinics LAAM implementation has been impeded by staff resistance and management reluctance. Some specific clinical practices, such as provision of adequate dose levels and flexible dosing practices, appear to be associated with superior clinical response, but issues of staff and organizational attitude toward the new medication are probably the most important impediments to a more positive response.

The tasks involved with introducing a new opiate agonist treatment into mainstream use in the United States are numerous and complex. Clinical policies, fiscal issues and regulatory factors must all be addressed. The introduction of LAAM into the treatment system provides some useful lessons as other new addiction pharmacotherapies are moved into mainstream use.