The CORE Buprenorphine Project - An HIV Primary Care Program Demonstration

Hypothesis: HIV, opioid dependent patients provided agonist therapy at the site of their primary care will have better retention, utilization of services, health, social and quality of care measures and psychiatric treatment outcomes. The Buprenorphine Project is an examination of two methods of service delivery. The purpose of this study is to assess the feasibility, cost and effectiveness of an intervention designed to integrate buprenorphine treatment for opioid dependence into HIV primary care at the CORE Center. For this project we will provide buprenorphine to 60 opioid dependent patients at any one time and will compare this on-site treatment group to 60 opioid dependent HIV+ patients who select off-site methadone or no agonist treatment at the time of enrollment.