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Shahlapour M, Singh S, Christine PJ, Laks J, Evans J, Farrell NM, Khan GK, Taylor JL, Rozansky H. Novel Uses of Methadone Under the "72-Hour Rule" to Facilitate Transitions of Care and Low-Dose Buprenorphine Induction in an Outpatient Bridge Clinic. J Addict Med 2024; 18:345-347. [PMID: 38329815 DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/10/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Federal regulations restrict methadone for opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment to licensed opioid treatment programs (OTPs). However, providers in other settings can administer methadone for opioid withdrawal under the "72-hour rule" while linking to further care. Prior work has demonstrated that methadone initiation in a low-barrier bridge clinic is associated with high OTP linkage and 1-month retention rates. We describe 2 other novel applications of the 72-hour rule in which methadone withdrawal management facilitated linkage to inpatient hospitalization and outpatient buprenorphine induction. CASE PRESENTATIONS Patient 1 was a 46-year-old woman with OUD complicated by serious injection-related infections. Severe opioid withdrawal limited her ability to tolerate emergency department wait times and receive inpatient care. We administered methadone for opioid withdrawal in an outpatient bridge clinic immediately before emergency department referral; this enabled hospital admission for intravenous antibiotics and anticoagulation. Patient 2 was a 36-year-old man with OUD desiring buprenorphine treatment. He had been unable to complete traditional buprenorphine induction without experiencing precipitated withdrawal. Thus, we recommended a low-dose buprenorphine induction overlapping with a full opioid agonist. Given the patient's preference to stop using fentanyl immediately, he received 72 hours of methadone for withdrawal treatment during the induction phase and successfully transitioned to buprenorphine without significant concomitant fentanyl use. CONCLUSION In addition to facilitating OTP linkage, on-demand 72-hour methadone administration for opioid withdrawal can reduce barriers to acute medical care and buprenorphine treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minaliza Shahlapour
- From the Department of Adult Medicine, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Boston, MA (MS); Internal Medicine Residency Program, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA (SS); Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, Aurora, CO (PJC); Section of General Internal Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine & Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA (JL, GKK, JLT, HR); Grayken Center for Addiction, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA (JL, GKK, JLT, HR); The Dimock Center, Boston, MA (JE); Department of Pharmacy, Boston Medical Center, Boston, MA (NMF); and Department of Emergency Medicine, Boston University Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA (NMF)
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Jones BLH, Geier M, Neuhaus J, Coffin PO, Snyder HR, Soran CS, Knight KR, Suen LW. Withdrawal during outpatient low dose buprenorphine initiation in people who use fentanyl: a retrospective cohort study. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:80. [PMID: 38594721 PMCID: PMC11005253 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-00998-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD); however, buprenorphine initiation can be complicated by withdrawal symptoms including precipitated withdrawal. There has been increasing interest in using low dose initiation (LDI) strategies to reduce this withdrawal risk. As there are limited data on withdrawal symptoms during LDI, we characterize withdrawal symptoms in people with daily fentanyl use who underwent initiation using these strategies as outpatients. METHODS We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients with OUD using daily fentanyl who were prescribed 7-day or 4-day LDI at 2 substance use disorder treatment clinics in San Francisco. Two addiction medicine experts assessed extracted chart documentation for withdrawal severity and precipitated withdrawal, defined as acute worsening of withdrawal symptoms immediately after taking buprenorphine. A third expert adjudicated disagreements. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. RESULTS There were 175 initiations in 126 patients. The mean age was 37 (SD 10 years). 71% were men, 26% women, and 2% non-binary. 21% identified as Black, 16% Latine, and 52% white. 60% were unstably housed and 75% had Medicaid insurance. Substance co-use included 74% who used amphetamines, 29% cocaine, 22% benzodiazepines, and 19% alcohol. Follow up was available for 118 (67%) initiations. There was deviation from protocol instructions in 22% of these initiations with follow up. 31% had any withdrawal, including 21% with mild symptoms, 8% moderate and 2% severe. Precipitated withdrawal occurred in 10 cases, or 8% of initiations with follow up. Of these, 7 had deviation from protocol instructions; thus, there were 3 cases with follow up (3%) in which precipitated withdrawal occurred without protocol deviation. CONCLUSIONS Withdrawal was relatively common in our cohort but was mostly mild, and precipitated withdrawal was rare. Deviation from instructions, structural barriers, and varying fentanyl use characteristics may contribute to withdrawal. Clinicians should counsel patients who use fentanyl that mild withdrawal symptoms are likely during LDI, and there is still a low risk for precipitated withdrawal. Future studies should compare withdrawal across initiation types, seek ways to support patients in initiating buprenorphine, and qualitatively elicit patients' withdrawal experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin L H Jones
- Medical Student Center, UCSF School of Medicine, 533 Parnassus Avenue, S-245, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA.
| | - Michelle Geier
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, 101 Grove Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102, USA
| | - John Neuhaus
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, 550 16th Street, 2nd Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94158, USA
| | - Phillip O Coffin
- San Francisco Department of Public Health, 101 Grove Street, San Francisco, CA, 94102, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Hannah R Snyder
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 995 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
| | - Christine S Soran
- Division of General Internal Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
- Division of Substance Abuse and Addiction Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
| | - Kelly R Knight
- Department of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of California San Francisco, 490 Illinois Street, 7th Floor, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
| | - Leslie W Suen
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 505 Parnassus Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94143, USA
- Division of General Internal Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
- Division of Substance Abuse and Addiction Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California San Francisco, 1001 Potrero Avenue, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
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McCarthy JJ, Finnegan LP. Methadone and neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS): what we think we know, but do not. Front Pediatr 2023; 11:1316583. [PMID: 38188918 PMCID: PMC10768019 DOI: 10.3389/fped.2023.1316583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 11/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Since the first use of methadone to treat OUD in pregnancy in the 1970s, there has been a long, controversial, and confusing history of studies, regulatory actions, and practice changes that have clouded an accurate perception of methadone's use in pregnancy. This review will trace this history with a focus on the effect of methadone exposure during pregnancy on neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). A new laboratory measure, the serum methadone/metabolite ratio (MMR), has provided a tool for documenting the profoundly dynamic nature of perinatal metabolism. Continuous induction of metabolic enzymes during pregnancy requires dose adjustments and dose frequency changes. The concept of "fetal methadone dosing" emphasizes that relative stability of methadone levels in the fetus is an important consideration for methadone dosing in pregnancy. Finally, the effects of the societal "war on drugs" on pediatric management of neonatal withdrawal risks will be discussed, as well as the importance of comprehensive services for mother and child including the "rooming-in" approach of neonatal care which has considerably replaced the older NICU care model of maternal/infant separation.
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Affiliation(s)
- John J. McCarthy
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, Davis, CA, United States
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Locke T, Salisbury-Afshar E, Coyle DT. Treatment Updates for Pain Management and Opioid Use Disorder. Med Clin North Am 2023; 107:1035-1046. [PMID: 37806723 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcna.2023.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/10/2023]
Abstract
The medical community has proposed several clinical recommendations to promote patient safety and health amid the opioid overdose public health crisis. For a frontline practicing physician, distilling the evidence and implementing the latest guidelines may prove challenging. This article aims to highlight pertinent updates and clinical care pearls as they relate to primary care management of chronic pain and opioid use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Locke
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13001 East 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA.
| | - Elizabeth Salisbury-Afshar
- University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, 610 North Whitney Way, Suite 200, Madison, WI 53705, USA
| | - David Tyler Coyle
- University of Colorado School of Medicine, 13001 East 17th Place, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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Martin M, Englander H, Calcaterra SL. Things We Do for No Reason™: Avoiding methadone for opioid withdrawal. J Hosp Med 2023; 18:1034-1037. [PMID: 37244869 PMCID: PMC10870273 DOI: 10.1002/jhm.13138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marlene Martin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, University of California, San Francisco, California, USA
| | - Honora Englander
- Department of Medicine, Section of Addiction Medicine in Division of General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, Portland, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hospital Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Oregon, Portland, USA
| | - Susan L. Calcaterra
- Department of Medicine, Divisions of Hospital Medicine and General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado Hospital, Aurora, Colorado, USA
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