Alderks Cathie E.
An estimated 2 million people in the United States are dependent upon or abuse opioids, including heroin and prescription opioids such as oxycodone and hydrocodone. An effective treatment for opioid dependence and addiction includes medication-assisted treatment with the opioid medications methadone or buprenorphine, the only two opioids federally approved for the treatment of these conditions. Data from the 2011 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services (N-SSATS), an annual survey of all known substance abuse treatment (SAT) facilities, both public and private in the U.S., was analyzed. This report examines the trends in the use of methadone and buprenorphine in the treatment of opioid dependence at SAT; it includes data from Opioid Treatment Programs (OTPs) as well as facilities that did not have OTPs. It does not include data from private physicians who are not affiliated with a SAT program or facility. The number of facilities with OTPs has remained constant at around 1,100 to 1,200 since 2003 (8 to 9% of all SAT facilities), the number of clients receiving methadone on the survey reference date March 31, 2011 increased from about 227,000 in 2003 to over 306,000 in 2011. The percentage of OTPs offering buprenorphine increased from 11% in 2003 to 51% in 2011; the percentage of facilities without OTPs offering buprenorphine increased from 5% in 2003 to 17% in 2011. The numbers of clients receiving buprenorphine increased between 2004 and 2011: at OTPs, from 727 clients in 2004 to 7,020 clients in 2011, and at facilities without OTPs, from 1,670 clients in 2004 to 25,656 clients in 2011. Methadone and buprenorphine are medications that permit addicted individuals to function normally within their families, jobs, and communities. While treatment with methadone is more established, it requires daily visits to an OTP. Not all individuals who could benefit from methadone treatment live within easy travelling distance of an OTP; the requirement for daily visits can interfere with jobs and other important activities. The introduction of buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid dependence has provided an alternative to methadone treatment for some opioid dependent persons. The dramatic increase in the number of clients receiving buprenorphine through SAT is an indication of the demand for safe and effective medications for the treatment of opioid addiction in the context of a broader treatment program.
据估计，美国有200万人依赖或滥用阿片类药物，包括海洛因以及羟考酮和氢可酮等处方阿片类药物。针对阿片类药物依赖和成瘾的有效治疗方法包括使用阿片类药物美沙酮或丁丙诺啡进行药物辅助治疗，这是仅有的两种获得联邦批准用于治疗这些病症的阿片类药物。对2011年全国药物滥用治疗服务调查（N - SSATS）的数据进行了分析，该调查是对美国所有已知的公立和私立药物滥用治疗（SAT）机构进行的年度调查。本报告研究了美沙酮和丁丙诺啡在SAT机构治疗阿片类药物依赖方面的使用趋势；它包括来自阿片类药物治疗项目（OTP）以及没有OTP的机构的数据。它不包括与SAT项目或机构无关的私人医生的数据。自2003年以来，拥有OTP的机构数量一直保持在1100至1200家左右（占所有SAT机构的8%至9%），在2011年3月31日调查参考日期接受美沙酮治疗的客户数量从2003年的约22.7万增加到2011年的超过30.6万。提供丁丙诺啡的OTP的比例从2003年的11%增加到2011年的51%；没有OTP但提供丁丙诺啡的机构的比例从2003年的5%增加到2011年的17%。2004年至2011年期间，接受丁丙诺啡治疗的客户数量有所增加：在OTP中，从2004年的727名客户增加到2011年的7020名客户，在没有OTP的机构中，从2004年的1670名客户增加到2011年的25656名客户。美沙酮和丁丙诺啡是能让成瘾者在家庭、工作和社区中正常生活的药物。虽然美沙酮治疗更为成熟，但它要求患者每天到OTP就诊。并非所有能从美沙酮治疗中受益的人都居住在距离OTP较近、方便前往的地方；每日就诊的要求可能会干扰工作和其他重要活动。丁丙诺啡用于治疗阿片类药物依赖为一些阿片类药物依赖者提供了替代美沙酮治疗的方法。通过SAT接受丁丙诺啡治疗的客户数量大幅增加，表明在更广泛的治疗项目背景下，对安全有效的阿片类药物成瘾治疗药物有需求。
