Objective: This study of a cohort of drug addicts receiving buprenorphine maintenance treatment in a district in western France focused on changes in their drug use and their social and work lives. It also looked at the health consequences of their drug use before and after maintenance treatment (mean: four years).
Population and methods: From the files of an agency providing services to drug addicts, we randomly selected 180 of the 236 patients receiving buprenorphine maintenance treatment (BMT). Usable questionnaires were returned by 118 subjects (66% response rate). This self-administered questionnaire included 32 items.
Results: The respondents accounted for half the population receiving drug maintenance treatment and were representative of the population for age and sex. The mean age was 30 +/- 5 years, mean BMT dose 6,5 mg/day, and mean duration of drug maintenance treatment 47 +/- 27 months. Other drug use diminished during the four years of maintenance treatment: three of every four heroin users had stopped, opiate users dropped from 31% to 5% of the population, and cocaine use followed a similar trend. Benzodiazepine use also fell, but remained relatively frequent (27%, compared with 68% four years earlier). Drinking patterns changed from strongly alcoholic beverages to lower-proof drinks. Arrest rates dropped from 70% to 25%. The percentage of persons seropositive for HIV (4%) and HCV (33%) remained low, but too many subjects had not been screened (35%). Roughly 10% of these subjects had returned to work, mainly those who had cut their drug use most.
Conclusion: While our survey reveals some positive points, especially a reduction in illegal drug use, several negative observations appeared, including combined use of cannabis and benzodiazepines, inadequate screening, and misuse of BMD. These results underline how important it is for care providers to focus simultaneously on medical treatment and identification of co-morbidities and to provide social work when necessary. The employment rate remains too low.