• Danielle Daitch, Jonathan Daitch, Daniel Novinson, Michael Frey, Carol Mitnick, and Joseph Pergolizzi.
• Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
• Pain Med. 2014 Dec 1; 15 (12): 2087-94.

ObjectiveThis study aims to determine the effectiveness of converting patients from high doses of full-opioid agonists to sublingual (SL) buprenorphine.DesignAn observational report of outcomes assessment.SettingAn interventional pain management practice setting in the United States.SubjectsThirty-five chronic pain patients (age 24-66) were previously treated with high-dose opioid-agonist drugs and converted to SL buprenorphine. Patients' daily morphine equivalents ranged from 200 mg to 1,370 mg preconversion, with a mean daily dose of 550 mg.MethodsA retrospective chart analysis examined numerical pain levels and quality of life scores before and 2 months after conversion to SL buprenorphine.ResultsAfter continuation of SL buprenorphine therapy for 2 months, the mean pain score decreased from 7.2 to 3.5 (P < 0.001), with 34 of the 35 patients examined reporting a decrease in pain. This pain score decrease was robust with regard to initial pain score and preconversion morphine equivalent dosage. Quality of life scores improved from 6.1 to 7.1 (P = 0.005).ConclusionAverage pain scores decreased from 7.2 to 3.5, and quality of life scores increased from 6.1 to 7.1 for 35 patients converted from high-dose full-opioid agonists to SL buprenorphine therapy for more than 60 days. Clinicians should consider buprenorphine SL conversion for all patients on high-dose opioids, particularly patients with severe pain (7-10) unrelieved by their current opioid regimen or patients for whom the clinician does not feel comfortable prescribing high-dose opioids.Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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