Comparison of Buprenorphine Tapering Schedule for Withdrawal Management Among Outpatients Dependent on Natural Opioids: A Prospective, Open-Label, Parallel-Group Randomised Controlled Trial

The purpose of this study is to primarily assess the differences in opioid abstinence and treatment adherence between two Buprenorphine based outpatient detoxification programs in clients diagnosed with both opioid dependence and opioid withdrawal according to ICD 11.  In this study, we will directly compare 2 weeks versus 4 weeks Buprenorphine tapering schedules in terms of effectiveness for withdrawal management among natural opioid dependent individuals in an outpatient setting. A critical issue in outpatient buprenorphine use is the lack of consensus on optimal tapering duration. Buprenorphine is extensively used for managing opioid withdrawal; most existing research is derived from inpatient/controlled settings, focused on heroin or prescription opioid users, and primarily conducted in Western countries. There is a significant gap in the evidence base regarding the optimal duration of buprenorphine taper for natural opioid users in India. This study proposes to determine whether a longer taper duration improves abstinence rates compared to a shorter one in real world outpatient settings. Therefore, identifying the most effective and tolerable tapering duration, especially with respect to parameters such as abstinence, craving, and patient satisfaction, is highly important and may add to the existing literature.