Considerations on the role of buprenorphine in recovery from heroin addiction from a UK perspective

The United Kingdom Drug Strategy emphasises recovery as a key focus in the treatment of drug dependence. A framework for recovery is defined in the Recovery-Orientated Drug Treatment report, written by an expert working group, and comprises four key phases: engagement and stabilisation, including the establishment of treatment goals; preparation for change, involving engagement in psychosocial and pharmacological interventions; active change, including detoxification and medical withdrawal; and completion, including interventions that strengthen community integration. A body of evidence supports the benefits of buprenorphine, a partial agonist at mu opioid receptors, in supporting individualised recovery based on this framework, specifically in relation to the potential for rapid stabilisa…