Opioid abstinence reinforcement delays heroin lapse during buprenorphine dose tapering.

A positive reinforcement contingency increased opioid abstinence during outpatient dose tapering (4, 2, then 0 mg/day during Weeks 1 through 3) in non-treatment-seeking heroin-dependent volunteers who had been maintained on buprenorphine (8 mg/day) during an inpatient research protocol. The control group (n=12) received $4.00 for completing assessments at each thrice-weekly visit during dose tapering; 10 of 12 lapsed to heroin use 1 day after discharge. The abstinence reinforcement group (n=10) received $30.00 for each consecutive opioid-free urine sample; this significantly delayed heroin lapse (median, 15 days).