High dose buprenorphine may be an effective interim treatment for long term heroin users waiting for drug-assisted rehabilitation.

Intervention 12 weeks of buprenorphine or placebo as interim treatment while participants awaited drug-assisted rehabilitation. Sublingual tablets were given under supervision each weekday, with a double dose on Saturdays and no dose on Sundays. Take-home doses were prohibited. On day 1, both groups received 4mg buprenorphine. Over approximately the next week, the intervention group’s dose increased to 16mg per day and the placebo dose reduced to 0mg. There was no additional psychosocial support or counselling.