Polysubstance Use Among Patients Treated With Buprenorphine From a National Urine Drug Test Database

Buprenorphine for Pain: A Narrative Review and Practical Applications

Chronic noncancer pain affects about 20% of US adults and can significantly affect function and quality of life. Current guidelines recommend multimodal pain control. Despite risks associated with long-term opioid therapy, opioids are commonly prescribed. Buprenorphine is a partial opioid agonist with an improved safety profile compared to full agonists. Some formulations are approved for chronic pain and others for opioid use disorder. Buprenorphine is an option for patients who use chronic daily opioids for pain. This review summarizes the literature on buprenorphine's efficacy and safety for chronic pain and provides recommendations to generalists on initiation, titration, and monitoring of buprenorphine-based pain treatment. We also discuss a communication approach when considering buprenorphine for pain.

Understanding Regional Patterns of Overdose Deaths Related to Opioids and Psychostimulants

BACKGROUND

As overdose rates increase for multiple substances, policymakers need to identify geographic patterns of substance-specific deaths. In this study, we describe county-level opioid and psychostimulant overdose patterns and how they correlate with county-level social vulnerability measures.

METHODS

A cross-sectional observational study, we used nationwide 2016-2018 restricted access Centers for Disease Prevention and Control county-level mortality files for 1,024 counties. We estimated quartiles of opioid and psychostimulant overdose mortality and provided estimates of their association with county-level Social Vulnerability Index (SVI) percentile.

RESULTS

There was high opioid and psychostimulant overdose mortality in the Middle Atlantic, South Atlantic, East North Central, and Mountain regions. The Central US had the lowest opioid and psychostimulant overdose mortality rates. Counties with higher SVI scores (i.e. higher social vulnerability) were significantly more likely to experience high opioid and high psychostimulant overdose (high-high) mortality. A 10-percentile increase in SVI score was associated with a 3.1 percentage point increase in the likelihood of being a high-high county (p < 0.001) in unadjusted models and a 1.5 percentage point increase (p < 0.05) in models adjusting for region.

CONCLUSION

Our results illustrated the heterogenous geographic distribution of the growing concurrent opioid and psychostimulant overdose crisis. The substantial regional variation we identified highlights the need for local data to guide policymaking and treatment planning. The association of opioid-psychostimulant overdose mortality with social vulnerability demonstrates the critical need in impacted counties for tailored treatment that addresses the complex medical and social needs of people who use both opioids and psychostimulants.

Treatment Initiation, Substance Use Trajectories, and the Social Determinants of Health in Persons Living With HIV Seeking Medication for Opioid Use Disorder

BACKGROUND

People living with HIV and opioid use disorder (OUD) are disproportionally affected by adverse socio-structural exposures negatively affecting health, which have shown inconsistent associations with uptake of medications for OUD (MOUD). This study aimed to determine whether social determinants of health (SDOH) were associated with MOUD uptake and trajectories of substance use in a clinical trial of people seeking treatment.

METHODS

Data are from a 2018 to 2019 randomized trial comparing the effectiveness of different MOUD to achieve viral suppression among people living with HIV and OUD. SDOH were defined by variables mapping to Healthy People 2030 domains: education (Education Access and Quality), income (Economic Stability), homelessness (Neighborhood and Built Environment), criminal justice involvement (Social and Community Context), and recent SUD care (Health Care Access and Quality). Associations between SDOH and MOUD initiation were assessed with Cox proportional hazards models, and SDOH and substance use over time with generalized estimating equation models.

RESULTS

Participants (N = 114) averaged 47 years old, 63% were male, 56% were Black, and 12% Hispanic. Participants reported an average of 2.3 out of 5 positive SDOH indicators (SD = 1.2). Stable housing was the most commonly reported SDOH (61%), followed by no recent criminal justice involvement (59%), having a high-school level education or greater (56%), income stability (45%), and recent SUD care (13%). Each additional favorable SDOH was associated with a 25% increase in the likelihood of MOUD initiation during the study period [adjusted HR = 1.25, 95% CI = (1.01, 1.55), P = .044]. Positive SDOH were also associated with a decrease in the odds of baseline opioid use and a greater reduction in opioid use during subsequent weeks of the study (P < .001 for a joint test of baseline and slope differences).

CONCLUSIONS

Positive social determinants of health, in aggregate, may increase the likelihood of MOUD treatment initiation among people living with HIV and OUD.

Prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD in individuals with opioid use disorder: A randomized pilot study

OBJECTIVE

Nearly all individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD) report lifetime trauma exposure and one-third meet diagnostic criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Although prolonged exposure (PE) therapy is a first-line treatment for PTSD, little is known about the effects of PE in individuals with co-occurring OUD. Furthermore, its efficacy is commonly undermined by poor therapy attendance. This pilot study evaluated the feasibility and initial efficacy of a novel PE protocol for improving PE attendance and PTSD symptoms among buprenorphine- or methadone-maintained adults with PTSD.

METHOD

Thirty participants with co-occurring PTSD and OUD were randomized to receive either: (a) continued medications for OUD (MOUD) treatment as usual (TAU), (b) Prolonged Exposure therapy (PE), or (c) PE with financial incentives delivered contingent upon PE session attendance (PE+). Primary outcomes included PE session attendance, PTSD symptom severity, and use of opioids other than prescribed MOUD.

RESULTS

PE+ participants attended significantly more therapy sessions vs. PE (87% vs. 35%; p <.0001). PTSD symptom reductions were also significantly greater in the PE+ vs. TAU group (p =.046). Participants in the two PE conditions submitted significantly fewer urine samples that tested positive for opioids than TAU participants (0% vs. 22%; p =.007).

CONCLUSIONS

These findings provide preliminary support for the efficacy of PE+ for improving PE attendance and PTSD symptoms without prompting opioid relapse in individuals with co-occurring PTSD and OUD. These promising results justify a larger scale randomized clinical trial to more rigorously evaluate this novel treatment approach.

Urine Drug Test Results Among Adolescents and Young Adults in an Outpatient Office-Based Opioid Treatment Program

PURPOSE

Urine drug testing (UDT) is an important feature of outpatient treatment for opioid use disorder, but associations with patient characteristics among adolescent and young adult patients are unknown. This study assessed UDT results in office-based opioid treatment and characteristics associated with treatment compliance.

METHODS

This was a retrospective study of adolescent and young adult patients enrolled in office-based opioid treatment between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2020. UDT results were described as positive results or expected and unexpected results. Expected results were negative UDTs for opioids, marijuana (THC [tetrahydrocannabinol]), or cocaine/methamphetamine, or a positive UDT for buprenorphine. Unexpected results were positive UDTs for opioids, THC, or cocaine/methamphetamine, or a negative UDT for buprenorphine. Treatment compliance was defined as ≥75% of UDTs provided being expected results. Counts and percentages described UDT results. Regressions evaluated associations between patient characteristics (retention time, age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance, and comorbid mental health diagnoses) with treatment compliance, and assessed change of positivity rates for UDTs over time.

RESULTS

A total of 407 patients were included. Overall, 305 patients (74.9%) demonstrated treatment compliance. Rates of expected UDT results increased with longer retention time (p <.001), except for methamphetamine. Buprenorphine expected results ranged from 77.0% to 96.5%. Diagnosis of stimulant use disorder was associated with decreased compliance (p = .04), while diagnoses of depression, anxiety, nicotine use disorder, and post-traumatic stress disorder were associated with increased compliance (p ≤.04).

DISCUSSION

Proportion of expected UDT results increased with retention time. Diagnosis of specific mental health conditions affected treatment compliance. Further research regarding long-term health outcomes is needed.

Association of Patients' Direct Addition of Buprenorphine to Urine Drug Test Specimens With Clinical Factors in Opioid Use Disorder

Importance

The direct addition of buprenorphine to urine drug test specimens to mimic results suggestive of adherence is a clinically significant result, yet little is known about the phenomenon.

Objective

To characterize factors associated with the direct addition of buprenorphine to urine specimens among patients prescribed buprenorphine for opioid use disorder.

Design, Setting, and Participants

This cross-sectional study of urine drug test specimens was conducted from January 1, 2017, to April 30, 2022, using a national database of urine drug test specimens ordered by clinicians from primary care, behavioral health, and substance use disorder treatment clinics. Urine specimens with quantitative norbuprenorphine and buprenorphine concentrations from patients with opioid use disorder currently prescribed buprenorphine were analyzed.

Exposures

Nonprescribed opioid or stimulant co-positive, clinical setting, collection year, census division, patient age, patient sex, and payor.

Main Outcomes and Measures

Norbuprenorphine to buprenorphine ratio less than 0.02 identified direct addition of buprenorphine. Unadjusted trends in co-positivity for stimulants and opioids were compared between specimens consistent with the direct addition of buprenorphine. Factors associated with the direct addition of buprenorphine were examined with generalized estimating equations.

Results

This study included 507 735 urine specimens from 58 476 patients. Of all specimens, 261 210 (51.4%) were obtained from male individuals, and 137 254 (37.7%) were from patients aged 25 to 34 years. Overall, 9546 (1.9%) specimens from 4550 (7.6%) patients were suggestive of the direct addition of buprenorphine. The annual prevalence decreased from 2.4% in 2017 to 1.2% in 2020. Opioid-positive with (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 2.01; 95% CI, 1.85-2.18) and without (aOR, 2.02; 95% CI, 1.81-2.26) stimulant-positive specimens were associated with the direct addition of buprenorphine to specimens, while opioid-negative/stimulant-positive specimens were negatively associated (aOR, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.71-0.85). Specimens from patients aged 35 to 44 years (aOR, 1.59; 95% CI, 1.34-1.90) and primary care (aOR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.44-1.79) were associated with the direct addition of buprenorphine. Differences by treatment setting decreased over time. Specimens from the South Atlantic census region had the highest association (aOR, 1.4; 95% CI, 1.25-1.56) and New England had the lowest association (aOR, 0.54; 95% CI, 0.46-0.65) with the direct addition of buprenorphine.

Conclusions and Relevance

In this cross-sectional study, the direct addition of buprenorphine to urine specimens was associated with other opioid positivity and being collected in primary care settings. The direct addition of buprenorphine to urine specimens is a clinically significant finding, and best practices specific for this phenomenon are needed.

Estimating the impact of stimulant use on initiation of buprenorphine and extended-release naltrexone in two clinical trials and real-world populations

BACKGROUND

Co-use of stimulants and opioids is rapidly increasing. Randomized clinical trials (RCTs) have established the efficacy of medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD), but stimulant use may decrease the likelihood of initiating MOUD treatment. Furthermore, trial participants may not represent "real-world" populations who would benefit from treatment.

METHODS

We conducted a two-stage analysis. First, associations between stimulant use (time-varying urine drug screens for cocaine, methamphetamine, or amphetamines) and initiation of buprenorphine or extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) were estimated across two RCTs (CTN-0051 X:BOT and CTN-0067 CHOICES) using adjusted Cox regression models. Second, results were generalized to three target populations who would benefit from MOUD: Housed adults identifying the need for OUD treatment, as characterized by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH); adults entering OUD treatment, as characterized by Treatment Episodes Dataset (TEDS); and adults living in rural regions of the U.S. with high rates of injection drug use, as characterized by the Rural Opioids Initiative (ROI). Generalizability analyses adjusted for differences in demographic characteristics, substance use, housing status, and depression between RCT and target populations using inverse probability of selection weighting.

RESULTS

Analyses included 673 clinical trial participants, 139 NSDUH respondents (weighted to represent 661,650 people), 71,751 TEDS treatment episodes, and 1,933 ROI participants. The majority were aged 30-49 years, male, and non-Hispanic White. In RCTs, stimulant use reduced the likelihood of MOUD initiation by 32% (adjusted HR [aHR] = 0.68, 95% CI 0.49-0.94, p = 0.019). Stimulant use associations were slightly attenuated and non-significant among housed adults needing treatment (25% reduction, aHR = 0.75, 0.48-1.18, p = 0.215) and adults entering OUD treatment (28% reduction, aHR = 0.72, 0.51-1.01, p = 0.061). The association was more pronounced, but still non-significant among rural people injecting drugs (39% reduction, aHR = 0.61, 0.35-1.06, p = 0.081). Stimulant use had a larger negative impact on XR-NTX initiation compared to buprenorphine, especially in the rural population (76% reduction, aHR = 0.24, 0.08-0.69, p = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

Stimulant use is a barrier to buprenorphine or XR-NTX initiation in clinical trials and real-world populations that would benefit from OUD treatment. Interventions to address stimulant use among patients with OUD are urgently needed, especially among rural people injecting drugs, who already suffer from limited access to MOUD.

Perceptions of buprenorphine barriers and efficacy among nurse practitioners and physician assistants

Background

Medications for opioid use disorder (MOUDs), including methadone, buprenorphine, and naltrexone, decrease mortality and morbidity for people with opioid use disorder (OUD). Buprenorphine and methadone have the strongest evidence base among MOUDs. Unlike methadone, buprenorphine may be prescribed in office-based settings in the U.S., including by nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) who have a federal waiver and adhere to federal patient limits. Buprenorphine is underutilized nationally, particularly in rural areas, and NPs/PAs could help address this gap. Therefore, we sought to identify perceptions of buprenorphine efficacy and perceptions of prescribing barriers among NPs/PAs. We also sought to compare perceived buprenorphine efficacy and perceived prescribing barriers between waivered and non-waivered NPs/PAs, as well as to compare perceived buprenorphine efficacy to perceived naltrexone and methadone efficacy.

Methods

We disseminated an online survey to a random national sample of NPs/PAs. We used Mann–Whitney U tests to compare between waivered and non-waivered respondents. We used non-parametric Friedman tests and post-hoc Wilcoxon signed-rank tests to compare perceptions of medication types.

Results

240 respondents participated (6.5% response rate). Most respondents agreed buprenorphine is efficacious and believed counseling and peer support should complement buprenorphine. Buprenorphine was generally perceived as more efficacious than both naltrexone and methadone. Perceived buprenorphine efficacy and prescribing barriers differed by waiver status. Non-waivered practitioners were more likely than waivered practitioners to have concerns about buprenorphine affecting patient mix. Among waivered NPs/PAs, key buprenorphine prescribing barriers were insurance prior authorization and detoxification access.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that different policies should target perceived barriers affecting waivered versus non-waivered NPs/PAs. Concerns about patient mix suggest stigmatization of patients with OUD. NP/PA education is needed about comparative medication efficaciousness, particularly regarding methadone. Even though many buprenorphine treatment patients benefits from counseling and/or peer support groups, NPs/PAs should be informed that such psychosocial treatment methods are not necessary for all buprenorphine patients.

Virtual opioid agonist treatment: Alberta's virtual opioid dependency program and outcomes

Background

Virtually delivered healthcare (telehealth, telemedicine) has the potential to reduce gaps in access to opioid agonist therapy (OAT). Barriers to accessing OAT such as lack of transportation, in-person induction requirements, employment demands and limited childcare options reduce treatment opportunities for clients. A completely virtual model of care has been developed in Alberta, Canada. This paper introduces the unique virtual clinic model and describes outcomes from that model.

Methods

A retrospective chart review was conducted using datasets within existing electronic health records and databases from Alberta’s Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP). Outcome data were extracted at admission to ongoing care by Case Management within the VODP and at 3, 6 and 12 months for the duration of treatment. Utilization trends over three years were analyzed, including admissions, discharges and active client information. Data regarding clinical outcomes for clients engaged in ongoing care with the VODP were aggregated for analysis over four time periods, including treatment retention rates at 6 and 12 months.

Results

A total of 440 client records were included in the study sample. Descriptive analysis showed rapid growth in utilization over three fiscal years. Despite rapid growth in utilization, median wait days for treatment decreased from 6 to 0 days with the initiation of a Same Day Start service to support low barrier immediate access to treatment. Treatment retention rates for clients in ongoing care were comparable to published reports, with 90% of the study sample remaining in treatment over 6 months, and 58% showing retention over 12 months. Clients reported high levels of satisfaction (90%) and outcomes reflected reductions in drug use and overdose as well as improved social functioning.

Conclusions

The VODP model demonstrated high levels of client satisfaction, rapid growth in utilization and positive preliminary clinical outcomes. Entirely virtual delivery of opioid agonist therapy is a promising option to facilitate access to evidence based treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) in the context of a fentanyl overdose crisis, particularly for individuals living in rural or underserved areas.