NDARC Technical Report No. 43 (1997)

The first part of this report includes an introduction to the Swiss heroin trials, the design of the trials, provisional findings on the trials including the impact on trial participants, the potential significance of the Swiss trials, and their implication for future research.

The second part of this report covers alternatives to methadone for those looking for an opioid maintenance treatment. Substances covered include LAAM (levo-alpha-acetylmethadol), a synthetic opioid analgesic (related to methadone); heroin (diacetylmorphine) maintenance therapy; buprenorphine, a mixed opioid agonist-antagonist; and narcotic antagonists like naltrexone and naloxone.