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Brief Summary

GUIDELINE TITLE

Methadone and buprenorphine for the management of opioid dependence.

BIBLIOGRAPHIC SOURCE(S)

  • National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Methadone and buprenorphine for the management of opioid dependence. London (UK): National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE); 2007 Jan. 37 p. (Technology appraisal guidance; no. 114).

GUIDELINE STATUS

This is the current release of the guideline.

BRIEF SUMMARY CONTENT

 
RECOMMENDATIONS
 EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS
 IDENTIFYING INFORMATION AND AVAILABILITY
 DISCLAIMER

 Go to the Complete Summary

RECOMMENDATIONS

MAJOR RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Methadone and buprenorphine (oral formulations), using flexible dosing regimens, are recommended as options for maintenance therapy in the management of opioid dependence.
  • The decision about which drug to use should be made on a case-by-case basis, taking into account a number of factors, including the person's history of opioid dependence, their commitment to a particular long-term management strategy, and an estimate of the risks and benefits of each treatment made by the responsible clinician in consultation with the person. If both drugs are equally suitable, methadone should be prescribed as the first choice.
  • Methadone and buprenorphine should be administered daily, under supervision, for a least the first 3 months. Supervision should be relaxed only when the patient's compliance is assured. Both drugs should be given as part of a programme of supportive care.

CLINICAL ALGORITHM(S)

None provided

EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS

TYPE OF EVIDENCE SUPPORTING THE RECOMMENDATIONS

The type of evidence supporting the recommendations is not specifically stated.

IDENTIFYING INFORMATION AND AVAILABILITY

BIBLIOGRAPHIC SOURCE(S)

  • National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Methadone and buprenorphine for the management of opioid dependence. London (UK): National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE); 2007 Jan. 37 p. (Technology appraisal guidance; no. 114).

ADAPTATION

Not applicable: The guideline was not adapted from another source.

DATE RELEASED

2007 Jan

GUIDELINE DEVELOPER(S)

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) - National Government Agency [Non-U.S.]

SOURCE(S) OF FUNDING

National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE)

GUIDELINE COMMITTEE

Appraisal Committee

COMPOSITION OF GROUP THAT AUTHORED THE GUIDELINE

Committee Members: Dr Darren Ashcroft, Senior Clinical Lecturer, School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Manchester; Professor David Barnett (Chair) Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, University of Leicester; Dr Peter Barry, Consultant in Paediatric Intensive Care, Leicester Royal Infirmary; Mr Brian Buckley, Lay Member; Professor John Cairns, Public Health and Policy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Professor Mike Campbell, Statistician, University of Sheffield; Professor David Chadwick, Professor of Neurology, Walton Centre for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Liverpool; Dr Mark Chakravarty, Industry Member; Dr Peter I Clark, Consultant Medical Oncologist, Clatterbridge Centre for Oncology, Merseyside; Dr Mike Davies, Consultant Physician, University Department of Medicine and Metabolism, Manchester Royal Infirmary; Mr Richard Devereaux-Phillips, Industry Member; Professor Jack Dowie, Health Economist, London School of Hygiene; Dr Fergus Gleeson, Consultant Radiologist, The Churchill Hospital, Oxford; Ms Sally Gooch, Independent Healthcare Consultant; Mr Sanjay Gupta, Stroke Services Manager, Basildon and Thurrock University Hospitals NHS Trust; Professor Philip Home, Professor of Diabetes Medicine, University of Newcastle upon Tyne; Dr Peter Jackson, Clinical Pharmacologist, University of Sheffield; Professor Peter Jones, Professor of Statistics and Dean, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Keele University; Dr Mike Laker, Medical Director, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Trust; Dr George Levvy, Chief Executive, Motor Neurone Disease Association, Northampton; Ms Rachel Lewis, Nurse Advisor to the Department of Health; Mr Terence Lewis, Lay Member; Professor Jonathan Michaels, Professor of Vascular Surgery, University of Sheffield; Dr Neil Milner, General Practitioner, Sheffield; Dr Ruairidh Milne, Senior Lecturer in Health Technology Assessment, National Coordinating Centre for Health Technology; Dr Rubin Minhas, General Practitioner and CHD Clinical Lead, Medway PCT; Dr Rosalind Ramsay, Consultant Psychiatrist, Adult Mental Health Services, Maudsley Hospital; Mr Miles Scott, Chief Executive, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Dr Lindsay Smith, General Practitioner, East Somerset Research Consortium; Mr Roderick Smith, Director of Finance, Adur, Arun and Worthing PCT; Dr Ken Stein, Senior Lecturer, Peninsula Technology Assessment Group (PenTAG), University of Exeter; Professor Andrew Stevens, Professor of Public Health, University of Birmingham

FINANCIAL DISCLOSURES/CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

Committee members are asked to declare any interests in the technology to be appraised. If it is considered there is a conflict of interest, the member is excluded from participating further in that appraisal.

GUIDELINE STATUS

This is the current release of the guideline.

GUIDELINE AVAILABILITY

AVAILABILITY OF COMPANION DOCUMENTS

The following are available:

Print copies: Available from the National Health Service (NHS) Response Line 0870 1555 455. ref: N1174. 11 Strand, London, WC2N 5HR.

PATIENT RESOURCES

The following is available:

  • Methadone and buprenorphine for managing opioid dependence. Understanding NICE guidance – Information for people who use NHS services. London (UK): National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE); 2007 Jan. 4 p. (Technology appraisal 114).

Electronic copies: Available in Portable Document Format (PDF) from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) Web site.

Print copies: Available from the NHS Response Line 0870 1555 455. ref: N1175. 11 Strand, London, WC2N 5HR.

Please note: This patient information is intended to provide health professionals with information to share with their patients to help them better understand their health and their diagnosed disorders. By providing access to this patient information, it is not the intention of NGC to provide specific medical advice for particular patients. Rather we urge patients and their representatives to review this material and then to consult with a licensed health professional for evaluation of treatment options suitable for them as well as for diagnosis and answers to their personal medical questions. This patient information has been derived and prepared from a guideline for health care professionals included on NGC by the authors or publishers of that original guideline. The patient information is not reviewed by NGC to establish whether or not it accurately reflects the original guideline's content.

NGC STATUS

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

This NGC summary is based on the original guideline, which is subject to the guideline developer's copyright restrictions.

DISCLAIMER

NGC DISCLAIMER

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Readers with questions regarding guideline content are directed to contact the guideline developer.


 

 

   
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