Researchers are still working to piece all of the results from the trial together. Here are some quick facts about what they have found so far:

  • This was measured using urinary drug screens (UDS).

    BUP/NAL: 24% of participants in this group had an opioid-free UDS.

    Methadone: 18.5% of participants in this group had an opioid-free UDS.

  • Retention was measured as the number of participants with an active prescription who had a positive urinary drug screen for the medication they were assigned to (i.e., Buprenorphine/Naloxone or Methadone).

    What did they find?

    • 23.4% of participants in the BUP/NAL group were continued to take their assigned medication

    • 33.8% of participants in the methadone group continued to take their assigned medication.

    • This means that participants in the BUP/NAL group were slightly less likely to stay with their assigned medication vs. those who were in the methadone group.

  • The most common drug-related adverse events were:

    • Withdrawal symptoms

    • Overdose

    • Hypogonadism (i.e., lower sex drive/libido)

  • Quality of Life (QoL) was assessed using a survey called the EuroQol-5D. QoL increased in both groups:

    Buprenorphine/Naloxone Group: From 57.0 ± 21.4 (at baseline) to 72.2 ± 20.2 (at week 24).

    Methadone Group: From 61.2 ± 20.0 (at baseline) to 71.0 ± 18.5 (at week 24).

Primary Outcome:

Opioid Use

The primary outcome was opioid use. This was measured by the proportion of opioid-free urine drug screens (UDS) during the 24 weeks. UDS tested for the presence of:

  • morphine

  • oxycodone

  • fentanyl

  • benzodiazepines

  • cocaine

  • amphetamine & methamphetamine

  • 9-tetrahydrocannabinol

  • buprenorphine

  • methadone

  • tramadol

What did they find?

24% (+/- 34.4%) of people in the BUP/NAL group had opioid-free urinary drug screens vs. 18.5% (+/- 30.5%) of people in the methadone group had opioid-free urinary drug screens.

Other Outcomes

Several other outcomes were measured during the trial including: retention in treatment, safety of the study interventions, medication adherence, treatment satisfaction, patient engagement, use of other illicit substances and changes in drug-related problems, quality of life, cost-effectiveness of the study treatments, psychological functioning, and pain and risk behaviours.

The results from the trial are still being analyzed and summarized as we speak. It is a time-consuming and lengthy process but well worth the wait! Learn more about what has been found so far by clicking on each of the papers below:

Impact of fentanyl use on initiation and discontinuation of methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone among people with prescription-type opioid use disorder: secondary analysis of a Canadian treatment trial.

Impact of fentanyl use on initiation and discontinuation of methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone among people with prescription-type opioid use disorder: secondary analysis of a Canadian treatment trial.

Effects of Buprenorphine/Naloxone and Methadone on Depressive Symptoms in People with Prescription Opioid Use Disorder: A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial

Effects of Buprenorphine/Naloxone and Methadone on Depressive Symptoms in People with Prescription Opioid Use Disorder: A Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial

Buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone effectiveness for reducing craving in individuals with prescription opioid use disorder: Exploratory results from an open-label, pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone effectiveness for reducing craving in individuals with prescription opioid use disorder: Exploratory results from an open-label, pragmatic randomized controlled trial.

Patient Satisfaction With Standard Methadone and Flexible Buprenorphine/Naloxone Models of Care: Results From a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.

Patient Satisfaction With Standard Methadone and Flexible Buprenorphine/Naloxone Models of Care: Results From a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial.