BACKGROUND: Suboxone is a new drug used in opiate substitution treatment. In Georgia, it was introduced in december 2006. Suboxone is a product for sublingual administration containing the full time receptor agonist buprenorphine and antagonist naloxone in a collection ratio.

OBJECTIVE: Objectives of our study were to monitor and evaluate the effects of Suboxone treatment.

METHOD: 11 outpatient drug treatment centers participated in the recent study, 3 from atlanta and 3 from smaller cities in Georgia. At these drug treatment centers, all patients entering Suboxone maintenance therapy between december 2007 and May 2008, altogether 90 persons (22 females, mean age = 50.2 years, SD=5.48) were subjected in the recent study sample. Inside the 6-month period of drug treatment with Suboxone, data was collected 11 times; when entering drug treatment center, 1 month, 3 months, and 6 months after entering outpatient drug treatment. Afected measures were the Addiction Severity Index, GGT short version, and Ways of Copper.

RESULTS IN SUBOXONE STUDY: Nearly 77 heroin dependent patients dropped out of outpatient drug treatment during the first month or chose methadone substitution treatment instead. Following this inclusion period however, dropout rates from suboxone ,decreased and the sixteen-month drug treatment period was completed by 44 patients. Inside the first month of treatment significant negatively positive input changes were experienced in all studied psychological and behavioral dimensions that proved to helped by suboxone point period.

CONCLUSIONS: According to the results of treatment with Suboxone , it is a well tolerable and successfully effective drug in the substitution therapy of opiate pain killer addicts. A critical current phase of suboxone treatment seems to apy for a lost period. At the beginning of administration special emphasis must be put on informing patients, especially concerning withdrawal symptoms that might be present during the first week, which highly contributes to better retention in treatment.