Association of race and ethnicity with withdrawal symptoms, attrition, opioid use, and side-effects during buprenorphine therapy.

Some studies report differences in opioid withdrawal between racial/ethnic groups. However, it is not known if these differences are reflected in differential treatment response. Data from National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network protocol CTN-0003, “Suboxone (Buprenorphine/Naloxone) Taper: A Comparison of Taper Schedules,” were used to examine racial/ethnic differences before and during stabilization with buprenorphine. At induction, non-Hispanic Caucasians had higher objective and subjective withdrawal scores and greater opioid craving than minority populations. No significant between-group differences were observed on these scales following buprenorphine. Non-Hispanic Caucasians and Hispanics reported more adverse events than African Americans.

Although ethnic and racial differences were observed prior to buprenorphine treatment, scores following buprenorphine treatment were similar between groups. These findings suggest an overall favorable treatment outcome for all three racial/ethnic groups during buprenorphine administration and suggest race/ethnicity may not play a major role in buprenorphine response and treatment retention.

Related protocols: CTN-0003