Mandatory Provider Review And Pain Clinic Laws Reduce The Amounts Of Opioids Prescribed And Overdose Death Rates

Opioids in Adolescents' Homes: Prevalence, Caregiver Attitudes, and Risk Reduction Opportunities

OBJECTIVE

The most common source of misused opioids is pain relievers prescribed for family and friends. This study was conducted to assess knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors of adolescents' caregivers regarding prescribed opioids in the home.

METHODS

The self-administered survey was completed by caregivers in the waiting rooms of 12 pediatric practices in the Midwest. Eligibility required living in a home where youth age ≥10 years were frequently present. Out of 793 eligible caregivers, 700 (88.3%) completed the survey, 76.8% of whom were the parent.

RESULTS

Among the 700 caregiver respondents, 34.6% reported opioids in the home (13.6% active prescriptions, 12.7% leftover medications, 8.3% both). Of those with an active prescription, 66.0% intended to keep any leftover medications for future needs (for the patient, 60.1%; for someone else, 5.9%). Of those with leftover medications, 60.5% retained them for the same reason (for the patient, 51.0%; for someone else, 9.5%). Others kept medications unintentionally, either because they never got around to disposing of them (30.6%), they did not know how to dispose of them properly (15.7%), or it never occurred to them to dispose of the medications (7.5%). Many caregivers were unaware that adolescents commonly misuse opioids (30.0%) and use them to attempt suicide (52.3%), and that opioid use can lead to heroin addiction (38.6%). According to the surveys, 7.1% would give leftover opioid medications to an adolescent to manage pain and 5.9% might do so.

CONCLUSIONS

Opioids are prevalent in homes in our community, and many parents are unaware of the risks they pose. Study findings can inform strategies to educate parents about opioid risk and encourage and facilitate timely, safe disposal of unused medications.

A crisis of opioids and the limits of prescription control: United States

A rise in addiction and overdose deaths involving opioids in the United States has spurred a series of initiatives focused on reducing opioid risks, including several related to prescription of opioids in care of pain. Policy analytical scholarship provides a conceptual framework to assist in understanding this response. Prior to 2011, a 'policy monopoly' of regulators and pharmaceutical manufacturers allowed and encouraged high levels of opioid prescribing. This permissive policy fell apart in the face of adverse outcomes brought to public attention by an 'advocacy coalition' consisting of officials, thought leaders, journalists and interest groups who shared common beliefs. This coalition has generated a more cautious prescribing regimen that has incentivized involuntary termination of opioids in otherwise stable patients, with resultant reports of harm. Its emphasis on dose reduction, regardless of outcomes, mirrors in some ways the prior focus on minimizing pain scores, regardless of outcomes. Central to the present analysis is that policies cannot be comprehensively rational; rather, they emerge from a range of actors and agencies constrained in their ability to assimilate complex data, evaluate the data objectively and to command necessary resources in an iterative, rapid response fashion. The imbalance between strong prescription control and weak pain and addiction treatment expansion exemplifies the policy scholar's notion of 'bounded rationality'. Results have been suboptimum: opioid prescriptions have fallen, but harms to pain patients and overdose deaths have risen. US policymakers could revise the course through a more thoroughgoing engagement with patients, families and communities now coping with both pain and addiction.

Management of Pain in the United States-A Brief History and Implications for the Opioid Epidemic

Pain management in the United States reflects attitudes to those in pain. Increased numbers of disabled veterans in the 1940s to 1960s led to an increased focus on pain and its treatment. The view of the person in pain has moved back and forth between a physiological construct to an individual with pain where perception may be related to social, emotional, and cultural factors. Conceptually, pain has both a medical basis and a political context, moving between, for example, objective evidence of disability due to pain and subjective concerns of malingering. In the 20th century, pain management became predominately pharmacologic. Perceptions of undertreatment led to increased use of opioids, at first for those with cancer-related pain and then later for noncancer pain without the multidimensional care that was intended. The increased use was related to exaggerated claims in the medical literature and by the pharmaceutical industry, of a lack of addiction in the setting of noncancer pain for these medications-a claim that was subsequently found to be false and deliberatively deceptive; an epidemic of opioid prescribing began in the 1990s. An alarming rise in deaths due to opioids has led to several efforts to decrease use, both in patients with noncancer conditions and in those with cancer and survivors of cancer.

Medical cannabis legalization and opioid prescriptions: evidence on US Medicaid enrollees during 1993-2014

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

While the United States has been experiencing an opioid epidemic, 29 states and Washington DC have legalized cannabis for medical use. This study examined whether state-wide medical cannabis legalization was associated with reduction in opioids received by Medicaid enrollees.

DESIGN

Secondary data analysis of state-level opioid prescription records from 1993-2014 Medicaid State Drug Utilization Data. Linear time-series regressions assessed the associations between medical cannabis legalization and opioid prescriptions, controlling for state-level time-varying policy covariates (such as prescription drug monitoring programs) and socio-economic covariates (such as income).

SETTING

United States.

PARTICIPANTS

Drug prescription records for patients enrolled in fee-for-service Medicaid programs that primarily provide health-care coverage to low-income and disabled people.

MEASUREMENTS

The primary outcomes were population-adjusted number, dosage and Medicaid spending on opioid prescriptions. Outcomes for Schedule II opioids (e.g. hydrocodone, oxycodone) and Schedule III opioids (e.g. codeine) were analyzed separately. The primary policy variable of interest was the implementation of state-wide medical cannabis legalization.

FINDINGS

For Schedule III opioid prescriptions, medical cannabis legalization was associated with a 29.6% (P = 0.03) reduction in number of prescriptions, 29.9% (P = 0.02) reduction in dosage and 28.8% (P = 0.04) reduction in related Medicaid spending. No evidence was found to support the associations between medical cannabis legalization and Schedule II opioid prescriptions. Permitting medical cannabis dispensaries was not associated with Schedule II or Schedule III opioid prescriptions after controlling for medical cannabis legalization. It was estimated that, if all the states had legalized medical cannabis by 2014, Medicaid annual spending on opioid prescriptions would be reduced by 17.8 million dollars.

CONCLUSION

State-wide medical cannabis legalization appears to have been associated with reductions in both prescriptions and dosages of Schedule III (but not Schedule II) opioids received by Medicaid enrollees in the United States.

Changing dynamics of the drug overdose epidemic in the United States from 1979 through 2016

Better understanding of the dynamics of the current U.S. overdose epidemic may aid in the development of more effective prevention and control strategies. We analyzed records of 599,255 deaths from 1979 through 2016 from the National Vital Statistics System in which accidental drug poisoning was identified as the main cause of death. By examining all available data on accidental poisoning deaths back to 1979 and showing that the overall 38-year curve is exponential, we provide evidence that the current wave of opioid overdose deaths (due to prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl) may just be the latest manifestation of a more fundamental longer-term process. The 38+ year smooth exponential curve of total U.S. annual accidental drug poisoning deaths is a composite of multiple distinctive subepidemics of different drugs (primarily prescription opioids, heroin, methadone, synthetic opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine), each with its own specific demographic and geographic characteristics.

Changing dynamics of the drug overdose epidemic in the United States from 1979 through 2016

Better understanding of the dynamics of the current U.S. overdose epidemic may aid in the development of more effective prevention and control strategies. We analyzed records of 599,255 deaths from 1979 through 2016 from the National Vital Statistics System in which accidental drug poisoning was identified as the main cause of death. By examining all available data on accidental poisoning deaths back to 1979 and showing that the overall 38-year curve is exponential, we provide evidence that the current wave of opioid overdose deaths (due to prescription opioids, heroin, and fentanyl) may just be the latest manifestation of a more fundamental longer-term process. The 38+ year smooth exponential curve of total U.S. annual accidental drug poisoning deaths is a composite of multiple distinctive subepidemics of different drugs (primarily prescription opioids, heroin, methadone, synthetic opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine), each with its own specific demographic and geographic characteristics.

Association of Buprenorphine-Waivered Physician Supply With Buprenorphine Treatment Use and Prescription Opioid Use in Medicaid Enrollees

IMPORTANCE

Expanding treatment for opioid addiction has been recognized as an essential component of a comprehensive national response to the opioid epidemic. The Drug Addiction Treatment Act and its amendments attempted to improve access to treatment by involving office-based physicians in the provision of buprenorphine treatment.

OBJECTIVES

To estimate the association of availability of buprenorphine-waivered physicians with buprenorphine treatment use and, secondarily, with prescription opioid use among Medicaid enrollees.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This economic evaluation study used state-level panel data analysis to estimate the association between the number of buprenorphine-waivered physicians and the Medicaid-covered buprenorphine prescribing rate and opioid prescribing rate among Medicaid fee-for-service and managed care enrollees throughout the United States between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2016.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Buprenorphine prescribing rate and opioid prescribing rate, measured as the number of buprenorphine prescriptions and opioid prescriptions covered by Medicaid on a quarterly basis per 1000 enrollees.

RESULTS

The sample included 1059 quarterly observations. Two additional 100-patient-waivered physicians per 1 000 000 residents (approximately a 10% increase) were associated with an increase in the quarterly number of Medicaid-covered buprenorphine prescriptions of 0.46 (95% CI, 0.24-0.67) per 1000 enrollees and a reduction in the quarterly number of opioid prescriptions of 1.01 (95% CI, -1.87 to -0.15) per 1000 enrollees. Furthermore, 5 additional 30-patient-waivered physicians per 1 000 000 residents (approximately a 10% increase) were associated with an increase in the quarterly number of Medicaid-covered buprenorphine prescriptions of 0.37 (95% CI, 0.22-0.52) per 1000 enrollees and a reduction in the quarterly number of opioid prescriptions of 0.96 (95% CI, -1.85 to -0.07) per 1000 enrollees. A 10% increase in the number of buprenorphine-waivered physicians was associated with an approximately 10% increase in the Medicaid-covered buprenorphine prescribing rate and a 1.2% reduction in the opioid prescribing rate.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Expanding capacity for buprenorphine treatment holds the potential to improve access to opioid addiction treatment, which may further reduce prescription opioid use and slow the ongoing opioid epidemic in the United States.

High-Risk Prescribing to Medicaid Enrollees Receiving Opioid Analgesics: Individual- and County-Level Factors

BACKGROUND

Prescription opioid overdoses have increased dramatically in recent years, with the highest rates among Medicaid enrollees. High-risk prescribing includes practices associated with overdoses and a range of additional opioid-related problems.

OBJECTIVES

To identify individual- and county-level factors associated with high-risk prescribing among Medicaid enrollees receiving opioids.

METHODS

In a four-states, cross-sectional claims data study, Medicaid enrollees 18-64 years old with a new opioid analgesic treatment episode 2007-2009 were identified. Multivariate regression analyses were conducted to identify factors associated with high-risk prescribing, defined as high-dose opioid prescribing (morphine equivalent daily dose ≥100 mg for >6 days), opioid overlap, opioid-benzodiazepine overlap.

RESULTS

High-risk prescribing occurred in 39.4% of episodes. Older age, rural county of residence, white race, and major depression diagnosis were associated with higher rates of all types of high-risk prescribing. Individuals with prior opioid, alcohol, and hypnotic/sedative use disorder diagnoses had lower odds of high-dose opioid prescribing but higher odds of opioid overlap and opioid-benzodiazepine overlap than individuals without such disorders. High-dose opioid prescribing in Massachusetts was less common than in California, Illinois, and New York, whereas the rate of benzodiazepine overlap in Massachusetts was more common than in other states. Conclusions/Importance: High-risk prescribing was common and associated with several important demographic, clinical, and community factors. Findings can be used to inform targeted interventions designed to reduce such prescribing, and given state variation observed, further research is needed to better understand the effects of state policies on high-risk prescribing.

ADDRESSING THE OPIOID EPIDEMIC: IS THERE A ROLE FOR PHYSICIAN EDUCATION?

Using national data on opioid prescriptions written by physicians from 2006 to 2014, we uncover a striking relationship between opioid prescribing and medical school rank. Even within the same specialty and practice location, physicians who completed their initial training at top medical schools write significantly fewer opioid prescriptions annually than physicians from lower ranked schools. Additional evidence suggests that some of this gradient represents a causal effect of education rather than patient selection across physicians or physician selection across medical schools. Altering physician education may therefore be a useful policy tool in fighting the current epidemic.

Emergency department provider and facility variation in opioid prescriptions for discharged patients

STUDY OBJECTIVE

To study the variation in opioid prescribing among emergency physicians and facilities for discharged adult ED patients.

METHODS

We conducted a retrospective analysis of ED visits from five U.S. hospitals between January and May 2014 using records from Data to Intelligence (D2i). We examined physician- and facility-level variation in opioid prescription rates for discharged ED patients. We calculated unadjusted opioid prescription rates at the physician and facility levels and used a multivariable mixed-effect logistic regression model to examine within-facility physician variation in opioid prescription adjusting for patient and situational factors including time of presentation, ED census, and physician workload.

RESULTS

In 47,304 visits across five EDs, median patient age was 40 years old (IQR 28,55), and 89% had some form of insurance. There were 17,098 (36%) ED discharges with at least one opioid prescription. The unadjusted facility-level opioid prescription rate ranged from 24%-46%. Among 253 ED physicians, the adjusted opioid prescription rate varied from 22%-76%. Increased physician workload is related to decreased odds of opioid prescription at ED discharge for the lowest (<3 patients) and moderate (6-9 patients) physician workload levels, while the association weakened with increasing levels of workload.

CONCLUSION

There was substantial physician and facility variation in opioid prescription for discharged adult ED patients. Emergency physicians were less likely to prescribe opioids when their workload was lower, and this effect diminished at high workload levels. Understanding situational and other factors that explain this variation is important given the rising U.S. opioid epidemic and the need for urgent intervention.

The role of health insurance on treatment for opioid use disorders: Evidence from the Affordable Care Act Medicaid expansion

We estimate the effect of health insurance coverage on opioid use disorder treatment utilization and availability by exploiting cross-state variation in effective dates of Medicaid expansions under the Affordable Care Act. Using a difference-in-differences design, we find that aggregate opioid admissions to specialty treatment facilities increased 18% in expansion states, most of which involved outpatient medication-assisted treatment (MAT). Opioid admissions from Medicaid beneficiaries increased 113% without crowding out admissions from individuals with other health insurance. These effects appeared to be driven by market entry of select MAT providers and by greater acceptance of Medicaid payments among existing MAT providers. Moreover, effects were largest in expansion states with comprehensive MAT coverage. Our findings suggest that Medicaid expansions resulted in substantial utilization and availability gains to clinically efficacious and cost-effective pharmacological treatments, implying potential benefits of expanding Medicaid to non-expansion states and extending MAT coverage.

Mandatory review of a prescription drug monitoring program and impact on opioid and benzodiazepine dispensing

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this study is to determine whether Ohio House Bill 341, which mandated the use of Ohio's Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP), was an effective regulatory strategy to reduce opioid and benzodiazepine dispensing.

METHOD

Secondary analysis of Ohio's PDMP data on prescription opioids and benzodiazepines dispensed from November 2014 to March 2017. An interrupted time series analysis was conducted to determine if there was a significant change in the quantity of opioids and benzodiazepines dispensed.

RESULTS

After HB341 became effective in April 2015, there was a statistically significant decrease in the monthly quantity (number of pills) opioids and benzodiazepines dispensed in Ohio. There was a modest increase in the mean days' supply of opioids and no change in the mean morphine equivalent dose.

CONCLUSIONS

Legislation in Ohio requiring prescribers to check the PDMP was effective in reducing the quantity of opioids and benzodiazepines dispensed.

Association Between Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs and Nonfatal and Fatal Drug Overdoses: A Systematic Review

Background

Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are a key component of the president's Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention Plan to prevent opioid overdoses in the United States.

Purpose

To examine whether PDMP implementation is associated with changes in nonfatal and fatal overdoses; identify features of programs differentially associated with those outcomes; and investigate any potential unintended consequences of the programs.

Data Sources

Eligible publications from MEDLINE, Current Contents Connect (Clarivate Analytics), Science Citation Index (Clarivate Analytics), Social Sciences Citation Index (Clarivate Analytics), and ProQuest Dissertations indexed through 27 December 2017 and additional studies from reference lists.

Study Selection

Observational studies (published in English) from U.S. states that examined an association between PDMP implementation and nonfatal or fatal overdoses.

Data Extraction

2 investigators independently extracted data from and rated the risk of bias (ROB) of studies by using established criteria. Consensus determinations involving all investigators were used to grade strength of evidence for each intervention.

Data Synthesis

Of 2661 records, 17 articles met the inclusion criteria. These articles examined PDMP implementation only (n = 8), program features only (n = 2), PDMP implementation and program features (n = 5), PDMP implementation with mandated provider review combined with pain clinic laws (n = 1), and PDMP robustness (n = 1). Evidence from 3 studies was insufficient to draw conclusions regarding an association between PDMP implementation and nonfatal overdoses. Low-strength evidence from 10 studies suggested a reduction in fatal overdoses with PDMP implementation. Program features associated with a decrease in overdose deaths included mandatory provider review, provider authorization to access PDMP data, frequency of reports, and monitoring of nonscheduled drugs. Three of 6 studies found an increase in heroin overdoses after PDMP implementation.

Limitation

Few studies, high ROB, and heterogeneous analytic methods and outcome measurement.

Conclusion

Evidence that PDMP implementation either increases or decreases nonfatal or fatal overdoses is largely insufficient, as is evidence regarding positive associations between specific administrative features and successful programs. Some evidence showed unintended consequences. Research is needed to identify a set of "best practices" and complementary initiatives to address these consequences.

Primary Funding Source

National Institute on Drug Abuse and Bureau of Justice Assistance.

Four States With Robust Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs Reduced Opioid Dosages

State prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) aim to reduce risky controlled-substance prescribing, but early programs had limited impact. Several states implemented robust features in 2012-13, such as mandates that prescribers register with the program and regularly check its registry database. Some states allow prescribers to fulfill the latter requirement by designating delegates to check the registry. The effects of robust PDMP features have not been fully assessed. We used commercial claims data to examine the effects of implementing robust PDMPs in four states on overall and high-risk opioid prescribing, comparing those results to trends in similar states without robust PDMPs. By the end of 2014 the absolute mean morphine-equivalent dosages that providers dispensed declined in a range of 6-77 mg per person per quarter in the four states, relative to comparison states. Only in one of the four states, Kentucky, did the percentage of people who filled opioid prescriptions decline versus its comparator state, with an absolute reduction of 1.6 percent by the end of 2014. Robust PDMPs may be able to significantly reduce opioid dosages dispensed, percentages of patients receiving opioids, and high-risk prescribing.

Association of Chronic Opioid Use With Presidential Voting Patterns in US Counties in 2016

IMPORTANCE

The causes of the opioid epidemic are incompletely understood.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the overlap between the geographic distribution of US counties with high opioid use and the vote for the Republican candidate in the 2016 presidential election.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A cross-sectional analysis to explore the extent to which individual- and county-level demographic and economic measures explain the association of opioid use with the 2016 presidential vote at the county level, using rate of prescriptions for at least a 90-day supply of opioids in 2015. Medicare Part D enrollees (N = 3 764 361) constituting a 20% national sample were included.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Chronic opioid use was measured by county rate of receiving a 90-day or greater supply of opioids prescribed in 2015.

RESULTS

Of the 3 764 361 Medicare Part D enrollees in the 20% sample, 679 314 (18.0%) were younger than 65 years, 2 283 007 (60.6%) were female, 3 053 688 (81.1%) were non-Hispanic white, 351 985 (9.3%) were non-Hispanic black, and 198 778 (5.3%) were Hispanic. In a multilevel analysis including county and enrollee, the county of residence explained 9.2% of an enrollee's odds of receiving prolonged opioids after adjusting for individual enrollee characteristics. The correlation between a county's Republican presidential vote and the adjusted rate of Medicare Part D recipients receiving prescriptions for prolonged opioid use was 0.42 (P < .001). In the 693 counties with adjusted rates of opioid prescription significantly higher than the mean county rate, the mean (SE) Republican presidential vote was 59.96% (1.73%), vs 38.67% (1.15%) in the 638 counties with significantly lower rates. Adjusting for county-level socioeconomic measures in linear regression models explained approximately two-thirds of the association of opioid rates and presidential voting rates.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Support for the Republican candidate in the 2016 election is a marker for physical conditions, economic circumstances, and cultural forces associated with opioid use. The commonly used socioeconomic indicators do not totally capture all of those forces.

A Brief History of the Opioid Epidemic and Strategies for Pain Medicine

The opioid epidemic has resulted from myriad causes and will not be solved by any simple solution. Consequent to a staggering increase in opioid-related deaths in the USA, various governmental inputs and stakeholder strategies have been proposed and implemented with varying success. This article summarizes the history of opioid use and explores the causes for the present day epidemic. Recent trends in opioid-related data demonstrate an almost fourfold increase in overdose deaths from 1999 to 2008. Tragically, opioids claimed over 64,000 lives just last year. Some solutions have undergone legislation, including the limitation of numbers of opioids postsurgery, as well as growing national prevalence of enhanced recovery after surgery protocols which focus on reduced postoperative opioid consumption and shortened hospital stays. Stricter prescribing practices and prescription monitoring programs have been instituted in the recent past. Improvement in abuse deterrent strategies which is a major focus of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for all opioid preparations will likely play an important role by increasing the safety of these medications. Future potential strategies such as additional legislative policies, public awareness, and physician education are also detailed in this review.

Pain clinic definitions in the medical literature and U.S. state laws: an integrative systematic review and comparison

BACKGROUND

In response to widespread opioid misuse, ten U.S. states have implemented regulations for facilities that primarily manage and treat chronic pain, called "pain clinics." Whether a clinic falls into a state's pain clinic definition determines the extent to which it is subject to oversight. It is unclear whether state pain clinic definitions model those found in the medical literature, and potential differences lead to discrepancies between scientific and professionally guided advice found in the medical literature and actual pain clinic practice. Identifying discrepancies could assist states to design laws that are more compatible with best practices suggested in the medical literature.

METHODS

We conducted an integrative systematic review to create a taxonomy of pain clinic definitions using academic medical literature. We then identified existing U.S. state pain clinic statutes and regulations and compared the developed taxonomy using a content analysis approach to understand the extent to which medical literature definitions are reflected in state policy.

RESULTS

In the medical literature, we identified eight categories of pain clinic definitions: 1) patient case mix; 2) single-modality treatment; 3) multidisciplinary treatment; 4) interdisciplinary treatment; 5) provider supervision; 6) provider composition; 7) marketing; and 8) outcome. We identified ten states with pain clinic laws. State laws primarily include the following definitional categories: patient case mix; single-modality treatment, and marketing. Some definitional categories commonly found in the medical literature, such as multidisciplinary treatment and interdisciplinary treatment, rarely appear in state law definitions.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to our knowledge to develop a taxonomy of pain clinic definitions and to identify differences between pain clinic definitions in U.S. state law and medical literature. Future work should explore the impact of different legal pain clinic definitions on provider decision-making and state-level health outcomes.

Factors Associated With County-Level Differences in U.S. Drug-Related Mortality Rates

INTRODUCTION

Over the past 2 decades, drug-related deaths have grown to be a major U.S. public health problem. County-level differences in drug-related mortality rates are large. The relative contributions of social determinants of health to this variation, including the economic, social, and healthcare environments, are unknown.

METHODS

Using data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Multiple-Cause of Death Files (2006-2015, analyzed in 2017); U.S. Census Bureau; U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service; Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality; and Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development, this paper modeled associations between county-level drug-related mortality rates and economic, social, and healthcare environments. Spatial autoregressive models controlled for state fixed effects and county demographic characteristics.

RESULTS

The average county-level age-adjusted drug-related mortality rate was 16.6 deaths per 100,000 population (2006-2015), but there were substantial geographic disparities in rates. Controlling for county demographic characteristics, average mortality rates were significantly higher in counties with greater economic and family distress and in counties economically dependent on mining. Average mortality rates were significantly lower in counties with a larger presence of religious establishments, a greater percentage of recent in-migrants, and counties with economies reliant on public (government) sector employment. Healthcare supply factors did not contribute to between-county disparities in mortality rates.

CONCLUSIONS

Drug-related mortality rates are not randomly distributed across the U.S. Future research should consider the specific pathways through which economic, social, and healthcare environments are associated with drug-related mortality.

Association of Medical and Adult-Use Marijuana Laws With Opioid Prescribing for Medicaid Enrollees

IMPORTANCE

Overprescribing of opioids is considered a major driving force behind the opioid epidemic in the United States. Marijuana is one of the potential nonopioid alternatives that can relieve pain at a relatively lower risk of addiction and virtually no risk of overdose. Marijuana liberalization, including medical and adult-use marijuana laws, has made marijuana available to more Americans.

OBJECTIVE

To examine the association of state implementation of medical and adult-use marijuana laws with opioid prescribing rates and spending among Medicaid enrollees.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This cross-sectional study used a quasi-experimental difference-in-differences design comparing opioid prescribing trends between states that started to implement medical and adult-use marijuana laws between 2011 and 2016 and the remaining states. This population-based study across the United States included all Medicaid fee-for-service and managed care enrollees, a high-risk population for chronic pain, opioid use disorder, and opioid overdose.

EXPOSURES

State implementation of medical and adult-use marijuana laws from 2011 to 2016.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Opioid prescribing rate, measured as the number of opioid prescriptions covered by Medicaid on a quarterly, per-1000-Medicaid-enrollee basis.

RESULTS

State implementation of medical marijuana laws was associated with a 5.88% lower rate of opioid prescribing (95% CI, -11.55% to approximately -0.21%). Moreover, the implementation of adult-use marijuana laws, which all occurred in states with existing medical marijuana laws, was associated with a 6.38% lower rate of opioid prescribing (95% CI, -12.20% to approximately -0.56%).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

The potential of marijuana liberalization to reduce the use and consequences of prescription opioids among Medicaid enrollees deserves consideration during the policy discussions about marijuana reform and the opioid epidemic.

The Syndemic of Opioid Misuse, Overdose, HCV, and HIV: Structural-Level Causes and Interventions

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

This article reviews the case for recognizing (1) the epidemics of opioid misuse, overdose, hepatitis C virus, and HIV as a syndemic and (2) the importance of examining and addressing structural factors in responses to this syndemic. We focus on the current syndemic in the US, but also consider data from other locations to highlight the issues existing and arising in various contexts.

RECENT FINDINGS

Advances in multi-level theory and statistical methods allow sound ecologic and multi-level analyses of the impact of structural factors on the syndemic. Studies of opioid misuse, overdoses, hepatitis C virus, and HIV demonstrate that area-level access to healthcare, medication-assisted treatment of opioid use disorders, sterile injection equipment, and overdose prevention with naloxone, as well as factors such as opioid marketing, income inequality, intensity of policing activities, and health care policies, are related to the prevalence of substance misuse, overdoses, infection risk, and morbidity. Structural variables can predict area-level vulnerability to the syndemic. The implementation of combined prevention and treatment interventions can control and reverse components of the syndemic. Recognizing and monitoring potent structural factors can facilitate the identification of areas at risk of vulnerability to the syndemic. Further, many structural factors are modifiable through intervention and policy to reduce structural vulnerability and create health-enabling environments. Evidence supports the immediate implementation of broader HCV and HIV testing and substance use screening, medication-assisted treatment, needle/syringe exchange programs, naloxone programs, increased population-level implementation of HCV treatment, and further attention to structural-level factors predicting, and contributing to, area-level vulnerability, such as degrees of opioid marketing, distribution, and prescribing.

Features of prescription drug monitoring programs associated with reduced rates of prescription opioid-related poisonings

BACKGROUND

The United States is in the midst of an opioid epidemic. In addition to other system-level interventions, all states have responded during the crisis by implementing prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs). This study examines associations between specific administrative features of PDMPs and changes in the risk of prescription opioid-related poisoning (RxORP) over time.

METHODS

This longitudinal, observational study utilized a 'natural experiment' design to assess associations between PDMP features and risk of RxORP in a nationally-representative population of privately-insured adults from 2004 to 2014. Administrative health claims data were used to identify inpatient hospital admissions and emergency department visits related to RxORP. Generalized estimating equation Poisson regression models were used to examine associations between specific PDMP features and changes in relative risk (RR) of RxORP over time.

RESULTS

In adjusted analyses, states without PDMPs experienced an average annual increase in the rate of RxORP of 9.51% over the study period, while states with operational PDMPs experienced an average annual increase of 3.17%. The increase in RR of RxORP over time in states with operational PDMPs was significantly less than increases in states without PDMPs. States with specific features, including those that monitored more schedules or required more frequent data reporting, experienced stronger protective effects on the RR of RxORP over time.

CONCLUSION

This study examined associations between specific PDMP features and RxORP rates in a nationally-representative population of privately-insured adults. Results of this study may be used as empirical evidence to guide PDMP best practices.

Protocol: mixed-methods study to evaluate implementation, enforcement, and outcomes of U.S. state laws intended to curb high-risk opioid prescribing

BACKGROUND

The U.S. opioid epidemic has been driven by the high volume of opioids prescribed by healthcare providers. U.S. states have recently enacted four types of laws designed to curb high-risk prescribing practices, such as high-dose and long-term opioid prescribing, associated with opioid-related mortality: (1) mandatory Prescription Drug Monitoring Program (PDMP) enrollment laws, which require prescribers to enroll in their state's PDMP, an electronic database of patients' controlled substance prescriptions, (2) mandatory PDMP query laws, which require prescribers to query the PDMP prior to prescribing an opioid, (3) opioid prescribing cap laws, which limit the dose and/or duration of opioid prescriptions, and (4) pill mill laws, which strictly regulate pain clinics to prevent nonmedical opioid prescribing. Some pain experts have expressed concern that these laws could negatively affect pain management among patients with chronic non-cancer pain. This paper describes the protocol for a mixed-methods study analyzing the independent effects of these four types of laws on opioid prescribing patterns and chronic non-cancer pain treatment, accounting for variation in implementation and enforcement of laws across states.

METHODS

Many states have enacted multiple opioid prescribing laws at or around the same time. To overcome this issue, our study focuses on 18 treatment states that each enacted a single law of interest, and no other potentially confounding laws, over a 4-year period (2 years pre-/post-law). Qualitative interviews with key leaders in each of the 18 treatment states will characterize the timing, scope, and strength of each state law's implementation and enforcement. This information will inform the design and interpretation of synthetic control models analyzing the effects of each of the two types of laws on two sets of outcomes: measures of (1) high-risk opioid prescribing and (2) non-opioid treatments for chronic non-cancer pain.

DISCUSSION

Study of mandatory PDMP enrollment, mandatory PDMP query, opioid prescribing cap, and pill mill laws is timely given a dynamic policy environment in which numerous states pass, revise, implement, and enforce varied laws to address opioid prescribing each year. Findings will inform enactment, implementation, and enforcement of these laws in additional states.

Opioid Prescribing Patterns among Otolaryngologists

Objectives To evaluate national trends in opioid prescribing patterns by otolaryngologists for postoperative pain control after common otolaryngologic procedures. Study Design Cross-sectional; survey. Subjects and Methods A survey to determine opioid prescribing patterns for the treatment of postoperative pain following common otolaryngologic procedures was distributed to all members of the American Academy of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery. Results The most common pain medication prescribed for adults postoperatively was hydrocodone-acetaminophen (73%), followed by oxycodone-acetaminophen (39%). The most common pain medication prescribed postoperatively for children was acetaminophen (67%), followed by nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (65%). Overall, there was a wide variation in quantity of opioids prescribed for each surgery, ranging from 0 to more than 60 doses. Mean opioid prescriptions were greatest for tonsillectomy (37 tablets) and least for direct laryngoscopy (5.3 tablets). Conclusion This study identifies nationwide variations in opioid prescribing patterns among otolaryngologists. While otolaryngology is a relatively small specialty, we still have an obligation to work with all physicians to help combat the current opioid epidemic. By evaluating nationwide postoperative pain regimens, we are moving closer toward understanding how to reduce the opioid burden.

Safer and more appropriate opioid prescribing: a large healthcare system's comprehensive approach

RATIONALE, AIMS, AND OBJECTIVES

The United States is in the midst of a public health epidemic with more than 40 people dying each day from prescription opioid overdoses. Health care systems are taking steps to address the opioid overdose epidemic by implementing policy and practice interventions to mitigate the risks of long-term opioid therapy. Kaiser Permanente Southern California launched a comprehensive initiative to transform the way that chronic pain is viewed and treated. Kaiser Permanente Southern California created prescribing and dispensing policies, monitoring and follow-up processes, and clinical coordination through electronic health record integration. The purpose of this paper is to describe the implementation of these interventions and assess the impact of this set of interventions on opioid prescribing.

METHOD

The study used a retrospective pre-post evaluation design to track outcomes before and after the intervention. Kaiser Permanente Southern California members age 18 and older excluding cancer, hospice, and palliative care patients and this sub-population of 3 203 880 was approximately 75% of all Kaiser Permanente Southern California members. All data are from Kaiser Permanente's pharmacy data systems and electronic health record collected on a rolling basis as interventions were implemented from January 2010 to December 2015.

RESULTS

There were reductions in all tracked outcomes: a 30% reduction in prescribing opioids at high doses; a 98% reduction in the number of prescriptions with quantities greater than 200 pills; a 90% decrease in the combination of an opioid prescription with benzodiazepines and carisoprodol; a 72% reduction in the prescribing of Long Acting/Extended Release opioids; and a 95% reduction in prescriptions of brand name opioid-acetaminophen products. In addition, methadone prescribing did not increase during this period.

CONCLUSIONS

This study adds promising results that a comprehensive system-level strategy has the ability to positively affect opioid prescribing. The basic components of the intervention are generalizable and applicable to other health care settings.

Macroeconomic conditions and opioid abuse

We examine how deaths and emergency department (ED) visits related to use of opioid analgesics (opioids) and other drugs vary with macroeconomic conditions. As the county unemployment rate increases by one percentage point, the opioid death rate per 100,000 rises by 0.19 (3.6%) and the opioid overdose ED visit rate per 100,000 increases by 0.95 (7.0%). Macroeconomic shocks also increase the overall drug death rate, but this increase is driven by rising opioid deaths. Our findings hold when performing a state-level analysis, rather than county-level; are primarily driven by adverse events among whites; and are stable across time periods.

Prescription drug monitoring program design and function: A qualitative analysis

BACKGROUND

Opioid-related overdose deaths are a major public health challenge. Forty-nine states have implemented Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) that collect information about individuals' prescription medications. Little is known about state governments' implementation of PDMPs. We conducted semi-structured interviews with PDMP staff, law enforcement officials, and administrative agency employees to learn about their attitudes and experiences with PDMPs.

METHODS

From May 2015 to June 2016, we conducted 37 semi-structured interviews with state actors in four states. Questions focused on interviewees' perceptions about PDMP goals, home agency characteristics, and future PDMP initiatives. States were selected purposively. Interviewees were identified through purposive and snowball sampling.

RESULTS

Interviewees identified key PDMP goals as: improve patient treatment decisions; influence prescribing practices; assist in the identification of "doctor shoppers"; and serve as a tool for law enforcement. Interviewees identified the following characteristics as key for a PDMP's home agency: regulatory and enforcement authority; intra- and inter-agency collaboration; and commitment to data quality and protection. Interviewees identified three promising areas for future PDMP efforts: data sharing and analysis; integration of PDMP data with electronic medical records; and training for current and potential PDMP users.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings reveal areas that states may want to prioritize, including improving prescribers' knowledge and use of the PDMP as well as fostering inter-agency collaborations that include PDMP staff. By capitalizing on these opportunities, state governments may improve the effectiveness of their PDMPs, potentially making them more useful tools to curb the morbidity and mortality associated with opioid use disorders.

The US Opioid Crisis: Current Federal and State Legal Issues

The United States is in the midst of a devastating opioid misuse epidemic leading to over 33,000 deaths per year from both prescription and illegal opioids. Roughly half of these deaths are attributable to prescription opioids. Federal and state governments have only recently begun to grasp the magnitude of this public health crisis. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released their Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain. While not comprehensive in scope, these guidelines attempt to control and regulate opioid prescribing. Other federal agencies involved with the federal regulatory effort include the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), and the Department of Justice. Each federal agency has a unique role in helping to stem the burgeoning opioid misuse epidemic. The DEA, working with the Department of Justice, has enforcement power to prosecute pill mills and physicians for illegal prescribing. The DEA could also implement use of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs), currently administered at the state level, and use of electronic prescribing for schedule II and III medications. The FDA has authority to approve new and safer formulations of immediate- and long-acting opioid medications. More importantly, the FDA can also ask pharmaceutical companies to cease manufacturing a drug. Additionally, state agencies play a critical role in reducing overdose deaths, protecting the public safety, and promoting the medically appropriate treatment of pain. One of the states' primary roles is the regulation of practice of medicine and the insurance industry within their borders. Utilizing this authority, states can both educate physicians about the dangers of opioids and make physician licensure dependent on registering and using PDMPs when prescribing controlled substances. Almost every state has implemented a PDMP to some degree; however, in addition to mandating their use, increased interstate sharing of prescription information would greatly improve PDMPs' effectiveness. Further, states have the flexibility to promote innovative interventions to reduce harm such as legislation allowing naloxone access without a prescription. While relatively new, these types of laws have allowed first responders, patients, and families access to a lifesaving drug. Finally, states are at the forefront of litigation against pharmaceutical manufacturers. This approach is described as analogous to the initial steps in fighting tobacco companies. In addition to fighting for dollars to support drug treatment programs and education efforts, states are pursuing these lawsuits as a means of holding pharmaceutical companies accountable for misleading marketing of a dangerous product.

Opioid Abuse And Poisoning: Trends In Inpatient And Emergency Department Discharges

Addressing the opioid epidemic is a national priority. We analyzed national trends in inpatient and emergency department (ED) discharges for opioid abuse, dependence, and poisoning using Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data. Inpatient and ED discharge rates increased overall across the study period, but a decline was observed for prescription opioid-related discharges beginning in 2010, while a sharp increase in heroin-related discharges began in 2008.

Using prescription monitoring program data to characterize out-of-pocket payments for opioid prescriptions in a state Medicaid program

BACKGROUND

Out-of-pocket payment for prescription opioids is believed to be an indicator of abuse or diversion, but few studies describe its epidemiology. Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) collect controlled substance prescription fill data regardless of payment source and thus can be used to study this phenomenon.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the frequency and characteristics of prescription fills for opioids that are likely paid out-of-pocket by individuals in the Oregon Medicaid program.

RESEARCH DESIGN

Cross-sectional analysis using Oregon Medicaid administrative claims and PDMP data (2012 to 2013).

SUBJECTS

Continuously enrolled nondually eligible Medicaid beneficiaries who could be linked to the PDMP with two opioid fills covered by Oregon Medicaid.

MEASURES

Patient characteristics and fill characteristics for opioid fills that lacked a Medicaid pharmacy claim. Fill characteristics included opioid name, type, and association with indicators of high-risk opioid use.

RESULTS

A total of 33 592 Medicaid beneficiaries filled a total of 555 103 opioid prescriptions. Of these opioid fills, 74 953 (13.5%) could not be matched to a Medicaid claim. Hydromorphone (30%), fentanyl (18%), and methadone (15%) were the most likely to lack a matching claim. The 3 largest predictors for missing claims were opioid fills that overlapped with other opioids (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 1.37; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.34-1.4), long-acting opioids (aOR 1.52; 95% CI, 1.47-1.57), and fills at multiple pharmacies (aOR 1.45; 95% CI, 1.39-1.52).

CONCLUSIONS

Prescription opioid fills that were likely paid out-of-pocket were common and associated with several known indicators of high-risk opioid use.

Impact of New York prescription drug monitoring program, I-STOP, on statewide overdose morbidity

BACKGROUND

Prescription Drug Monitoring programs (PDMPs) are intended to reduce opioid prescribing and aberrant drug-related behavior thereby reducing morbidity and mortality due to prescription opioid overdose. Expansion of the New York (NY) State's PDMP in 2013 included the institution of the I-STOP law that mandated clinicians to consult the statewide PDMP database to review the patient's prescription history prior to prescribing opioids.

METHODS

Trends in prescription opioid distribution, prescribing, and prescription opioid and heroin overdose morbidity in NY were analyzed using time series. A Chow test was used to test the difference in trends before and after the implementation of I-STOP.

RESULTS

The results indicated that: 1) the number of opioid prescriptions appears to be declining following the implementation of the I-STOP, 2) however, supply chain data shows that the total quantity of opioids in the supply chain increased, 3) statewide trends in inpatient and emergency department visits for prescription opioid overdose increased from 2010 to the third quarter of 2013 where the slope leveled off following I-STOP, but this change in slope was not significant, 4) visits for heroin overdose started escalating in 2010 and continued to increase through the second quarter of 2016. The overall significance of these findings show a small impact of PDMPs on prescription opioid overdose morbidity in NY in the context of the increasing national trend during this time period.

CONCLUSIONS

Prescription opioid morbidity leveled off following the implementation of a mandated PDMP although morbidity attributable to heroin overdose continued to rise.

Advances in the delivery of buprenorphine for opioid dependence

Opioid use disorders (OUDs) have long been a global problem, but the prevalence rates have increased over 20 years to epidemic proportions in the US, with concomitant increases in morbidity and all-cause mortality, but especially opioid overdose. These increases are in part attributable to a several-fold expansion in the prescription of opioid pain medications over the same time period. Opioid detoxification and psychosocial treatments alone have each not yielded sufficient efficacy for OUD, but μ-opioid receptor agonist, partial agonist, and antagonist medications have demonstrated the greatest overall benefit in OUD treatment. Buprenorphine, a μ-opioid receptor partial agonist, has been used successfully on an international basis for several decades in sublingual tablet and film preparations for the treatment of OUD, but the nature of formulation, which is typically self-administered, renders it susceptible to nonadherence, diversion, and accidental exposure. This article reviews the clinical trial data for novel buprenorphine delivery systems in the form of subcutaneous depot injections, transdermal patches, and subdermal implants for the treatment of OUD and discusses both the clinical efficacy of longer-acting formulations through increasing consistent medication exposure and their potential utility in reducing diversion. These new delivery systems also offer new dosing opportunities for buprenorphine and strategies for dosing intervals in the treatment of OUD.

Vital Signs: Changes in Opioid Prescribing in the United States, 2006-2015

Background

Prescription opioid–related overdose deaths increased sharply during 1999–2010 in the United States in parallel with increased opioid prescribing. CDC assessed changes in national-level and county-level opioid prescribing during 2006–2015.

Methods

CDC analyzed retail prescription data from QuintilesIMS to assess opioid prescribing in the United States from 2006 to 2015, including rates, amounts, dosages, and durations prescribed. CDC examined county-level prescribing patterns in 2010 and 2015.

Results

The amount of opioids prescribed in the United States peaked at 782 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per capita in 2010 and then decreased to 640 MME per capita in 2015. Despite significant decreases, the amount of opioids prescribed in 2015 remained approximately three times as high as in 1999 and varied substantially across the country. County-level factors associated with higher amounts of prescribed opioids include a larger percentage of non-Hispanic whites; a higher prevalence of diabetes and arthritis; micropolitan status (i.e., town/city; nonmetro); and higher unemployment and Medicaid enrollment.

Conclusions and Implications for Public Health Practice

Despite reductions in opioid prescribing in some parts of the country, the amount of opioids prescribed remains high relative to 1999 levels and varies substantially at the county-level. Given associations between opioid prescribing, opioid use disorder, and overdose rates, health care providers should carefully weigh the benefits and risks when prescribing opioids outside of end-of-life care, follow evidence-based guidelines, such as CDC’s Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain, and consider nonopioid therapy for chronic pain treatment. State and local jurisdictions can use these findings combined with Prescription Drug Monitoring Program data to identify areas with prescribing patterns that place patients at risk for opioid use disorder and overdose and to target interventions with prescribers based on opioid prescribing guidelines.

The societal cost of heroin use disorder in the United States

Objective

Heroin use in the United States has reached epidemic proportions. The objective of this paper is to estimate the annual societal cost of heroin use disorder in the United States in 2015 US dollars.

Methods

An analytic model was created that included incarceration and crime; treatment for heroin use disorder; chronic infectious diseases (HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C, and Tuberculosis) and their treatments; treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome; lost productivity; and death by heroin overdose.

Results

Using literature-based estimates to populate the model, the cost of heroin use disorder was estimated to be $51.2 billion in 2015 US dollars ($50,799 per heroin user). One-way sensitivity analyses showed that overall cost estimates were sensitive to the number of heroin users, cost of HCV treatment, and cost of incarcerating heroin users.

Conclusion

The annual cost of heroin use disorder to society in the United States emphasizes the need for sustained investment in healthcare and non-healthcare related strategies that reduce the likelihood of abuse and provide care and support for users to overcome the disorder.

Medical marijuana policies and hospitalizations related to marijuana and opioid pain reliever

OBJECTIVES

Twenty-eight states in the U.S have legalized medical marijuana, yet its impacts on severe health consequences such as hospitalizations remain unknown. Meanwhile, the prevalence of opioid pain reliever (OPR) use and outcomes has increased dramatically. Recent studies suggested unintended impacts of legalizing medical marijuana on OPR, but the evidence is still limited. This study examined the associations between state medical marijuana policies and hospitalizations related to marijuana and OPR.

METHODS

State-level annual administrative records of hospital discharges during 1997-2014 were obtained from the State Inpatient Databases (SID). The outcome variables were rates of hospitalizations involving marijuana dependence or abuse, opioid dependence or abuse, and OPR overdose in 1000 discharges. Linear time-series regressions were used to assess the associations of implementing medical marijuana policies to hospitalizations, controlling for other marijuana- and OPR-related policies, socioeconomic factors, and state and year fixed effects.

RESULTS

Hospitalizations related to marijuana and OPR increased sharply by 300% on average in all states. Medical marijuana legalization was associated with 23% (p=0.008) and 13% (p=0.025) reductions in hospitalizations related to opioid dependence or abuse and OPR overdose, respectively; lagged effects were observed after policy implementation. The operation of medical marijuana dispensaries had no independent impacts on OPR-related hospitalizations. Medical marijuana polices had no associations with marijuana-related hospitalizations.

CONCLUSION

Medical marijuana policies were significantly associated with reduced OPR-related hospitalizations but had no associations with marijuana-related hospitalizations. Given the epidemic of problematic use of OPR, future investigation is needed to explore the causal pathways of these findings.

Inhibition of α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors prevents chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain

Opioids are first-line drugs for moderate to severe acute pain and cancer pain. However, these medications are associated with severe side effects, and whether they are efficacious in treatment of chronic nonmalignant pain remains controversial. Medications that act through alternative molecular mechanisms are critically needed. Antagonists of α9α10 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have been proposed as an important nonopioid mechanism based on studies demonstrating prevention of neuropathology after trauma-induced nerve injury. However, the key α9α10 ligands characterized to date are at least two orders of magnitude less potent on human vs. rodent nAChRs, limiting their translational application. Furthermore, an alternative proposal that these ligands achieve their beneficial effects by acting as agonists of GABA_B receptors has caused confusion over whether blockade of α9α10 nAChRs is the fundamental underlying mechanism. To address these issues definitively, we developed RgIA4, a peptide that exhibits high potency for both human and rodent α9α10 nAChRs, and was at least 1,000-fold more selective for α9α10 nAChRs vs. all other molecular targets tested, including opioid and GABA_B receptors. A daily s.c. dose of RgIA4 prevented chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain in rats. In wild-type mice, oxaliplatin treatment produced cold allodynia that could be prevented by RgIA4. Additionally, in α9 KO mice, chemotherapy-induced development of cold allodynia was attenuated and the milder, temporary cold allodynia was not relieved by RgIA4. These findings establish blockade of α9-containing nAChRs as the basis for the efficacy of RgIA4, and that α9-containing nAChRs are a critical target for prevention of chronic cancer chemotherapy-induced neuropathic pain.

Etiology and Treatment of Pain and Psychosocial Issues in Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

There is increasing evidence that brain-gut interactions are altered during development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBDs). Understanding the relationship between the neurobiology, psychological symptoms, and social ramifications of IBD can guide comprehensive care for the whole patient. The most common psychological conditions in patients with IBD are chronic abdominal pain, anxiety, and depression. We review the evidence-based data and rates of these conditions and their respective relationship to IBD and the diagnostic approaches to identify patients with these conditions. Different treatment options for pain and psychosocial conditions are discussed, and new models of team-based IBD care are introduced. Providing the health care provider with tools to diagnose and manage psychological conditions in patients with Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis is necessary for their total care and should be part of quality-improvement initiatives.

Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths - United States, 2010-2015

The U.S. opioid epidemic is continuing, and drug overdose deaths nearly tripled during 1999-2014. Among 47,055 drug overdose deaths that occurred in 2014 in the United States, 28,647 (60.9%) involved an opioid (1). Illicit opioids are contributing to the increase in opioid overdose deaths (2,3). In an effort to target prevention strategies to address the rapidly changing epidemic, CDC examined overall drug overdose death rates during 2010-2015 and opioid overdose death rates during 2014-2015 by subcategories (natural/semisynthetic opioids, methadone, heroin, and synthetic opioids other than methadone).* Rates were stratified by demographics, region, and by 28 states with high quality reporting on death certificates of specific drugs involved in overdose deaths. During 2015, drug overdoses accounted for 52,404 U.S. deaths, including 33,091 (63.1%) that involved an opioid. There has been progress in preventing methadone deaths, and death rates declined by 9.1%. However, rates of deaths involving other opioids, specifically heroin and synthetic opioids other than methadone (likely driven primarily by illicitly manufactured fentanyl) (2,3), increased sharply overall and across many states. A multifaceted, collaborative public health and law enforcement approach is urgently needed. Response efforts include implementing the CDC Guideline for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain (4), improving access to and use of prescription drug monitoring programs, enhancing naloxone distribution and other harm reduction approaches, increasing opioid use disorder treatment capacity, improving linkage into treatment, and supporting law enforcement strategies to reduce the illicit opioid supply.