Monitoring and Improving Naltrexone Adherence in Patients with Substance Use Disorder

OBJECTIVE: Naltrexone is an opioid antagonist used for the treatment of patients with opioid use disorder and alcohol use disorder. This population often presents problems of follow-up and therapeutic efficacy related to adherence to treatment. The purpose of our study is to provide an exhaustive summary of the current evidence regarding naltrexone adherence in people with substance use disorders and to identify possible variables that may influence adherence to naltrexone. METHODS: Two searches were performed in bibliographic databases (PubMed, Embase), and studies included in the systematic review were those published from January 1, 2011 to September 2020, with participants over 18 years of age, evaluating treatment with naltrexone in alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. From the total of 133 articles initially selected, 36 were included and analyzed in the systematic review. RESULTS: Naltrexone has not demonstrated superiority over other available treatments in terms of adherence and abstinence, although reinforcement systems have obtained favorable results as an additional strategy to improve adherence. CONCLUSION: It is necessary to study other psychosocial variables involved in improving adherence, in addition to taking patient preferences into account in order to improve the external validity of the results.