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Ward DJ, Kawalek DA. The return of drugs courts: Some important considerations. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 127:104418. [PMID: 38599034 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104418] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/26/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024]
Abstract
Drugs courts can be praised for the rehabilitative health-treatment response they deliver to people with drugs dependence problems. This is when contrasted with traditional courts that operate on adversarial and retributive justice principles and do little to alleviate cycles of repeat drugs offending. Whilst drugs courts have been met with success and embraced in several jurisdictions worldwide, fundamental points need to be raised on the model that is re-emerging in England and Wales. Indications are it will involve drugs testing and a 'graduated sanctions and incentives system' that comprises short custodial sentences for non-compliance. This essay discusses the newly emerging drugs court model as signposted within different legislative and public policy documents and raises questions relating to the precise model these courts will take; whether they prioritise harm reduction or if 'abstinence' goals will predominate. We question whether people with drugs dependence problems should be sanctioned to short custodial prison sentences if in breach of a drugs court order. And perhaps more fundamentally: do we need drugs courts in the English and Welsh justice system?
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Affiliation(s)
- Dr Jenni Ward
- School of Law and Social Sciences, Middlesex University, The Burroughs, London NW4 4BT, United Kingdom.
| | - Dr Anna Kawalek
- Leeds Law School, Leeds Beckett University, 10 Queen Square, Leeds LS2 8AJ, United Kingdom
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Holkenborg J, Frenken BA, Bon BVDKV, Vroegop MP, Van Meggelen MGM, Kramers C, Schellekens AFA, Kraaijvanger N. The prevalence of prescription opioid use and misuse among emergency department patients in The Netherlands. J Eval Clin Pract 2024; 30:473-480. [PMID: 38251860 DOI: 10.1111/jep.13965] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/31/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
RATIONALE Prescription opioid use and misuse have increased rapidly in many Western countries in the past decade. Patients (mis)using opioids are at risk of presenting to the emergency department (ED) with opioid-related problems. European data concerning prescription opioid (mis)use among the ED population is lacking. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES This study aims to determine prevalence of prescription opioid use, misuse, and opioid use disorder (OUD) among Dutch ED patients. Secondary objectives were to explore factors associated with prescription opioid misuse and the number of patients discharged with a new opioid prescription. METHODS In a cross-sectional multicenter study at three hospitals in the Netherlands, adult ED patients were screened for current prescription opioid use. Opioid users filled out questionnaires regarding opioid (mis)use, and underwent a structured interview to assess OUD criteria. The primary outcomes were prevalence rates of (1) current prescription opioid use, (2) prescription opioid misuse (based on a Current Opioid Misuse Measure [COMM] score > 8), (3) OUD, based on DSM-5 criteria. Independent T-tests, Pearson χ2 and Fisher's Exact tests were used to analyse differences in characteristics between groups. RESULTS A total of 997 patients were screened, of which 15% (n = 150) used prescription opioids. Out of 93 patients assessed, 22.6% (n = 21) showed signs of prescription opioid misuse, and 9.8% (n = 9, 95% CI: 4.5-17.8) fulfilled criteria for OUD. A medical history of psychiatric disorder was significantly more common in patients with prescription opioid misuse and OUD. CONCLUSION This study shows that prescription opioid use is relatively common in ED patients in the Netherlands, compared to the overall population. Over one fifth of these patients shows signs of opioid misuse or OUD. Awareness among ED personnel about the high prevalence of prescription opioid (mis)use in their population is critical for signalling opioid-related problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joris Holkenborg
- Emergency Department, Rijnstate Hospital, Arnhem, The Netherlands
| | | | | | - Maurice P Vroegop
- Emergency Department, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | | | - Cees Kramers
- Department of Pharmacology-Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Arnt F A Schellekens
- Nijmegen Institute for Science Practitioners in Addiction (NISPA), Nijmegen, The Netherlands
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Lee IH, Kim SY, Park S, Ryu JG, Je NK. Impact of the Narcotics Information Management System on Opioid Use Among Outpatients With Musculoskeletal and Connective Tissue Disorders: Quasi-Experimental Study Using Interrupted Time Series. JMIR Public Health Surveill 2024; 10:e47130. [PMID: 38381481 PMCID: PMC10918548 DOI: 10.2196/47130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2023] [Revised: 09/09/2023] [Accepted: 01/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioids have traditionally been used to manage acute or terminal pain. However, their prolonged use has the potential for abuse, misuse, and addiction. South Korea introduced a new health care IT system named the Narcotics Information Management System (NIMS) with the objective of managing all aspects of opioid use, including manufacturing, distribution, sales, disposal, etc. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to assess the impact of NIMS on opioid use. METHODS We conducted an analysis using national claims data from 45,582 patients diagnosed with musculoskeletal and connective tissue disorders between 2016 and 2020. Our approach included using an interrupted time-series analysis and constructing segmented regression models. Within these models, we considered the primary intervention to be the implementation of NIMS, while we treated the COVID-19 outbreak as the secondary event. To comprehensively assess inappropriate opioid use, we examined 4 key indicators, as established in previous studies: (1) the proportion of patients on high-dose opioid treatment, (2) the proportion of patients receiving opioid prescriptions from multiple providers, (3) the overlap rate of opioid prescriptions per patient, and (4) the naloxone use rate among opioid users. RESULTS During the study period, there was a general trend of increasing opioid use. After the implementation of NIMS, significant increases were observed in the trend of the proportion of patients on high-dose opioid treatment (coefficient=0.0271; P=.01) and in the level of the proportion of patients receiving opioid prescriptions from multiple providers (coefficient=0.6252; P=.004). An abrupt decline was seen in the level of the naloxone use rate among opioid users (coefficient=-0.2968; P=.04). While these changes were statistically significant, their clinical significance appears to be minor. No significant changes were observed after both the implementation of NIMS and the COVID-19 outbreak. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that, in its current form, the NIMS may not have brought significant improvements to the identified indicators of opioid overuse and misuse. Additionally, the COVID-19 outbreak exhibited no significant influence on opioid use patterns. The absence of real-time monitoring feature within the NIMS could be a key contributing factor. Further exploration and enhancements are needed to maximize the NIMS' impact on curbing inappropriate opioid use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iyn-Hyang Lee
- College of Pharmacy, Yeungnam University, Gyeongsan, Republic of Korea
| | - So Young Kim
- Department of Pharmacy, Kosin University Gospel Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea
| | - Susin Park
- College of Pharmacy, Woosuk University, Wanju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Gon Ryu
- Department of Pharmacy, Sungkyunkwan University Samsung Changwon Hospital, Changwon, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam Kyung Je
- College of Pharmacy, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
- Research Institute for Drug Development, Pusan National University, Busan, Republic of Korea
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Skogseth EM, Brant K, Harrison E, Apsley HB, Crowley M, Schwartz RP, Jones AA. Women and Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: Contributors to Treatment Success From the Perspectives of Women in Recovery, Women With Past Attempts in Drug Treatment, and Health and Criminal Justice Professionals. SUBSTANCE USE : RESEARCH AND TREATMENT 2024; 18:11782218231222339. [PMID: 38433748 PMCID: PMC10906498 DOI: 10.1177/11782218231222339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Introduction The disproportionate incidence of opioid use disorder (OUD) and the alarming increases in opioid-related overdose deaths among women highlight a clear need for the expansion of effective harm reduction and treatment practices. Research supports medications for opioid use disorders (MOUD) as an effective intervention; however, with low rates of utilization of such, there is a need to identify factors that facilitate MOUD treatment uptake and retention for women. Thus, the current study examines contributors to treatment success through the triangulation of perspectives from affected women as well as health and criminal justice professionals. Methods Interviews (N = 42) were conducted from May to July 2022 with women in recovery who previously used or currently use MOUD (N = 10), women who currently use opioids who terminated a MOUD program previously (N = 10), SUD treatment professionals (N = 12), and criminal justice professionals who work with women who use opioids (N = 10). Interviews for all participants centered around their backgrounds, perceived barriers and facilitators to MOUD treatment, and issues specific to women in treatment for substance use disorder. We used a thematic qualitative data analysis process to analyze transcripts. Results Participants highlighted contributors to treatment success from 3 domains: (1) internal processes (including promoting self-efficacy and setting realistic goals), (2) access to resources (including material resources, such as food and shelter, educational resources and social support), and (3) treatment structure (such as treatment type and protocol). Conclusion Internal processes, access to resources, and treatment structure contribute to MOUD treatment success for women with OUD. Structured support where experiences are shared, and realistic goals are set, may promote feelings of acceptance and empowerment, thereby bolstering chances of treatment success. Additionally, the court system can promote evidence-based and trauma-informed substance use treatment and provide accessible educational resources related to substance use to extend these benefits to more women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma M Skogseth
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Kristina Brant
- Department of Agricultural Economics, Society, and Education, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Eric Harrison
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Hannah B Apsley
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - Max Crowley
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | | | - Abenaa A Jones
- Department of Human Development and Family Studies, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Consortium on Substance Use and Addiction, Penn State University, University Park, PA, USA
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Israel BS, Belcher AM, Ford JD. A Harm Reduction Framework for Integrated Treatment of Co-Occurring Opioid Use Disorder and Trauma-Related Disorders. J Dual Diagn 2024; 20:52-85. [PMID: 38165922 DOI: 10.1080/15504263.2023.2295416] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2024]
Abstract
The opioid epidemic has exposed a gulf in mental health research, treatment, and policy: Most patients with comorbid trauma-related disorder (TRD) and opioid use disorder (OUD) (TRD + OUD) remain undiagnosed or unsuccessfully treated for the combination of TRD symptoms and opioid use. TRD treatments tend to be psychotherapies that are not accessible or practical for many individuals with TRD + OUD, due to TRD treatment models not systematically incorporating principles of harm reduction (HR). HR practices prioritize flexibility and unequivocally improve outcomes and save lives in the treatment of OUD. Considering the urgent need to improve TRD + OUD treatment and outcomes, we propose that the OUD and TRD fields can be meaningfully reconciled by integrating HR principles with classic phasic treatment for TRD. Adding a "prestabilization" phase of treatment for TRD - largely analogous to the precontemplation Stage of Change - creates opportunities to advance research, clinical practice, and policies and potentially improve patient outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin S Israel
- Division of Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Annabelle M Belcher
- Division of Addiction Research and Treatment, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Julian D Ford
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Connecticut Health Center, Farmington, Connecticut, USA
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García-Sempere A, Hurtado I, Robles C, Llopis-Cardona F, Sánchez-Saez F, Rodriguez-Bernal C, Peiró-Moreno S, Sanfélix-Gimeno G. Initial opioid prescription characteristics and risk of opioid misuse, poisoning and dependence: retrospective cohort study. BMJ Qual Saf 2023; 33:13-23. [PMID: 37414557 PMCID: PMC10804034 DOI: 10.1136/bmjqs-2022-015833] [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: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To identify individual and initial prescription-related factors associated with an increased risk for opioid-related misuse, poisoning and dependence (MPD) in patients with non-cancer pain. METHODS Cohort study linking several databases covering 5 million inhabitants of the region of Valencia, Spain, including all adults initiating prescription opioids in the period 2012-2018. To ascertain the association between the characteristics of the initial prescription choice and the risk of opioid MPD, we used shared frailty Cox regression models. We additionally considered death as a competing risk in sensitivity analyses. RESULTS 958 019 patients initiated opioid prescription from 2012 to 2018, of which 0.13% experienced MPD. Most patients were prescribed tramadol as initial opioid (76.7%) followed by codeine (16.3%), long-acting opioids (6.7%), short-acting opioids (0.2%) and ultrafast opioids (0.1%). Initiation with ultrafast (HR 7.2; 95% CI 4.1 to 12.6), short-acting (HR 4.8; 95% CI 2.3 to 10.2) and long-acting opioids (HR 1.5; 95% CI 1.2 to 1.9) were associated with a higher risk of MPD when compared with tramadol. Initial prescriptions covering 4-7 days (HR 1.3; 95% CI 1.0 to 1.8), 8-14 days (HR 1.4; 95% CI 1.0 to 1.9), 15-30 days (HR 1.7; 95% CI 1.2 to 2.3) and more than one a month (HR 1.8; 95% CI 1.3 to 2.5) were associated with more MPD risk than initial prescriptions for 1-3 days. Treatments with >120 daily morphine milligram equivalents (MME) increased MPD risk (vs <50 MME, HR 1.6; 95% CI 1.1 to 2.2). Main individual factors associated with increased risk of MPD risk were male sex (HR 2.4; 95% CI 2.1 to 2.7), younger age (when compared with patients aged 18-44 years, patients aged 45-64 years, HR 0.4; 95% CI 0.4 to 0.5; patients aged 65-74 years, HR 0.4; 95% CI 0.3 to 0.5 and patients aged 75 years old and over, HR 0.7; 95% CI 0.6 to 0.8), lack of economic resources (2.1; 95% CI 1.8 to 2.5) and registered misuse of alcohol (2.9; 95% CI 2.4 to 3.5). Sensitivity analyses yielded overall comparable results. CONCLUSIONS Our study identifies riskier patterns of opioid prescription initiation for non-cancer indications, as well as patient subgroups with higher risk of misuse, poisoning and dependence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aníbal García-Sempere
- Health Services Research Unit, Fundacio per al Foment de la Investigacio Sanitaria i Biomedica, Valencia, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Prevención y Promoción de la Salud - RICAPPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Isabel Hurtado
- Health Services Research Unit, Fundacio per al Foment de la Investigacio Sanitaria i Biomedica, Valencia, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Prevención y Promoción de la Salud - RICAPPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Celia Robles
- Health Services Research Unit, Fundacio per al Foment de la Investigacio Sanitaria i Biomedica, Valencia, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Prevención y Promoción de la Salud - RICAPPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Fran Llopis-Cardona
- Health Services Research Unit, Fundacio per al Foment de la Investigacio Sanitaria i Biomedica, Valencia, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Prevención y Promoción de la Salud - RICAPPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Francisco Sánchez-Saez
- Health Services Research Unit, Fundacio per al Foment de la Investigacio Sanitaria i Biomedica, Valencia, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Prevención y Promoción de la Salud - RICAPPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Clara Rodriguez-Bernal
- Health Services Research Unit, Fundacio per al Foment de la Investigacio Sanitaria i Biomedica, Valencia, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Prevención y Promoción de la Salud - RICAPPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Salvador Peiró-Moreno
- Health Services Research Unit, Fundacio per al Foment de la Investigacio Sanitaria i Biomedica, Valencia, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Prevención y Promoción de la Salud - RICAPPS, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Gabriel Sanfélix-Gimeno
- Health Services Research Unit, Fundacio per al Foment de la Investigacio Sanitaria i Biomedica, Valencia, Spain
- Red de Investigación en Cronicidad, Atención Primaria y Prevención y Promoción de la Salud - RICAPPS, Barcelona, Spain
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Dressler RL, Kaliner E, Cohen MJ. Trends in Israeli community-based opioid prescribing, 2010-2020, an observational study of the country's largest HMO. Isr J Health Policy Res 2023; 12:34. [PMID: 37974249 PMCID: PMC10652579 DOI: 10.1186/s13584-023-00581-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prescription opioids are widely used for pain control and palliative care but have been associated with a variety of untoward effects, including opioid use disorder, addiction, and increased mortality. Patterns of opioid use in Israel are to date poorly described. METHODS Using a community-based database, the authors performed a retrospective analysis of filled opioid prescriptions of Israeli HMO members 18 years of age or older during the years of 2010-2020 that filled at least one opioid prescription. Morphine milligram equivalent (MME) calculations were stratified by presence or absence of oncology diagnosis and by specific opioid medication. RESULTS The percentage of HMO members who filled at least one opioid prescription increased every year from 2.1% in 2010 to 4.2% in 2020. There was an increase in the MME per prescription (44.2%), daily MME per capita (142.1%) and MME per prescription-filling patient (39%) from 2010 to 2020. Increased prescription opioid use is driven by a small group of non-oncological patients, which is less than 1.5% of opioid-prescribed patients and 0.1% of the adult population, primarily owing to fentanyl use. CONCLUSION Supervision and control of opioid prescriptions in Israel should be a focused effort directed at patients prescribed uniquely high dosages rather than a population-wide strategy that focuses on all patients prescribed opioids. This should be complemented by improved physician training and access to non-opioid therapies, as well as improved data collection and analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Reuven L Dressler
- Clalit Health Services, Department of Family Medicine, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem District, HaGitit 64-B, 9839037, Maale Adumim, Israel
| | - Ehud Kaliner
- State of Israel Ministry of Health, Central District, 91 Herzl St., 7243003, Ramla, Israel
| | - Matan J Cohen
- Clalit Health Services, Hebrew University of Jerusalem Faculty of Medicine, Jerusalem District, 1 Ygal Alon St., Bet Shemesh, Israel.
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Schneider T, Kuussaari K, Virtanen P. Drug treatment service procurement: A systematic review of models, goals, and outcomes. NORDIC STUDIES ON ALCOHOL AND DRUGS 2023; 40:424-442. [PMID: 37969897 PMCID: PMC10634391 DOI: 10.1177/14550725231157503] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Aim: To explore the goals and outcomes of public procurement of drug treatment services in OECD countries. The study explores how these complex services are procured and delivered. Methods and data: A systematic review of the literature (1990-2020) identified four partly overlapping models of drug treatment service procurement that are here labelled traditional, value-based, outcome-based, and innovative. Results: Even though different forms of drug treatment services procurement are common, only 12 empirical studies that focused on procurement were found. The four models differ in their approaches to design and performance specifications and the role of competition and collaboration in the co-creation of value. Conclusions: Competition and incentives improve neither the efficiency nor the quality or the outcomes of complex drug treatment services. Whereas many studies focus on payment mechanisms, there are important research gaps that relate to the co-creation of value with and for the service-users and other stakeholders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taina Schneider
- University of Vaasa, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Petri Virtanen
- University of Vaasa, Itla Children's Foundation, Vaasa, Finland
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Lešnik S, Bren U, Domratcheva T, Bondar AN. Fentanyl and the Fluorinated Fentanyl Derivative NFEPP Elicit Distinct Hydrogen-Bond Dynamics of the Opioid Receptor. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:4732-4748. [PMID: 37498626 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.3c00197] [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: 07/28/2023]
Abstract
The development of safe therapeutics to manage pain is of central interest for biomedical applications. The fluorinated fentanyl derivative N-(3-fluoro-1-phenethylpiperidin-4-yl)-N-phenylpropionamide (NFEPP) is potentially a safer alternative to fentanyl because unlike fentanyl─which binds to the μ-opioid receptor (MOR) at both physiological and acidic pH─NFEPP might bind to the MOR only at acidic pH typical of inflamed tissue. Knowledge of the protonation-coupled dynamics of the receptor-drug interactions is thus required to understand the molecular mechanism by which receptor activation initiates cell signaling to silence pain. To this end, here we have carried out extensive atomistic simulations of the MOR in different protonation states, in the absence of opioid drugs, and in the presence of fentanyl vs NFEPP. We used graph-based analyses to characterize internal hydrogen-bond networks that could contribute to the activation of the MOR. We find that fentanyl and NFEPP prefer distinct binding poses and that, in their binding poses, fentanyl and NFEPP partake in distinct internal hydrogen-bond networks, leading to the cytoplasmic G-protein-binding region. Moreover, the protonation state of functionally important aspartic and histidine side chains impacts hydrogen-bond networks that extend throughout the receptor, such that the ligand-bound MOR presents at its cytoplasmic G-protein-binding side, a hydrogen-bonding environment where dynamics depend on whether fentanyl or NFEPP is bound, and on the protonation state of specific MOR groups. The exquisite sensitivity of the internal protein-water hydrogen-bond network to the protonation state and to details of the drug binding could enable the MOR to elicit distinct pH- and opioid-dependent responses at its cytoplasmic G-protein-binding site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samo Lešnik
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Sensors, Beloruska ulica 7, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Urban Bren
- Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Laboratory of Physical Chemistry and Chemical Thermodynamics, University of Maribor, Smetanova ulica 17, SI-2000 Maribor, Slovenia
- Institute for Environmental Protection and Sensors, Beloruska ulica 7, 2000 Maribor, Slovenia
- Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies, University of Primorska, SI-6000 Koper, Slovenia
| | - Tatiana Domratcheva
- Department of Chemistry, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119991 Moscow, Russia
- Department of Biomolecular Mechanisms, Max-Plank-Institute fur Medizinische Forschung, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ana-Nicoleta Bondar
- Faculty of Physics, University of Bucharest, Atomiştilor 405, 077125 Măgurele, Romania
- Institute of Computational Biomedicine, IAS-5/INM-9, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Wilhelm-Johnen Straße, 5428 Jülich, Germany
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Mehta A, Patel BM. Long-acting opioids and cardiovascular diseases: Help or hindrance! Vascul Pharmacol 2023; 149:107144. [PMID: 36740214 DOI: 10.1016/j.vph.2023.107144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Opioids are widely being used for chronic pain management, cough and diarrhea suppressants, anesthetic agents, and opioid de-addiction therapy. Opioid receptors, present in the central nervous system and peripheral tissues, are documented to regulate several cardiac functions through different signaling pathways. Long-acting opioids (LAO) have been successfully evaluated for their beneficial effects in various cardiovascular diseases viz. myocardial infarction, ischemic reperfusion injuries, atherosclerosis etc. However, on the other hand, several research studies pointed towards the harmful effects of LAOs which are mainly associated with QTc prolongation, torsade de pointes, ventricular arrhythmias, and cardiac arrest. This review shall familiarize readers with the benefits as well as the harmful effects of long-acting opioids in cardiovascular diseases. We have also provided an overview of cardiac opioid receptors, endogenous cardiac opioid peptides, and regulation of cardiovascular functions by central and cardiac opioid receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankita Mehta
- Labcorp Central Laboratory Services Limited Partnership, Bangalore, India
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Gliszczynski K, Hindmarsh A, Ellis S, Ling J, Anderson KN. Online education for safer opioid prescribing in hospitals-lessons learnt from the Opioid Use Change (OUCh) project. Postgrad Med J 2023; 99:32-36. [PMID: 36947421 DOI: 10.1093/postmj/qgac005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioids are often required for acute inpatient pain relief but lack of knowledge about common and less common long-term side effects can lead to inappropriate discharge prescribing. There are few validated educational tools available for junior prescribers on hospital wards. Education around opioid prescribing and deprescribing remains limited in the undergraduate curriculum and yet almost all controlled drug prescribing in hospitals is done by junior doctors. METHODS A 5-minute video was developed with iterative feedback from medical students, junior prescribers, pain specialists, primary care educational leads, and a patient who had developed opioid addiction after hospital prescribing. It explained the need for clear stop dates on discharge summaries and the range of opioid side effects. It also highlighted the hospital admission as an opportunity to reduce inappropriate high-dose opioids. A short knowledge-based quiz before and after viewing the video was used to evaluate the impact on and change in knowledge and confidence around opioid prescribing. This tool was designed to be used entirely online to allow delivery within existing mandatory training. RESULTS Feedback was positive and showed that knowledge of side effects significantly increased but also contacts with ward pharmacists and the acute pain team increased. Junior doctors highlighted that the undergraduate curriculum did little to prepare them for prescription addiction and that pharmacy and senior support was needed to support any changes in longer-term, high-dose opioids. CONCLUSIONS This short educational video improved knowledge of safe opioid prescribing and could be incorporated within wider opioid education in UK healthcare.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alice Hindmarsh
- Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - Samantha Ellis
- Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
| | - Johnathan Ling
- Faculty of Health Sciences and Wellbeing, University of Sunderland, Sunderland, SR1 3SD, UK
| | - Kirstie N Anderson
- Newcastle upon Tyne NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 4LP, UK
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Mclaughlin S, Overell J, Rossaak J. Opioid prescribing patterns following common general surgery procedures in the Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. ANZ J Surg 2023; 93:597-601. [PMID: 36792842 DOI: 10.1111/ans.18319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 01/29/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global increases in opioid prescribing and misuse have prompted calls for closer regulation. Opioid prescription following surgery may lead to long term opioid use. A study was conducted evaluating opioid prescriptions on hospital discharge following common general surgery operations in the Bay of Plenty. METHODS Retrospective observational study over a two-year period in two regional New Zealand hospitals. Six hundred and eleven patients aged 18-64 years were assessed. Patients with complications, readmission, and a prescription of opioids in the preceding 3 months were excluded. RESULTS A total of 460 patients (165 Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy (LC), 200 Laparoscopic Appendicectomy (LA) and 95 Open Inguinal Hernia Repair (OIHR)) were included in analysis. Opioids were prescribed to 53% of LC, 55% of LA, and 60% of OIHR patients, with a mean of 75.8 Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MMEs), 75.3 MMEs, and 82.8 MMEs respectively. Seven percent of patients (18/254) received a second opioid prescription within 3 months, and of those only 1.6% (4/254) received a further prescription between 3 and 6 months from discharge. Opioid prescribing did not correlate with operation, ethnicity, age, length of stay, or gender, except for males receiving a more MMEs than females following LC (mean 102.0 MMEs versus 65.4 MMEs, P = 0.017). CONCLUSION This study shows a rate of opioid prescribing lower than the USA, and greater than seen in an Australian setting. Substantial amounts of opioids were prescribed following uncomplicated surgery, with significant variability. Improvements in training in post-operative opioid prescribing are needed. Fortunately, rates of ongoing opioid use were low.
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Affiliation(s)
- Scott Mclaughlin
- Bay of Plenty District, Te Whatu Ora Health, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - James Overell
- Capital and Coast District, Te Whatu Ora Health, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Jeremy Rossaak
- Bay of Plenty District, Te Whatu Ora Health, Wellington, New Zealand
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13
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Chan KY, Keogh S, Aucharaz N, Merrigan A, Tormey S. Opioid prescribing after breast surgery: A systematic review of guidelines. Surgeon 2022:S1479-666X(22)00139-1. [PMID: 36593160 DOI: 10.1016/j.surge.2022.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2022] [Revised: 12/01/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite advances in opioid-sparing analgesia, opioid prescribing in breast surgery remains suboptimal. Besides delayed rehabilitation, excess post-operative opioids may contribute significantly to opioid dependence. This systematic review of guidelines evaluates current opioid-prescribing recommendations after breast surgery to identify trends in prescribing. Additionally, it compares recommendations on different non-opioid and non-pharmacological adjuncts. METHODS Electronic databases were searched systematically using terms "breast surgery", "analgesia", "opioid" and "guidelines". The grey literature was used to supplement the search. All articles that provided guidance on opioid prescribing in breast surgery were included. Quality of the guidelines were assessed using the AGREE II tool. Recommendations pertaining to opioid prescribing, analgesic adjuncts and non-pharmacological interventions were summarised and reported with descriptive statistics. RESULT Eight guidelines pertaining to mastectomies, breast conserving surgery and breast reconstructions were included in this review. Although an opioid-sparing approach was unanimous, there were conflicting recommendations on opioid doses. Opioid requirements were stratified by procedure in 3 guidelines, and by patient risk factors in 2 guidelines. There was significant variability in the recommended multimodal adjuncts. Notably, non-pharmacological interventions such as patient education were infrequently included in guidelines. CONCLUSION There is a lack of high-quality guidance on opioid prescribing after breast surgery. The optimum approach for personalised opioid prescribing remains unknown. Significant variability between guidelines provide little actionable interventions for prescribers. This could be driven by the paucity in evidence supporting a single efficacious analgesic regimen for patients undergoing breast surgery. Future guidelines should also regularly incorporate non-pharmacological adjuncts to reduce opioid prescribing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kin Yik Chan
- Department of Breast Surgery, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick V94 F858, County Limerick, Ireland.
| | - Shane Keogh
- Department of Breast Surgery, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick V94 F858, County Limerick, Ireland
| | - Nitin Aucharaz
- Department of Breast Surgery, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick V94 F858, County Limerick, Ireland
| | - Anne Merrigan
- Department of Breast Surgery, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick V94 F858, County Limerick, Ireland
| | - Shona Tormey
- Department of Breast Surgery, University Hospital Limerick, Limerick V94 F858, County Limerick, Ireland
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Hurtado I, Robles C, Peiró S, García-Sempere A, Llopis-Cardona F, Sánchez-Sáez F, Rodríguez-Bernal C, Sanfélix-Gimeno G. Real-world patterns of opioid therapy initiation in Spain, 2012-2018: A population-based, retrospective cohort study with 957,080 patients and 1,509,488 initiations. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1025340. [PMID: 36467078 PMCID: PMC9709437 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1025340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Europe has seen a steady increase in the use of prescription opioids, especially in non-cancer indications. Epidemiological data on the patterns of use of opioids is required to optimize prescription. We aim to describe the patterns of opioid therapy initiation for non-cancer pain and characteristics of patients treated in a region with five million inhabitants in the period 2012 to 2018. Methods: Population-based retrospective cohort study of all adult patients initiating opioid therapy for non-cancer pain in the region of Valencia. We described patient characteristics at baseline and the characteristics of baseline and subsequent treatment initiation. We used multinominal regression models to identify individual factors associated with initiation. Results: A total of 957,080 patients initiated 1,509,488 opioid treatments (957,080 baseline initiations, 552,408 subsequent initiations). For baseline initiations, 738,749 were with tramadol (77.19%), 157,098 with codeine (16.41%) 58,436 (6.11%) with long-acting opioids, 1,518 (0.16%) with short-acting opioids and 1,279 (0.13%) with ultrafast drugs. When compared to tramadol, patients initiating with short-acting, long-acting and ultrafast opioids were more likely to be older and had more comorbidities, whereas initiators with codeine were more prone to be healthier and younger. Treatments lasting less than 7 days accounted for 41.82% of initiations, and 11.89% lasted more than 30 days. 19.55% of initiators with ultrafast fentanyl received more than 120 daily Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME), and 16.12% of patients initiating with long-acting opioids were prescribed more than 90 daily MME (p < 0.001). Musculoskeletal indications accounted for 65.05% of opioid use. Overlap with benzodiazepines was observed in 24.73% of initiations, overlap with gabapentinoids was present in 11.04% of initiations with long-acting opioids and 28.39% of initiators with short-acting opioids used antipsychotics concomitantly. In subsequent initiations, 55.48% of treatments included three or more prescriptions (vs. 17.60% in baseline initiations) and risk of overlap was also increased. Conclusion: Opioids are initiated for a vast array of non-oncological indications, and, despite clinical guidelines, short-acting opioids are used marginally, and a significant number of patients is exposed to potentially high-risk patterns of initiation, such as treatments lasting more than 14 days, treatments surpassing 50 daily MMEs, initiating with long-acting opioids, or hazardous overlapping with other therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hurtado
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Celia Robles
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Salvador Peiró
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Aníbal García-Sempere
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Fran Llopis-Cardona
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Francisco Sánchez-Sáez
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Clara Rodríguez-Bernal
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Gabriel Sanfélix-Gimeno
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
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15
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Dreesmann NJ, Su H, Thompson HJ. A Systematic Review of Virtual Reality Therapeutics for Acute Pain Management. Pain Manag Nurs 2022; 23:672-681. [PMID: 35868974 PMCID: PMC10748735 DOI: 10.1016/j.pmn.2022.05.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2021] [Revised: 05/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the delivery and clinical efficacy of virtual reality (VR) therapeutics for acute pain management in adults and identify practical considerations of VR deployment, as well as current gaps in the literature. DESIGN A systematic review. DATA SOURCES A search of PubMed, CINAHL, PsychINFO, Embase, Compendex, and Inspec was completed using Medical Subject Headings (MeSH) and keyword search terms related to acute pain and VR. REVIEW/ANALYSIS METHODS A systematic review of all pertinent articles published between January 1, 2000, and August 1, 2020, was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. RESULTS Twenty-three articles met final inclusion criteria and were included in this review. Studies utilized VR in a variety of settings for wound care, procedure-induced pain, physical or occupational therapy, dental treatment or generalized acute pain. A likely mechanism by which VR promoted analgesia in these studies is distraction. Of the reviewed studies, 19 (83%) reported decreases in pain intensity while using VR compared with no VR use or with a non-VR group. CONCLUSIONS This systematic review found VR to be an effective tool for acute pain management. Findings from this review also underscore the importance of addressing the patient's sense of presence and levels of immersion, interaction, and interest when deploying VR. Future VR studies should consider incorporation of anxiety, presence, and VR side effect measures in addition to acute pain metrics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Han Su
- Center for Education in Health Sciences, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, Illinois
| | - Hilaire J Thompson
- Biobehavioral Nursing and Health Informatics, School of Nursing, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington
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16
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Livingston CJ, Berenji M, Titus TM, Caplan LS, Freeman RJ, Sherin KM, Mohammad A, Salisbury-Afshar EM. American College of Preventive Medicine: Addressing the Opioid Epidemic Through a Prevention Framework. Am J Prev Med 2022; 63:454-465. [PMID: 35750550 DOI: 10.1016/j.amepre.2022.04.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2022] [Revised: 04/18/2022] [Accepted: 04/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The opioid epidemic has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality in the U.S. Health systems, policymakers, payers, and public health have enacted numerous strategies to reduce the harms of opioids, including opioid use disorder (OUD). Much of this implementation has occurred before the development of OUD‒related comparative effectiveness evidence, which would enable an understanding of the benefits and harms of different approaches. This article from the American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM) uses a prevention framework to identify the current approaches and make recommendations for addressing the opioid epidemic, encompassing strategies across a primordial, primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention approach. Key primordial prevention strategies include addressing social determinants of health and reducing adverse childhood events. Key primary prevention strategies include supporting the implementation of evidence-based prescribing guidelines, expanding school-based prevention programs, and improving access to behavioral health supports. Key secondary prevention strategies include expanding access to evidence-based medications for opioid use disorder, especially for high-risk populations, including pregnant women, hospitalized patients, and people transitioning out of carceral settings. Key tertiary prevention strategies include the expansion of harm reduction services, including expanding naloxone availability and syringe exchange programs. The ACPM Opioid Workgroup also identifies opportunities for de-implementation, in which historical and current practices may be ineffective or causing harm. De-implementation strategies include reducing inappropriate opioid prescribing; avoiding mandatory one-size-fits-all policies; eliminating barriers to medications for OUD, debunking the myth of detoxification as a primary solo treatment for opioid use disorder; and destigmatizing care practices and policies to better treat people with OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine J Livingston
- Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon; Department of Health Management and Policy, School of Public Health, OHSU-Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.
| | - Manijeh Berenji
- Department of Occupational Health, VA Long Beach Healthcare System, Long Beach, California; Department of Occupational Medicine, UC Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, California; Department of Environmental and Occupational Health, School of Public Health, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California
| | - Tisha M Titus
- Department of Family and Preventive Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Lee S Caplan
- Department of Community Health & Preventive Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Randall J Freeman
- Department of Occupational Medicine, Tripler Army Medical Center, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii
| | - Kevin M Sherin
- Department of Family Medicine and Rural Health Florida State University College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida; Department of Medicine University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, Florida
| | - Amir Mohammad
- Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, Connecticut; Department of Medicine, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
| | - Elizabeth M Salisbury-Afshar
- Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisconsin
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17
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Jauncey M, Bartlett M, Roxburgh A. Commentary on Skulberg et al.: Naloxone administration-finding the balance. Addiction 2022; 117:1668-1669. [PMID: 35388569 DOI: 10.1111/add.15887] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 03/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Marianne Jauncey
- Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, Australia.,Discipline of Addiction Medicine, the Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Mark Bartlett
- Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre, Sydney, Australia
| | - Amanda Roxburgh
- Discipline of Addiction Medicine, the Central Clinical School, Sydney Medical School, the Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.,Health Risks Program, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, Australia.,Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
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18
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Krausz M, Westenberg JN, Tsang V, Suen J, Ignaszewski MJ, Mathew N, Azar P, Cabanis M, Elsner J, Vogel M, Spijkerman R, Orsolini L, Vo D, Moore E, Moe J, Strasser J, Köck P, Marian C, Dürsteler KM, Backmund M, Röhrig J, Post M, Haltmayer H, Wladika W, Trabi T, Muller C, Rechberger G, Teesson M, Farrell M, Christie G, Merry S, Mamdouh M, Alinsky R, Levy S, Fishman M, Rosenthal R, Jang K, Choi F. Towards an International Consensus on the Prevention, Treatment, and Management of High-Risk Substance Use and Overdose among Youth. Medicina (B Aires) 2022; 58:medicina58040539. [PMID: 35454376 PMCID: PMC9028633 DOI: 10.3390/medicina58040539] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 04/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Now more than ever, there is an obvious need to reduce the overall burden of disease and risk of premature mortality that are associated with mental health and substance use disorders among young people. However, the current state of research and evidence-based clinical care for high-risk substance use among youth is fragmented and scarce. The objective of the study is to establish consensus for the prevention, treatment, and management of high-risk substance use and overdose among youth (10 to 24 years old). Materials and Methods: A modified Delphi technique was used based on the combination of scientific evidence and clinical experience of a group of 31 experts representing 10 countries. A semi-structured questionnaire with five domains (clinical risks, target populations, intervention goals, intervention strategies, and settings/expertise) was shared with the panelists. Based on their responses, statements were developed, which were subsequently revised and finalized through three iterations of feedback. Results: Among the five major domains, 60 statements reached consensus. Importantly, experts agreed that screening in primary care and other clinical settings is recommended for all youth, and that the objectives of treating youth with high-risk substance use are to reduce harm and mortality while promoting resilience and healthy development. For all substance use disorders, evidence-based interventions should be available and should be used according to the needs and preferences of the patient. Involuntary admission was the only topic that did not reach consensus, mainly due to its ethical implications and resulting lack of comparable evidence. Conclusions: High-risk substance use and overdoses among youth have become a major challenge. The system’s response has been insufficient and needs substantial change. Internationally devised consensus statements provide a first step in system improvement and reform.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Krausz
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; (M.K.); (V.T.); (J.S.); (M.J.I.); (N.M.); (P.A.); (M.M.); (K.J.); (F.C.)
| | - Jean N. Westenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; (M.K.); (V.T.); (J.S.); (M.J.I.); (N.M.); (P.A.); (M.M.); (K.J.); (F.C.)
- Center for Mental Health, Clinic for Addiction Medicine and Addictive Behavior, Klinikum Stuttgart, 70374 Stuttgart, Germany; (M.C.); (J.R.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +1-604-827-4381
| | - Vivian Tsang
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; (M.K.); (V.T.); (J.S.); (M.J.I.); (N.M.); (P.A.); (M.M.); (K.J.); (F.C.)
| | - Janet Suen
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; (M.K.); (V.T.); (J.S.); (M.J.I.); (N.M.); (P.A.); (M.M.); (K.J.); (F.C.)
| | - Martha J. Ignaszewski
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; (M.K.); (V.T.); (J.S.); (M.J.I.); (N.M.); (P.A.); (M.M.); (K.J.); (F.C.)
- Complex Pain and Addiction Service, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
- BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada;
| | - Nickie Mathew
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; (M.K.); (V.T.); (J.S.); (M.J.I.); (N.M.); (P.A.); (M.M.); (K.J.); (F.C.)
- Complex Pain and Addiction Service, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
- BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services, Provincial Health Services Authority, Vancouver, BC V5Z 3L7, Canada
| | - Pouya Azar
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; (M.K.); (V.T.); (J.S.); (M.J.I.); (N.M.); (P.A.); (M.M.); (K.J.); (F.C.)
- Complex Pain and Addiction Service, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Maurice Cabanis
- Center for Mental Health, Clinic for Addiction Medicine and Addictive Behavior, Klinikum Stuttgart, 70374 Stuttgart, Germany; (M.C.); (J.R.)
| | - Julie Elsner
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinics Basel, University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (J.E.); (M.V.); (J.S.); (P.K.); (C.M.); (K.M.D.)
| | - Marc Vogel
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinics Basel, University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (J.E.); (M.V.); (J.S.); (P.K.); (C.M.); (K.M.D.)
- Psychiatric Services of Thurgovia, Division of Substance Use Disorders, 8596 Münsterlingen, Switzerland
| | - Renske Spijkerman
- Parnassia Addiction Research Centre (PARC), Brijder Addiction Treatment, Parnassia Group, 2512 The Hague, The Netherlands; (R.S.); (M.P.)
| | - Laura Orsolini
- Unit of Clinical Psychiatry, Department of Neurosciences/DIMSC, School of Medicine and Surgery, Polytechnic University of Marche, 60121 Ancona, Italy;
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield AL10 9EU, UK
| | - Dzung Vo
- BC Children’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6H 3N1, Canada;
- Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada;
| | - Eva Moore
- Division of Adolescent Health and Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada;
| | - Jessica Moe
- Department of Emergency Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada;
- BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4R4, Canada
| | - Johannes Strasser
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinics Basel, University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (J.E.); (M.V.); (J.S.); (P.K.); (C.M.); (K.M.D.)
| | - Patrick Köck
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinics Basel, University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (J.E.); (M.V.); (J.S.); (P.K.); (C.M.); (K.M.D.)
| | - Calin Marian
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinics Basel, University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (J.E.); (M.V.); (J.S.); (P.K.); (C.M.); (K.M.D.)
| | - Kenneth M. Dürsteler
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychiatric University Clinics Basel, University of Basel, 4002 Basel, Switzerland; (J.E.); (M.V.); (J.S.); (P.K.); (C.M.); (K.M.D.)
| | - Markus Backmund
- Praxiszentrum im Tal, 80331 Munich, Germany;
- Ludwig-Maximilians-University, 80539 Munich, Germany
| | - Jeanette Röhrig
- Center for Mental Health, Clinic for Addiction Medicine and Addictive Behavior, Klinikum Stuttgart, 70374 Stuttgart, Germany; (M.C.); (J.R.)
| | - Marianne Post
- Parnassia Addiction Research Centre (PARC), Brijder Addiction Treatment, Parnassia Group, 2512 The Hague, The Netherlands; (R.S.); (M.P.)
| | | | - Wolfgang Wladika
- Department of Neurology and Psychiatry of Childhood and Adolescence, Klinikum Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, 9020 Klagenfurt, Austria;
| | - Thomas Trabi
- Department for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Pschotherapy, LKH Graz II, 8053 Graz, Austria;
| | - Christian Muller
- Department of Child & Youth Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Psychosocial Service Burgenland GmbH, 7000 Eisenstadt, Austria;
| | - Gerhard Rechberger
- Verein Dialog, Integrative Suchtberatung Gudrunstraße, 1100 Wien, Austria;
| | - Maree Teesson
- The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia;
| | - Michael Farrell
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2031, Australia;
| | - Grant Christie
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand; (G.C.); (S.M.)
| | - Sally Merry
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland 1023, New Zealand; (G.C.); (S.M.)
| | - Mostafa Mamdouh
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; (M.K.); (V.T.); (J.S.); (M.J.I.); (N.M.); (P.A.); (M.M.); (K.J.); (F.C.)
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, Tanta University, Tanta 31527, Egypt
| | - Rachel Alinsky
- Division of Adolescent/Young Adult Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
| | - Sharon Levy
- Adolescent Substance Use and Addiction Program, Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, MA 02115, USA;
| | - Marc Fishman
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
- Mountain Manor Treatment Center, Baltimore, MD 21229, USA
| | - Richard Rosenthal
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Stony Brook University, New York, NY 11794, USA;
| | - Kerry Jang
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; (M.K.); (V.T.); (J.S.); (M.J.I.); (N.M.); (P.A.); (M.M.); (K.J.); (F.C.)
| | - Fiona Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 2A1, Canada; (M.K.); (V.T.); (J.S.); (M.J.I.); (N.M.); (P.A.); (M.M.); (K.J.); (F.C.)
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19
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Mayoral V. An overview of the use and misuse/abuse of opioid analgesics in different world regions and future perspectives. Pain Manag 2022; 12:535-555. [PMID: 35118876 DOI: 10.2217/pmt-2021-0094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids are an important therapeutic option for severe resistant chronic pain but, in the absence of proper oversight, their use has risks. The level of prescription opioid misuse/abuse differs among countries, due to differences in healthcare systems and pain management approaches. However, evaluating the true dimension of prescription opioid misuse/abuse is complicated by statistical reporting which often does not differentiate between prescription and illicit opioid use, or between prescription opioid use by patients and nonpatients, highlighting a need for greater uniformity. Parallel efforts to educate patients and the general public about opioid risks, facilitate appropriate analgesic prescribing and identify alternative formulations or options to use instead of or with opioids, may contribute to optimizing prescription opioid use for pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Mayoral
- Pain Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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20
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Friebel R, Maynou L. Trends and characteristics of hospitalisations from the harmful use of opioids in England between 2008 and 2018: Population-based retrospective cohort study. J R Soc Med 2022; 115:173-185. [PMID: 35114090 PMCID: PMC9066666 DOI: 10.1177/01410768221077360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective To examine the trends and characteristics of opioid-related hospital admissions in England over 10 years, and its burden for the National Health Service and public finances. Design Patient-level data from the Hospital Episode Statistics database to examine all opioid-related hospitalisations from 2008 to 2018, stratified by type of opioid admission and patient demographics. Setting All National Health Service hospitals in England. Participants Patients hospitalised from the harmful use of opioids. Main outcome measures The number of opioid-related hospitalisations, length of stay, in-hospital mortality, 30-day readmission rate and treatment costs. Results Opioid-related hospitalisations increased by 48.9%, from 10,805 admissions in 2008 to 16,091 admissions in 2018, with total treatment costs of £137 million. The growth in opioid-related hospitalisations was 21% above the corresponding rate for all other emergency admissions in England. Relative changes showed that hospitalisations increased most for individuals older than 55 years (160%), those living in the most affluent areas of England (93.8%), and suffering from four co-morbidities (627.6%) or more. Hospitals reduced mean patient length of stay from 2.8 days to 1.1 days over 10 years. Mean in-hospital mortality was 0.4% and mean 30-day readmission risk was 16.6%. Conclusion Opioid use is an increasing public health concern in England, though hospitalisation and mortality rates are less pronounced than in other countries. There are concerns about significant rises in hospitalisations from older, less deprived and sicker population groups. Our findings should prompt policymakers to go beyond monitoring mortality statistics when assessing the impacts of harmful use of opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rocco Friebel
- Department of Health Policy, The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE, UK.,Center for Global Development Europe, London, Abbey Gardens, SW1P 3SE, UK
| | - Laia Maynou
- Department of Health Policy, The London School of Economics and Political Science, London, Houghton Street, WC2A 2AE, UK.,Department of Econometrics, Statistics and Applied Economics, Universitat de Barcelona, 08034 Barcelona, Spain.,Center for Research in Health and Economics, University of Pompeu Fabra, 08005 Barcelona, Spain
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21
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Kalkman GA, van den Brink W, Pierce M, Atsma F, Vissers KCP, Schers HJ, van Dongen RTM, Kramers C, Schellekens AFA. Monitoring Opioids in Europe: The Need for Shared Definitions and Measuring Drivers of Opioid Use and Related Harms. Eur Addict Res 2022; 28:231-240. [PMID: 35196659 DOI: 10.1159/000521996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The past 20 years, the USA is facing a serious opioid crisis initiated by an increase in prescription opioid use. Europe has also seen an increase in prescription opioid use, but the extent of related harm is still largely unknown. Given the impact of the US opioid epidemic, it is important to closely monitor signs of emerging opioid-related problems to guarantee early warnings and timely actions. Shared and meaningful definitions for opioid use and related harms, and relevant information about specific drivers for opioid use and related problems are needed for an adequate policy response. In this commentary, we discuss these definitions, the need to know more about the specific drivers for increased opioid use, its related harm, and proposals for strategies to move forward. Policy recommendations include making a distinction between licit and illicit opioids when monitoring and reporting on opioid-related harm, and using oral morphine equivalents to quantify prescription opioid use in a clinically relevant and comparable manner. A major topic of further research is exploring unique and universal drivers of prescription opioid (mis)use across Europe, in particular the role of opioid diversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard A Kalkman
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Pharmacology-Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wim van den Brink
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mimi Pierce
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Femke Atsma
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Scientific Center for Quality of Healthcare, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kris C P Vissers
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Henk J Schers
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert T M van Dongen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Pain Management and Palliative Care, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis Kramers
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Pharmacology-Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Arnt F A Schellekens
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Clinical Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Nijmegen Institute for Science Practitioners in Addiction (NISPA), Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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22
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Rubin SJ, Wang JJ, Nodoushani AY, Yarlagadda BB, Wulu JA, Edwards HA. The effect of a statewide prescription drug monitoring program on opioid prescribing patterns. Am J Otolaryngol 2022; 43:103262. [PMID: 34626913 DOI: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2021.103262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 09/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Determine whether opioid prescribing patterns have changed as a result of implementation of a prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) in the state of Massachusetts. MATERIALS AND METHODS A multicentered retrospective study was performed including patients who received tonsillectomy, parotidectomy, thyroidectomy or direct laryngoscopy and biopsy with or without rigid esophagoscopy and/or rigid bronchoscopy at Lahey Hospital and Medical Center (Burlington, MA) or Boston Medical Center (Boston, MA). Opioid prescribing patterns were compared for the 12 months prior to implementation of the Massachusetts Prescription Awareness Tool (MassPAT) to 36 months of prescribing patterns post implementation. Quantity of opioids prescribed was based on morphine milligram equivalents (MME). Continuous variables were compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) while categorical variables were compared using chi-squared test or Fisher's exact test. Multivariate analysis was performed using linear regression. RESULTS A total of 2281 patients were included in the study. There was a significant association in mean overall MME prescribed comparing pre-MassPAT and post-MassPAT data [tonsillectomy: 635.9 ± 175.6 vs 463.3 ± 177.7 (p < 0.0001), parotidectomy: 250.4 ± 71.33 vs 169.8 ± 79.26 (p < 0.0001), thyroidectomy: 186.2 ± 81.14 vs 118.3 ± 88.79 (p < 0.0001), direct laryngoscopy with biopsy: 308.3 ± 246.9 vs 308.3 ± 246.9 (p = 0.0201)]. There was also a significant association between length of opioid prescription (days) and implementation of MassPAT, but there was no significant difference in the percent of patients requiring refills pre- MassPAT and post-MassPAT. CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that prescribers have been able to significantly decrease the amount of opioids prescribed for tonsillectomy, parotidectomy, thyroidectomy, and direct laryngoscopy and biopsy and patients have not required additional opioid refills.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel J Rubin
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Medical Center, 800 Harrison Ave BCD 5th floor, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America; Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America.
| | - Judy J Wang
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Medical Center, 800 Harrison Ave BCD 5th floor, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America; Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America
| | - Ariana Y Nodoushani
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Medical Center, 800 Harrison Ave BCD 5th floor, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America; Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America
| | - Bharat B Yarlagadda
- Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America; Division of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Lahey Hospital and Medical Center, 41 Burlington Mall Road, Burlington, MA 01850, United States of America
| | - Jacqueline A Wulu
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Medical Center, 800 Harrison Ave BCD 5th floor, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America; Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America
| | - Heather A Edwards
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Boston Medical Center, 800 Harrison Ave BCD 5th floor, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America; Boston University School of Medicine, 72 East Concord St, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America
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23
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Specka M, Kuhlmann T, Bonnet U, Sawazki J, Schaaf L, Kühnhold S, Steinert R, Grigoleit T, Eich H, Zeiske B, Niedersteberg A, Steiner K, Schifano F, Scherbaum N. Novel Synthetic Opioids (NSO) Use in Opioid Dependents Entering Detoxification Treatment. Front Psychiatry 2022; 13:868346. [PMID: 35722574 PMCID: PMC9198264 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2022.868346] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Over the last decade, the use of New/Novel Synthetic Opioids (NSO) has emerged as an increasing problem, and especially so in the USA. However, only little is known about the prevalence and history of NSO use in European heroin dependents. METHOD A cross-sectional multicenter study, carried out with the means of both standardized interviews and urine toxicology enhanced screening, in a sample of opioid addicted patients referred for an in-patient detoxification treatment. RESULTS Sample size included here n = 256 patients; prior to admission, 63.7% were prescribed with an opioid maintenance treatment. Lifetime use of heroin and opioid analgesics was reported by 99.2 and 30.4%, respectively. Lifetime NSO/fentanyl use was reported by 8.7% (n = 22); a regular use was reported by 1.6% (n = 4), and ingestion over the 30 days prior to admission by 0.8% (n = 2). Most typically, patients had started with a regular consumption of heroin, followed by maintenance opioids; opioid analgesics; and by NSO. Self-reported data were corroborated by the toxicology screenings carried out; no evidence was here identified for the presence of heroin being contaminated by fentanyl/derivatives. DISCUSSION NSO and also opioid analgesics did not play a relevant role in the development and the course of opioid/opioid use disorders in German patients referred for an inpatient detoxification treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Specka
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, LVR Hospital Essen, Medical Faculty, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Thomas Kuhlmann
- Psychosomatic Hospital Bergisch Gladbach, Bergisch Gladbach, Germany
| | - Udo Bonnet
- Castrop-Rauxel Evangelic Hospital, Castrop-Rauxel, Germany
| | - Jürgen Sawazki
- Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR) Hospital Viersen, Viersen, Germany
| | - Luzia Schaaf
- Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR) Hospital Viersen, Viersen, Germany
| | - Stefan Kühnhold
- Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) Hospital Lippstadt and Warstein, Warstein, Germany
| | - Renate Steinert
- Landschaftsverband Westfalen-Lippe (LWL) Hospital Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Torsten Grigoleit
- Landschaftsverband Rheinland (LVR) Hospital Langenfeld, Langenfeld, Germany
| | | | | | | | - Katharina Steiner
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, LVR Hospital Essen, Medical Faculty, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Fabrizio Schifano
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse, and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, United Kingdom
| | - Norbert Scherbaum
- Department of Addictive Behaviour and Addiction Medicine, LVR Hospital Essen, Medical Faculty, University Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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24
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Krausz RM, Westenberg JN, Mathew N, Budd G, Wong JSH, Tsang VWL, Vogel M, King C, Seethapathy V, Jang K, Choi F. Shifting North American drug markets and challenges for the system of care. Int J Ment Health Syst 2021; 15:86. [PMID: 34930389 PMCID: PMC8685808 DOI: 10.1186/s13033-021-00512-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 12/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Drug markets are dynamic systems which change based on demand, competition, legislation and revenue. Shifts that are not met with immediate and appropriate responses from the healthcare system can lead to public health crises with tragic levels of morbidity and mortality, as experienced Europe in the early 1990s and as is the case in North America currently. The major feature of the current drug market shift in North America is towards highly potent synthetic opioids such as fentanyl and fentanyl analogues. An additional spike in stimulant use further complicates this issue. Without understanding the ever-changing dynamics of drug markets and consequent patterns of drug use, the healthcare system will continue to be ineffective in its response, and morbidity and mortality will continue to increase. Economic perspectives are largely neglected in research and clinical contexts, but better treatment alternatives need to consider the large-scale macroeconomic conditions of drug markets as well as the behavioural economics of individual substance use. It is important for policy makers, health authorities, first responders and medical providers to be aware of the clinical implications of drug market changes in order to best serve people who use drugs. Only with significant clinical research, a comprehensive reorganization of the system of care across all sectors, and an evidence-driven governance, will we be successful in addressing the challenges brought on by the recent shifts in drug markets.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Michael Krausz
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jean N Westenberg
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
- Addictions and Concurrent Disorders Research Group, Institute of Mental Health, UBC, David Strangway Building, 5950 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Nickie Mathew
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Complex Pain and Addiction Service, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services, Provincial Health Services Authority, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - George Budd
- Complex Pain and Addiction Service, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - James S H Wong
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Complex Pain and Addiction Service, Vancouver General Hospital, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Vivian W L Tsang
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Marc Vogel
- University of Basel Psychiatric Clinics, Basel, Switzerland
- Division of Substance Use Disorders, Psychiatric Services of Thurgovia, Münsterlingen, Switzerland
| | - Conor King
- Victoria Police Department, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Vijay Seethapathy
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- BC Mental Health & Substance Use Services, Provincial Health Services Authority, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kerry Jang
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Fiona Choi
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
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25
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Faulkner HR, Coopey SB, Sisodia R, Kelly BN, Maurer LR, Ellis D. Does An ERAS Protocol Reduce Postoperative Opiate Prescribing in Plastic Surgery? JPRAS Open 2021; 31:22-28. [PMID: 34869817 PMCID: PMC8626793 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpra.2021.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Enhanced recovery after surgery (ERAS) protocols are effective at reducing inpatient opiate use. There is a paucity of studies on the effects of an ERAS protocol on outpatient opiate prescriptions. The aim of this study was to determine whether an ERAS protocol for plastic and reconstructive surgery would reduce opiate use in the outpatient postoperative setting. Methods A statewide (Massachusetts, USA) controlled substance prescription monitoring database was retrospectively reviewed to assess the prescribing patterns of a single academic plastic surgeon performing common plastic surgical outpatient operations. The time period prior to implementation of the ERAS protocol was then compared with the time period following protocol implementation. An additional three months of post-implementation data were then compared with those of each of the previous time periods to investigate whether the results were sustained. Results A comparison of opiate prescriptions in pre-ERAS, immediate post-ERAS procedures, and follow-up ERAS implementation procedures revealed a statistically significant decrease in opiate prescriptions after ERAS protocol implementation. This decrease in the quantity of opiates prescribed was sustained over time. Conclusions ERAS protocols are effective at reducing outpatient opiate prescriptions after a variety of plastic surgery operations. Appropriate patient and physician education is paramount for success.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather R Faulkner
- Division of Plastic Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Suzanne B Coopey
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Allegheny Health Network, Wexford, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Rachel Sisodia
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Bridget N Kelly
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Lydia R Maurer
- Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Dan Ellis
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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26
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Wyse JJ, Morasco BJ, Dougherty J, Edwards B, Kansagara D, Gordon AJ, Korthuis PT, Tuepker A, Lindner S, Mackey K, Williams B, Herreid-O’Neill A, Paynter R, Lovejoy TI. Adjunct interventions to standard medical management of buprenorphine in outpatient settings: A systematic review of the evidence. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 228:108923. [PMID: 34508958 PMCID: PMC9063385 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108923] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2021] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND A growing body of research has examined adjunctive interventions supportive of engagement and retention in treatment among patients receiving buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (OUD). We conducted a systematic review of the literature addressing the effect on key outcomes of adjunctive interventions provided alongside standard medical management of buprenorphine in outpatient settings. METHODS We included prospective studies examining adults receiving buprenorphine paired with an adjunctive intervention for the treatment of OUD in an outpatient setting. Data sources included Medline, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CINAHL and PsycINFO from inception through January 2020. Two raters independently reviewed full-text articles, abstracted data and appraised risk of bias. Outcomes examined included abstinence, retention in treatment and non-addiction-related health outcomes. RESULTS The final review includes 20 manuscripts, 11 randomized control trials (RCTs), three secondary analyses of RCTs and six observational studies. Most studies examined psychosocial interventions (n = 14). Few examined complementary therapies (e.g., yoga; n = 2) or technological interventions (e.g., electronic pill dispensation; n = 3); one study examined an intervention addressing structural barriers to care (patient navigators; n = 1). Low risk of bias RCTs found no evidence that adding psychosocial interventions to buprenorphine treatment improves substance use outcomes. CONCLUSIONS Research is needed to identify adjunctive interventions with potential to support medication adherence and addiction-related outcomes for patients engaged in buprenorphine treatment. Data from clinical trials suggest that lack of ready access to psychosocial treatments should not discourage clinicians from prescribing buprenorphine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica J. Wyse
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States,School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, 840 SW Gaines St, Portland, OR 97239, United State,Corresponding author at: 3710 SW US Veterans Hospital Road, Portland, OR 97239, United States. (J.J. Wyse)
| | - Benjamin J. Morasco
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Jacob Dougherty
- Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine, Midwestern University, 555 31st Street, Downers Grove, IL 60515, United States.
| | - Beau Edwards
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States.
| | - Devan Kansagara
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States; Department of General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
| | - Adam J. Gordon
- Informatics, Decision-Enhancement, and Analytic Sciences (IDEAS) Center, VA Salt Lake City Health Care System, 500 Foothill Drive, Salt Lake City, UT 84148, United States,Division of Epidemiology & Department of Internal Medicine, University of Utah School of Medicine, 295 Chipeta Way, Salt Lake City, UT 84132, United States
| | - P. Todd Korthuis
- Section of Addiction Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Anaïs Tuepker
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States; Department of General Internal Medicine & Geriatrics, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, United States.
| | - Stephan Lindner
- School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Science University, 840 SW Gaines St, Portland, OR 97239, United States; Department of Emergency Medicine, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Road, Portland, OR 97239, United States; Center for Health Systems Effectiveness, Oregon Health & Science University, 3030 SW Moody Ave., Portland, OR 97201, United States.
| | - Katherine Mackey
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States.
| | - Beth Williams
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States.
| | - Anders Herreid-O’Neill
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States
| | - Robin Paynter
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States.
| | - Travis I. Lovejoy
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System, 3710 SW U.S. Veterans Hospital Rd., Portland, OR 97239, United States,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, 3181 SW Sam Jackson Park Rd, Portland, OR 97239, United States
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27
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Al-Janabi N, Olesen AE, Straszek CL, Guldhammer C, Rathleff MS, Andreucci A. Pain medication use for musculoskeletal pain among children and adolescents: a systematic review. Scand J Pain 2021; 21:653-670. [PMID: 34506696 DOI: 10.1515/sjpain-2021-0033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 08/13/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Musculoskeletal pain is common among children and adolescents. Despite the lack of evidence regarding harms and benefits, musculoskeletal pain is often managed with pain medication. The aim of this systematic review is to assess the prevalence of pain medication use for musculoskeletal pain among children and adolescents and the factors and side effects associated with use. CONTENT Three databases (EMBASE, CINAHL and PsychINFO) were systematically searched to identify studies designed to examine the prevalence, frequency or factors associated with the use of pain medication for musculoskeletal pain in children and adolescents (aged 6-19 years). The included studies were assessed for study quality and data were extracted. SUMMARY The search initially provided 20,135 studies. After screening titles, abstracts and full-texts, 20 studies were included. In school settings, 8-42% of children used pain medication for musculoskeletal pain, and 67-75% of children in sports clubs and from pain clinics used pain medication. The most consistent factors associated with the use of pain medications were pain characteristics and psychological factors (e.g. being bullied, low-self-esteem), while mixed evidence was found for increasing age and female gender. Only two studies reported on the duration of use and only one study on adverse effects related to the use of pain medication. OUTLOOK We found that 8-42% of adolescents from school-based samples use pain medication for MSK pain, while the prevalence among adolescents from sports clubs and pain clinics is higher (67-75%). Pain characteristics (pain duration, severity, intensity, disability levels and the presence of ≥2 pain conditions or multisite pain) and psychological factors were associated with a higher use of pain medication, while for higher age and female gender the evidence of association was mixed. Future studies should systematically collect information on the type, duration of use of pain medication and side effects to confirm the findings of this review.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nabil Al-Janabi
- Center for General Practice, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Anne Estrup Olesen
- Department of Clinical Pharmacology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Christian Lund Straszek
- Center for General Practice, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Physiotherapy, University College of Northern Denmark, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Clara Guldhammer
- Center for General Practice, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
| | - Michael Skovdal Rathleff
- Center for General Practice, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark
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Kassick A, Wu M, Luengas D, Ebqa’ai M, Tharika Nirmani LP, Tomycz N, Nelson TL, Pravetoni M, Raleigh MD, Averick S. Covalently Loaded Naloxone Nanoparticles as a Long-Acting Medical Countermeasure to Opioid Poisoning. ACS Pharmacol Transl Sci 2021; 4:1654-1664. [PMID: 34661081 PMCID: PMC8506606 DOI: 10.1021/acsptsci.1c00168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The mu opioid receptor antagonist naloxone has been a vital, long-standing countermeasure in the ongoing battle against opioid use disorders (OUD) and toxicity. However, due to its distinctive short elimination half-life, naloxone has shown diminished efficacy in cases of synthetic opioid poisoning as larger or repeated doses of the antidote have been required to achieve adequate reversal of severe respiratory depression and prevent episodes of renarcotization. This report describes the synthesis, characterization, and in vivo evaluation of a novel, nanoparticle-based naloxone formulation that provides extended protection against the toxic effects of the powerful synthetic opioid fentanyl. The strategy was predicated on a modified two-step protocol involving the synthesis and subsequent nanoprecipitation of a poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) polymer scaffold bearing a covalently linked naloxone chain end (drug loading ∼7% w/w). Pharmacokinetic evaluation of the resulting covalently loaded naloxone nanoparticles (cNLX-NP) revealed an elimination half-life that was 34 times longer than high dose free naloxone (10 mg/kg) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. This enhancement was further demonstrated by cNLX-NP in subsequent in vivo studies affording protection against fentanyl-induced respiratory depression and antinociception for up to 48 h following a single intramuscular injection. These discoveries support further investigation of cNLX-NP as a potential therapeutic to reverse overdose and prevent renarcotization from fentanyl and its potent analogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew
J. Kassick
- Neuroscience
Disruptive Research Lab, Allegheny Health
Network Research Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, United States
- Neuroscience
Institute, Allegheny Health Network, Allegheny
General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, United States
| | - Mariah Wu
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Diego Luengas
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Mohammad Ebqa’ai
- Department
of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States
| | - L. P. Tharika Nirmani
- Department
of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States
| | - Nestor Tomycz
- Neuroscience
Institute, Allegheny Health Network, Allegheny
General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, United States
| | - Toby L. Nelson
- Department
of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74078, United States
| | - Marco Pravetoni
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Michael D. Raleigh
- Department
of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota
Medical School Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55455, United States
| | - Saadyah Averick
- Neuroscience
Disruptive Research Lab, Allegheny Health
Network Research Institute, Allegheny General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, United States
- Neuroscience
Institute, Allegheny Health Network, Allegheny
General Hospital, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15212, United States
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Richards GC, Sitkowski K, Heneghan C, Aronson JK. The Oxford Catalogue of Opioids: A systematic synthesis of opioid drug names and their pharmacology. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 87:3790-3812. [PMID: 33608948 PMCID: PMC8518704 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.14786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2021] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
AIM The growing demand for analgesia, coupled with an increasing need to treat opioid dependence and overdose, has escalated the development of novel opioids. We aimed to quantify the number of opioid drugs developed and to catalogue them based on their pharmacology. METHODS We conducted a systematic search of seven sources in November 2020, including the WHO's Anatomical Therapeutic Classification index, the British National Formulary, the IUPHAR/BPS Guide to Pharmacology, the International Narcotics Control Board Index of Names of Narcotic Drugs, the WHO's International Nonproprietary Names MedNet service, Martindale's Extra Pharmacopoeia and the Merck Index, to include opioid drugs that targeted or had an effect or coeffect at one or more opioid receptors. We extracted chemical and nonproprietary names, drug stems, molecular formulas, molecular weights, receptor targets, actions at opioid receptors and classes based on their origins. We used descriptive statistics and calculated medians and interquartile ranges where appropriate. RESULTS We identified 233 opioid drugs and created an online resource (https://www.catalogueofopioids.net/). There were 10 unique drug stems, and "-fentanil" accounted for one-fifth (20%) of all opioids. Most of the drugs (n = 133) targeted mu-opioid receptors and the majority (n = 191) were agonists at one or more receptors. Most (82%) were synthetic opioids, followed by semisynthetic opioids (16%) and alkaloids (3%). CONCLUSION This catalogue centralizes and disseminates information that could assist researchers, prescribers and the public to improve the safe use of opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Georgia C. Richards
- Centre for Evidence‐Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health SciencesUniversity of OxfordRadcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock RoadOxfordOX2 6GGUK
| | - Konrad Sitkowski
- Oxford Medical School, John Radcliffe HospitalUniversity of OxfordOxfordOX3 9DUUK
| | - Carl Heneghan
- Centre for Evidence‐Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health SciencesUniversity of OxfordRadcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock RoadOxfordOX2 6GGUK
| | - Jeffrey K. Aronson
- Centre for Evidence‐Based Medicine, Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health SciencesUniversity of OxfordRadcliffe Observatory Quarter, Woodstock RoadOxfordOX2 6GGUK
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Ansari M, Rostam-Abadi Y, Baheshmat S, Hamzehzadeh M, Gholami J, Mojtabai R, Rahimi-Movaghar A. Buprenorphine abuse and health risks in Iran: A systematic review. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 226:108871. [PMID: 34214882 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2021.108871] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 06/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Buprenorphine maintenance treatment (BMT) is widely used in Iran, and its use is growing continuously. We reviewed studies on buprenorphine use, non-prescribed use, use disorder and treatment-seeking for it, buprenorphine-associated poisoning, and mortality in Iran in the current systematic review. METHODS An Iranian database (Scientific Information Database; SID) and three International electronic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science) were searched for publications up to August 2020 for the relevant data. Opportunistic methods (Contact with experts and backward citation tracking) were also used for this purpose. Identified records were screened for eligibility criteria, and data of included studies were extracted. For context, the trend of BMT in the country was also examined. RESULTS Ten studies were found on the prevalence of non-prescribed buprenorphine use, seven were on the regular use and use disorder, and two studies on buprenorphine poisoning. The last 12-month prevalence of non-prescribed use was lower than 0.5 % in the general population, university, and high school students. The indicator was 2.5 % among persons who use drugs in a 2018 national study. The proportion of buprenorphine poisoning was 4.9 % among all illicit substance poisoning cases admitted to a hospital. The proportion of buprenorphine poisoning cases among all acute pediatric drug poisoning cases increased from 1.2 % to 2.5 % in a 3-year study. CONCLUSION Despite the expansion of BMT in Iran in the last decade, the adverse health consequences associated with buprenorphine are infrequent, when compared to other opioids used in Iran, suggesting the safety of BMT for future expansion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mina Ansari
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Yasna Rostam-Abadi
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Shahab Baheshmat
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine (SATiM), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Marziyeh Hamzehzadeh
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; Department of Neuroscience and Addiction Studies, School of Advanced Technologies in Medicine (SATiM), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Jaleh Gholami
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Ramin Mojtabai
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA; Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
| | - Afarin Rahimi-Movaghar
- Iranian National Center for Addiction Studies (INCAS), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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Analisi di Budget Impact della formulazione depot di buprenorfina a rilascio prolungato per la gestione di pazienti affetti da disturbo da uso di oppiacei. GLOBAL & REGIONAL HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT 2021; 8:96-104. [PMID: 36627866 PMCID: PMC9616199 DOI: 10.33393/grhta.2021.2237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 07/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a disorder associated with significant rate of morbidity and mortality. Frequent clinic attendance for supervised consumption of sublingual buprenorphine is common. Prolonged-release buprenorphine (PRB) allows a management based on weekly or monthly subcutaneous injections, thus limiting the burdens of clinic attendance and the risks associated with sublingual formulations. Objective: To determine the price level of PRB that allows to obtain a neutral impact from the point of view of the economic resources absorbed, in comparison with the alternatives currently available in the Italian context for the management of patients suffering from OUD. Methods: The analysis assumes a daily PRB cost of € 8.526 (neutral cost). The analysis aims to determine the economic impact associated with the introduction of PRB in the Italian context for the management of OUD patients. Results are expressed in terms of differential resources absorbed in the alternative scenarios. A one-way sensitivity analysis was also carried out to test the robustness of the results. Results: The introduction of PRB implies an increase in the drug acquisition costs over the 5-year time horizon of € 23,016,194.61: such costs are fully compensated by the other cost driver considered in the analysis (drug tests provided, health professionals’ time destined to the provision of the treatment, indirect costs, for savings equal to € 7,255,602.59, € 10,714,320.08 and € 5,046,271.94 respectively) demonstrating its effectiveness in particular by an organizational point of view. Lower price levels for PRB would imply significant savings for the SSN. Conclusions: PRB resulted to be associated to a lower level of resources’ absorption in the Italian sector as compared with the available alternatives thus allowing to re-allocate health founds to other fields of the care sector ensuring greater safety for patients and a decreased misuse and diversion rate.
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Hohmeier KC, Cernasev A, Sensmeier M, Hall E, Webb K, Barenie R, Cochran G. U.S. student pharmacist perceptions of the pharmacist's role in methadone for opioid use disorder: A qualitative study. SAGE Open Med 2021; 9:20503121211022994. [PMID: 34158941 PMCID: PMC8182209 DOI: 10.1177/20503121211022994] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 05/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Of the over 20 million Americans reporting an opioid use disorder, only around 3 million report receiving treatment of any kind. The gold standard for opioid use disorder treatment is medication in combination with psychosocial support, but despite robust evidence supporting treatment, barriers are substantial and include limited insurance coverage, patient beliefs, ease of access, regulatory hurdles, and stigma. Although trained as medication experts, U.S. pharmacists are not routinely involved in opioid use disorder treatment and may represent an underutilized care team member. OBJECTIVE To explore U.S. pharmacy students' perspectives on pharmacists as providers of methadone-based medications for opioid use disorder treatment. METHODS A qualitative design with focus groups of student pharmacists in a U.S. college of pharmacy in the Southeastern United States. RESULTS Over 2 months in 2020, three focus groups were conducted with 15 students in each group participating, and including second-, third-, and fourth-year student pharmacists. Three overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) student pharmacists desire exposure to therapeutic knowledge and lived experiences related to opioid use disorder and methadone treatment, (2) students perceive stigmatizing views held by practicing pharmacists toward opioid use disorder and methadone treatment, (3) pharmacists should play a role in methadone treatment. CONCLUSION Student pharmacists desire an active and larger role in the care of patients managing opioid use disorder. Findings indicate these students perceive less stigma toward opioid use disorder than currently practicing pharmacists. Pharmacy curricula should emphasize stories of lived experiences of patients with opioid use disorder, therapeutic knowledge and guidelines related to medications for opioid use disorder, and the regulatory environment surrounding opioid use disorder treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kenneth C Hohmeier
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and
Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Tennessee Health
Science Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Alina Cernasev
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and
Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Tennessee Health
Science Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Megan Sensmeier
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and
Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Tennessee Health
Science Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Elizabeth Hall
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and
Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Tennessee Health
Science Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | | | - Rachel Barenie
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy and
Translational Science, College of Pharmacy, The University of Tennessee Health
Science Center, Nashville, TN, USA
| | - Gerald Cochran
- School of Medicine, University of Utah,
Salt Lake City, UT, USA
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Dennis F. Drug fatalities and treatment fatalism: Complicating the ageing cohort theory. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2021; 43:1175-1190. [PMID: 33955586 PMCID: PMC7611256 DOI: 10.1111/1467-9566.13278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2020] [Revised: 03/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/22/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Deaths related to drug 'misuse' remain at an all-time high in the United Kingdom (UK). Older heroin consumers are particularly at risk, with the highest rates of deaths among people aged 40-49 and the steepest rises in the over-fifty age bracket. Accordingly, a popular theory for the UK's increase in drug-related deaths, made by the government, and propelled in the media, is that there is an ageing cohort of heroin users with age-related health complications predisposing them to an overdose. However, drawing on in-depth interviews with those people deemed to be most at risk, this article works to complicate this theory, with participants citing a shift in (a) experience and responsibility, (b) route of administration, (c) desired effects, (d) acceptance of their drug use and 'user' status and (e) valuing health. Disrupting age as a given risk factor, this article turns attention away from the individual and these 'natural' processes to what participants describe as a singular, punitive, and inflexible treatment system and its intersecting structures. Approaching life and death as a matter of sociomaterial 'mattering', this article rethinks a reductionist, causal link between age and drug-related death with a treatment despondency and fatalism that could prove fatal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay Dennis
- Goldsmiths, University of London, London, UK
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34
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Häuser W, Buchser E, Finn DP, Dom G, Fors E, Heiskanen T, Jarlbaek L, Knaggs RD, Kosek E, Krcevski-Škvarč N, Pakkonen K, Perrot S, Trouvin AP, Morlion B. Is Europe also facing an opioid crisis?-A survey of European Pain Federation chapters. Eur J Pain 2021; 25:1760-1769. [PMID: 33960569 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is considerable public interest in whether Europe is facing an opioid crisis comparable to the one in the United States and the contribution of opioid prescriptions for pain to a potential opioid crisis. METHODS A task force of the European Pain Federation (EFIC) conducted a survey with its national chapter representatives on trends of opioid prescriptions and of drug-related emergency departments and substance use disorder treatment admissions and of deaths as proxies of opioid-related harms over the last 20 years. RESULTS Data from 25 European countries were received. In most European countries opioid prescriptions increased from 2004 to 2016. The levels of opioid consumption and their increase differed between countries. Some Eastern European countries still have a low opioid consumption. Opioids are mainly prescribed for acute pain and chronic noncancer pain in some Western and Northern European countries. There was a parallel increase in opioid prescriptions and some proxies of opioid-related harms in France, Finland and the Netherlands, but not in Germany, Spain and Norway. In United Kingdom, opioid overdose deaths, but not opioid prescriptions increased between 2016 and 2018. There are no robust data available on whether prescribed opioids for pain patients contributed to opioid-related harms. CONCLUSIONS There are marked differences between European countries in trends of opioid prescribing and of proxies for opioid-related harms. Europe as a whole is not facing an opioid crisis. Discussions on the potential harms of opioids should not obstruct their prescription for cancer pain and palliative care. SIGNIFICANCE Europe as a whole is not facing an opioid crisis. Some Eastern European countries have limited access to opioid medicines. Discussions on the potential harms of opioid medicines for noncancer pain should not obstruct opioid therapy for cancer therapy and palliative care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winfried Häuser
- Department Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Eric Buchser
- Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management Neuromodulation Centre, Morges, Switzerland
| | - David P Finn
- Pharmacology and Therapeutic, School of Medicine, Centre for Pain Research, Galway Neuroscience Centre National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Geerd Dom
- Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Egil Fors
- Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Tarja Heiskanen
- Pain Clinic, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lene Jarlbaek
- REHPA - The Danish Knowledge Centre for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Nyborg, Denmark
| | - Roger D Knaggs
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.,Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Eva Kosek
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Pain Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nevenka Krcevski-Škvarč
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Treatmen, Faculty of Medicine of University Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Kaire Pakkonen
- Anaesthesiology, Operative and Intensive Care Service, Pärnu Hospital, Pärnu, Estonia
| | - Serge Perrot
- Pain Medicine Department, University Hospital Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Anne-Priscille Trouvin
- Pain Medicine Department, University Hospital Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Bart Morlion
- Center for Algology & Pain Management, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Vatovec C, Kolodinsky J, Callas P, Hart C, Gallagher K. Pharmaceutical pollution sources and solutions: Survey of human and veterinary medication purchasing, use, and disposal. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 285:112106. [PMID: 33588165 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.112106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/24/2020] [Revised: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 01/31/2021] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
Human and veterinary pharmaceuticals offer many benefits, but they also pose risks to both the environment and public health. Life-cycle stewardship of medications offers multiple strategies for minimizing the risks posed by pharmaceuticals, and further insight is required for developing best practices for pharmaceutical management. The goal of this study was to clarify points of intervention for minimizing environmental and public health risks associated with pharmaceuticals. Specifically, our objectives were to provide insight on purchasing, use, and disposal behaviors associated with human and veterinary medications. This study used a state-wide representative sample of Vermont adults (n = 421) to survey both human and veterinary pharmaceuticals as potential sources of the unintended consequences of prescribed and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. The majority (93%) of respondents had purchased some form of medication within the past twelve months, including OTC (85%), prescription (74%), and veterinary (41%) drugs. Leftover drugs of any kind were reported by 59% of respondents. While 56% of people were aware of drug take-back programs, the majority reported never being told what to do with leftover medications by their physician (78%), pharmacist (76%), or veterinarian (53%). Among all respondents, take-back programs were the most common disposal method (22%), followed by trash (19%), and flushing (9%), while 26% of respondents reported keeping unused drugs. Awareness of pharmaceutical pollution in the environment and having received information about proper disposal were both significantly associated with participation in take-back programs. These findings indicate that a large volume of drugs are going unused annually, and that only a portion of leftover medications are returned to take-back programs where they can be appropriately disposed. Our results warrant further investigation of clinical interventions that support lower dose prescribing and dispensing practices in order to reduce the unintended environmental and public health consequences of pharmaceuticals within the consumer sphere. In addition, our findings suggest that directed efforts to raise awareness of proper disposal may be more effective than broad awareness campaigns, and we recommend research on the efficacy of providing disposal instructions on drug packaging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine Vatovec
- Gund Institute for Environment & Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA.
| | - Jane Kolodinsky
- Community Development and Applied Economics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Peter Callas
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Christine Hart
- Rubenstein School of Environment & Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Kati Gallagher
- Community Development and Applied Economics, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
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Thorne S. A tale of two pandemics. Nurs Inq 2021; 28:e12415. [PMID: 33884708 DOI: 10.1111/nin.12415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Giorgetti A, Pascali J, Montisci M, Amico I, Bonvicini B, Fais P, Viero A, Giorgetti R, Cecchetto G, Viel G. The Role of Risk or Contributory Death Factors in Methadone-Related Fatalities: A Review and Pooled Analysis. Metabolites 2021; 11:metabo11030189. [PMID: 33810163 PMCID: PMC8004630 DOI: 10.3390/metabo11030189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/22/2021] [Revised: 03/16/2021] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Methadone-related deaths are characterized by a wide range of post-mortem blood concentrations, due to the high pharmacokinetic/dynamic inter-individual variability, the potential subjective tolerance state and to other risk factors or comorbidities, which might enhance methadone acute toxicity. In the present study, the association among pre-existing and external conditions and diseases and the resultant methadone death capacity have been investigated. Beside a systematic literature review, a retrospective case-control study was done, dividing cases in which methadone was the only cause of death (controls), and those with associated clinical-circumstantial (naive/non-tolerant state), pathological (pulmonary or cardiovascular diseases) or toxicological (other drugs detected) conditions. Methadone concentrations were compared between the two groups and the association with conditions/diseases was assessed by multiple linear and binomial logistic regressions. Literature cases were 139, in house 35, consisting of 22 controls and 152 cases with associated conditions/diseases. Mean methadone concentrations were 2122 ng/mL and 715 ng/mL in controls and cases respectively, with a statistically significant difference (p < 0.05). Lower methadone concentrations (by 24, 19 and 33% respectively) were detected in association with naive/non-tolerant state, pulmonary diseases and presence of other drugs, and low levels of methadone (<600 ng/mL) might lead to death in the presence of the above conditions/diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Giorgetti
- DIMEC, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (A.G.); (P.F.)
| | - Jennifer Pascali
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (J.P.); (M.M.); (I.A.); (B.B.); (A.V.); (G.C.)
| | - Massimo Montisci
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (J.P.); (M.M.); (I.A.); (B.B.); (A.V.); (G.C.)
| | - Irene Amico
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (J.P.); (M.M.); (I.A.); (B.B.); (A.V.); (G.C.)
| | - Barbara Bonvicini
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (J.P.); (M.M.); (I.A.); (B.B.); (A.V.); (G.C.)
| | - Paolo Fais
- DIMEC, Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, 40126 Bologna, Italy; (A.G.); (P.F.)
| | - Alessia Viero
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (J.P.); (M.M.); (I.A.); (B.B.); (A.V.); (G.C.)
| | - Raffaele Giorgetti
- Department of Excellence of Biomedical Sciences and Public Health, University “Politecnica delle Marche” of Ancona, via Conca 71, 60126 Ancona, Italy;
| | - Giovanni Cecchetto
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (J.P.); (M.M.); (I.A.); (B.B.); (A.V.); (G.C.)
| | - Guido Viel
- Department of Cardiac, Thoracic, Vascular Sciences and Public Health, University of Padova, 35121 Padova, Italy; (J.P.); (M.M.); (I.A.); (B.B.); (A.V.); (G.C.)
- Correspondence:
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Analgesic Opioid Misuse and Opioid Use Disorder among Patients with Chronic Non-Cancer Pain and Prescribed Opioids in a Pain Centre in France. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:ijerph18042097. [PMID: 33670004 PMCID: PMC7926319 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18042097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 02/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
(1) Background: Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) remains a public health challenge around the world. Opioids (PO) have been increasingly used in the treatment of CNCP in the last 20 years. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of opioid misuse and prescribed-opioid use disorder (p-OUD) among patients with CNCP in a pain centre in France, and to analyse risk factors for moderate or severe p-OUD. (2) Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted, including patients consulting for pain management in the pain centre of Brest University Hospital. A self-questionnaire was administered (sociodemographic data, medical data, PO misuse, and p-OUD according the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 5 (DSM 5) criteria). Descriptive, univariate, and multivariate analyses were conducted, together with a principal component analysis, in order to identify factors associated with p-OUD. (3) Results: In total, 115 patients were included, the majority of whom were women, with a mean age of 52 years old [18–82]; 64.3% (n = 74) had a current prescription for opioid analgesics (weak or strong). In this group, 56.7% (n = 42) had no or only mild p-OUD and 43.3% (n = 32) had current moderate or severe p-OUD. Patients with moderate or severe p-OUD were more likely to have a current antidepressant prescription, to have had psychotherapy, to currently use strong opioids and oxycodone, and to report taking more frequent doses than prescribed and feeling dependent. (4) Conclusions: We showed that the prevalence of current moderate/severe p-OUD concerned 43.3% of the patients with a CNCP seeking treatment in a pain centre. According to these results, several measures are relevant in managing p-OUD among patients with CNCP.
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Fischer B, O-Keefe-Markman C, Daldegan-Bueno D, Walters C. Why comparative epidemiological indicators suggest that New Zealand is unlikely to experience a severe opioid epidemic. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 93:103166. [PMID: 33607479 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
North America (i.e., the United States and Canada) and select other wealthy Commonwealth countries (e.g., Australia, the UK) have been experiencing marked 'opioid epidemics', consisting of elevated opioid use and related (e.g., mortality and morbidity) harms involving both prescription and, increasingly, illicit opioid substances. Multiple commentators have alerted to the possibility of New Zealand becoming home to a similar opioid crisis. In this article, we briefly examine and compare key system-level epidemiological indicators for New Zealand in regards to this situation and prospect. These data suggest that, comparatively, population-level (medical) opioid use, exposure and supply in New Zealand have been low and moderate, mostly involving restrained and lower-risk (e.g., short-duration, few long-acting/high-potency formulations, restricted settings) medical opioid availability, with limited over-time increases and absent the major oscillations in opioid dispensing observed elsewhere. Similarly, illicit opioids have been rather low in availability and use, and do not form primary substances in illicit drug scenes or markets. Correspondingly, opioid-related mortality in New Zealand has been somewhat increasing over-time albeit at comparably low levels, and principally involves methadone, morphine and codeine, i.e. the main opioids medically prescribed. Synthesizing the evidence, New Zealand has not featured the distinct characteristics or system-level drivers that have facilitated the opioid epidemics as have unfolded in other jurisdictions. It appears that New Zealand may have all along engaged in the more measured opioid use practices that other jurisdictions have attempted to revert to post-hoc (but largely when too late) while experiencing extensive adverse consequences related to opioids. On this basis, New Zealand provides for a worthwhile comparative case study towards more moderate opioid utilization and control entailing relatively limited collateral harms (e.g., opioid mortality) on public health compared to elsewhere. Details and characteristics of New Zealand's approach to and experience with opioids should be further examined for future and other jurisdictions' benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Fischer
- Schools of Population Health and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health & Addiction, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Caroline O-Keefe-Markman
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health & Addiction, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno
- Schools of Population Health and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Carina Walters
- Schools of Population Health and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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Factors associated with early and later dropout from methadone maintenance treatment in specialist addiction clinics: a six-year cohort study using proportional hazards frailty models for recurrent treatment episodes. Drug Alcohol Depend 2021; 219:108466. [PMID: 33421801 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2020] [Revised: 11/27/2020] [Accepted: 11/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Retention in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) is associated with reduced illicit drug use, criminal activity, and mortality; however, many clients move in and out of MMT. This study aims to identify determinants of time to dropout of MMT across multiple treatment episodes in specialist addiction services in Ireland. METHODS Cohort study of persons attending specialist addiction clinics between 2010 and 2015. MMT episodes were periods of continuous treatment if there were no interruptions to treatment lasting > 7days. Proportional hazards frailty models were used to assess factors associated with time to dropout from recurrent MMT episodes at 3 (90 days) and 12 months (91-365 days). MMT episodes were right- censored at time of death, transfer to prison or primary care, and study end. RESULTS A total of 2,035 individuals experienced 4,969 MMT episodes, with 2,724 dropout events during the six-year follow-up. Factors associated with dropout at 3 months included low dose methadone (<60 mg/day) (HR = 1.49, 95% CI 1.29-1.73) and previous dropout (HR = 1.65, 95% CI 1.41-1.92). Adherence was protective (HR = 0.91, 95% CI 0.90-0.92). Dropout at 12 months was associated with low dose methadone (HR = 1.44, 95% CI 1.23-1.68), previous dropout (HR = 1.37, 95% CI 1.16-1.61), males (HR 1.26, 95% CI 1.06-1.50), benzodiazepines (HR = 1.22, 95% CI 1.03-1.45) and number of comorbidities (HR = 1.12, 95% CI 1.05-1.20); adherence was protective (HR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.84-0.87). CONCLUSIONS Clients with a previous history of treatment dropout and those on low dose methadone should be identified as high risk for both early and later dropout. Inversely, adherence to treatment, not missing methadone doses, is protective.
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Maia LO, Daldegan-Bueno D, Fischer B. Opioid use, regulation, and harms in Brazil: a comprehensive narrative overview of available data and indicators. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2021; 16:12. [PMID: 33499891 PMCID: PMC7836143 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-021-00348-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/16/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Global opioid consumption increased multifold post-2000, disproportionately in high-income countries, with severe mortality/morbidity consequences. Latin America features comparatively low opioid availability; Brazil, the region's most populous country, makes an interesting case study concerning opioid use/harms. In this comprehensive overview, we aimed to identify and summarize medical and non-medical data and indicators of opioid availability and use, regulation/control, and harm outcomes in Brazil since 2000. METHODS We searched multiple scientific databases to identify relevant publications and conducted additional 'grey' literature searches to identify other pertinent information. RESULTS Despite some essential indicators, opioid-related data are limited for Brazil. Data indicate that population-level availability of prescription opioids represents only a small fraction of use in comparison to high-income countries. However, within Latin America, Brazil ranks mid-level for opioid consumption, indicating relatively moderate consumption compared to neighboring jurisdictions. Brazil has implemented restrictive regulations to opioid prescribing and is considered 'highly restricted' for opioid access. Codeine remains the major opioid analgesic utilized, but stronger opioids such as oxycodone are becoming more common. Professional knowledge regarding medical opioid use and effects appears limited. National surveys indicate increases in non-medical use of prescription opioids, albeit lower than observed in North America, while illicit opioids (e.g., heroin) are highly uncommon. CONCLUSIONS Overall population-level opioid availability and corresponding levels of opioid-related harms in Brazil remain substantially lower than rates reported for North America. However, the available surveillance and analytical data on opioid use, policy/practice, and harms in Brazil are limited and insufficient. Since existing and acute (e.g., pain-related) needs for improved opioid utilization and practice appear to be substantiated, improved indicators for and understanding of opioid use, practice, and harms in Brazil are required.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas O. Maia
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction, SFU Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 515 W. Hastings Street, V6B 5K3 Vancouver, BC Canada
| | - Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno
- Schools of Population Health and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, 85 Park Rd, 1023 Grafton, Auckland New Zealand
| | - Benedikt Fischer
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction, SFU Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, 515 W. Hastings Street, V6B 5K3 Vancouver, BC Canada
- Schools of Population Health and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, 85 Park Rd, 1023 Grafton, Auckland New Zealand
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th floor, M5T 1R8 Toronto, ON Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo, R. Dr. Ovídio Pires de Campos, 785, 05403-903 São Paulo, Brazil
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Damiescu R, Banerjee M, Lee DYW, Paul NW, Efferth T. Health(care) in the Crisis: Reflections in Science and Society on Opioid Addiction. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2021; 18:E341. [PMID: 33466370 PMCID: PMC7795923 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph18010341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 12/28/2020] [Accepted: 12/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Opioid abuse and misuse have led to an epidemic which is currently spreading worldwide. Since the number of opioid overdoses is still increasing, it is becoming obvious that current rather unsystematic approaches to tackle this health problem are not effective. This review suggests that fighting the opioid epidemic requires a structured public health approach. Therefore, it is important to consider not only scientific and biomedical perspectives, but societal implications and the lived experience of groups at risk as well. Hence, this review evaluates the risk factors associated with opioid overdoses and investigates the rates of chronic opioid misuse, particularly in the context of chronic pain as well as post-surgery treatments, as the entrance of opioids in people's lives. Linking pharmaceutical biology to narrative analysis is essential to understand the modulations of the usual themes of addiction and abuse present in the opioid crisis. This paper shows that patient narratives can be an important resource in understanding the complexity of opioid abuse and addiction. In particular, the relationship between chronic pain and social inequality must be considered. The main goal of this review is to demonstrate how a deeper transdisciplinary-enriched understanding can lead to more precise strategies of prevention or treatment of opioid abuse.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roxana Damiescu
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Mita Banerjee
- Department of English and Linguistics, Obama Institute for Transnational American Studies, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - David Y. W. Lee
- McLean Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02478, USA;
| | - Norbert W. Paul
- Institute for History, Philosophy and Ethics of Medicine, Johannes Gutenberg University Medical Center, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
| | - Thomas Efferth
- Department of Pharmaceutical Biology, Institute of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University, 55128 Mainz, Germany;
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Laconi S, Palma-Alvarez RF, Stöver H, Padberg C, Jamin D, Meroueh F, Chappuy M, Roncero C, Rolland B. Validation of the Opioid Overdose Knowledge (OOKS) and Attitudes (OOAS) Scales in French, Spanish, and German Languages, among a Sample of Opioid Users. Eur Addict Res 2021; 27:326-331. [PMID: 33657553 DOI: 10.1159/000511770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2020] [Accepted: 09/21/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Improving the knowledge and attitudes of people facing an opioid overdose is one of the key prevention measures for reducing overdose occurrence and severity. In this respect, the Opioid Overdose Knowledge Scale (OOKS) and Opioid Overdose Attitudes Scale (OOAS) have been developed and validated in English to assess and improve knowledge and attitudes of opioid users and their families and care providers, in case of an overdose. Here, the OOKS and OOAS scales have been translated into French, Spanish, and German, and the different versions of the 2 scales have been assessed regarding their psychometric properties. METHODS The translation procedure of the scales was based on the international recommendations, including a back translation by a native English speaker. Subsequently, 80 (Spain: 29, France: 27, Germany: 24) former or current heroin users, aged from 20 to 61 years (M = 39.4 ± 9.23), completed the OOKS and OOAS versions of their native language, in test-retest, without specific between-assessment training. Internal consistency was assessed using Cronbach's α, while test-retest reliability was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The correlation between the OOKS and OOAS scores of a same language was assessed using Spearman's (ρ) coefficient. RESULTS Internal consistency of the OOKS was found to be good to very good, with Cronbach's α ranging from 0.62 to 0.87. Test-retest reliability was also very good, with ICCs ranging from 0.71 to 0.82. However, results were less reliable for the OOAS, as internal consistency was questionable to acceptable, with Cronbach's α ranging from 0.12 to 0.63, while test-retest ICCs were very good for the French (0.91) and Spanish (0.99) versions and barely acceptable for the German version (0.41). No significant correlation was found between the OOKS and OOAS scores, irrespective of the version concerned. CONCLUSION While satisfactory results were found for the 3 versions of the OOKS, results on the OOAS were relatively inconsistent, suggesting a possible gap between knowledge and attitudes on overdose among opioid users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphanie Laconi
- Centre d'Études et de Recherches en Psychopathologie et Psychologie de la Santé, EA7411, Université de Toulouse 2 - Jean Jaurès, Toulouse, France
| | - Raul Felipe Palma-Alvarez
- Departament de Psiquiatria i Medicina Legal, Servei de Psiquiatria, Hospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Spain.,Grup de Recerca en Psiquiatria, Salut Mental i Addiccions, Vall d'Hebron Institut de Recerca (VHIR), Barcelona, Spain.,Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Bellaterra, Spain
| | - Heino Stöver
- Fachhochschule Frankfurt, Fachbereich 4: "Soziale Arbeit und Gesundheit", Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Christina Padberg
- Fachhochschule Frankfurt, Fachbereich 4: "Soziale Arbeit und Gesundheit", Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Daniela Jamin
- Fachhochschule Frankfurt, Fachbereich 4: "Soziale Arbeit und Gesundheit", Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Fadi Meroueh
- Unité Sanitaire, Pôle Urgences, CHU de Montpellier, Maison d'Arrêt de Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, Villeneuve-lès-Maguelone, France
| | - Mathieu Chappuy
- Service Universitaire d'Addictologie de Lyon (SUAL), CH Le Vinatier, Bron, France
| | - Carlos Roncero
- Servicio de Psiquiatría, Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca (España), & Instituto de Biomedicina de Salamanca, Universidad de Salamanca (España), Salamanca, Spain.,Área de Psiquiatría, Facultad de Medicina Universidad de Salamanca (España), Salamanca, Spain
| | - Benjamin Rolland
- Service Universitaire d'Addictologie de Lyon (SUAL), CH Le Vinatier, Bron, France, .,Université de Lyon, UCBL1, INSERM U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, CRNL, PSYR, Lyon, France,
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Russell HA, Smith B, Sanders M, Loomis E. Attending a Biopsychosocially Focused Buprenorphine Training Improves Clinician Attitudes. Front Psychiatry 2021; 12:639826. [PMID: 34408673 PMCID: PMC8365181 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2021.639826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Substance use disorders remain highly stigmatized. Access to medications for opioid use disorder is poor. There are many barriers to expanding access including stigma and lack of medical education about substance use disorders. We enriched the existing, federally required, training for clinicians to prescribe buprenorphine with a biopsychosocial focus in order to decrease stigma and expand access to medications for opioid use disorder. Methods: We trained a family medicine team to deliver an enriched version of the existing buprenorphine waiver curriculum. The waiver training was integrated into the curriculum for all University of Rochester physician and nurse practitioner family medicine residents and also offered to University of Rochester residents and faculty in other disciplines and regionally. We used the Brief Substance Abuse Attitudes Survey to collect baseline and post-training data. Outcomes: 140 training participants completed attitude surveys. The overall attitude score increased significantly from pre to post-training. Additionally, significant changes were observed in non-moralism from pre-training (M = 20.07) to post-training (M = 20.98, p < 0.001); treatment optimism from pre-training (M = 21.56) to post-training (M = 22.33, p < 0.001); and treatment interventions from pre-training (M = 31.03) to post-training (M = 32.10, p < 0.001). Conclusion: Increasing medical education around Opioid Use Disorder using a Family Medicine trained team with a biopsychosocial focus can improve provider attitudes around substance use disorders. Enriching training with cases may improve treatment optimism and may help overcome the documented barriers to prescribing medications for opioid use disorder and increase access for patients to lifesaving treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly Ann Russell
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Brian Smith
- University of Rochester School of Nursing, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Mechelle Sanders
- Department of Family Medicine, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, United States
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Current status of opioid epidemic in the United Kingdom and strategies for treatment optimisation in chronic pain. Int J Clin Pharm 2020; 43:318-322. [PMID: 33252724 PMCID: PMC8079300 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-020-01205-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The increase in opioid prescriptions in the United States has been accompanied by an increase in misuse as well as overdose and toxicity related morbidity and mortality. However, the extent of the increased opioid use, including misuse in the United Kingdom, currently remains less debated. Recent studies in the United Kingdom have shown a rise in opioid use and attributed deaths, particularly in areas with higher deprivation. There are also large variations amongst the devolved nations; Scotland has the highest drug-related deaths and year-on-year increase within Europe. Better clinical guidelines that can enable person-centred management of chronic pain, medicines optimisation, and early diagnosis and treatment of opioid use disorder are crucial to addressing opioid-related morbidity and mortality in the United Kingdom.
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Caldeira D, Broeiro P, Cimadeira F, Costa J, Lourenço A, Meireles C, Guerreiro MP, Ribeiro N. Opioids prescribing trend between 2013 and 2017 in the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region, Portugal. Int J Clin Pharm 2020; 43:323-327. [PMID: 33245521 DOI: 10.1007/s11096-020-01199-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Background In the United States of America, the increased use of opioids is associated with serious risks, such as overdose, opioid use disorder and death. In Portugal, data about the use of these drugs are scarce. Objective Characterize the prescribing patterns of opioids in the Health Administrative Region of Lisbon and Tagus Valley. Methods Observational, retrospective descriptive analysis of the prescription of opioid drugs through the Health Administrative Region database from 2013 to 2017. The outcomes analysed were the defined daily dose (DDD) per year and the defined daily dose per 1000 inhabitants per year (DID). Results The prescription of opioid drugs in this region has increased approximately 1.5-fold over a 4 year period (totals of 4.32 million DDD and 3.25 DID in 2013 to totals of 7.21 million DDD and 5.42 DID in 2017). The opioids with the greatest absolute increase in this period were tramadol, tapentadol and codeine. Conclusion The prescription of opioid drugs has increased approximately 1.5-fold over a 4 year period in the ambulatory care of one of the main health administrative regions in Portugal. This trend warrants monitoring and suggests the need for highlighting good practices for opioids prescribing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Caldeira
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of ARSLVT - Comissão de Farmácia e Terapêutica da Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Lisboa, Portugal.,Serviço de Cardiologia, Centro Cardiovascular da Universidade de Lisboa - CCUL, Faculdade de Medicina, Hospital Universitário de Santa Maria (CHULN), CAML, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.,Laboratório de Farmacologia Clínica e Terapêutica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Paula Broeiro
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of ARSLVT - Comissão de Farmácia e Terapêutica da Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Lisboa, Portugal.,Instituto de Medicina Preventiva, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Fátima Cimadeira
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of ARSLVT - Comissão de Farmácia e Terapêutica da Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - João Costa
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of ARSLVT - Comissão de Farmácia e Terapêutica da Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Lisboa, Portugal.,Laboratório de Farmacologia Clínica e Terapêutica, Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - António Lourenço
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of ARSLVT - Comissão de Farmácia e Terapêutica da Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Lisboa, Portugal.,NOVA Medical School, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Cristina Meireles
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of ARSLVT - Comissão de Farmácia e Terapêutica da Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Mara Pereira Guerreiro
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of ARSLVT - Comissão de Farmácia e Terapêutica da Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Lisboa, Portugal. .,Escola Superior de Enfermagem de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal. .,CiiEM, Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, Monte de Caparica, Portugal.
| | - Nadine Ribeiro
- Pharmacy and Therapeutics Committee of ARSLVT - Comissão de Farmácia e Terapêutica da Administração Regional de Saúde de Lisboa e Vale do Tejo, Lisboa, Portugal.,CiiEM, Instituto Universitário Egas Moniz, Monte de Caparica, Portugal
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Friedman SR, Krawczyk N, Perlman DC, Mateu-Gelabert P, Ompad DC, Hamilton L, Nikolopoulos G, Guarino H, Cerdá M. The Opioid/Overdose Crisis as a Dialectics of Pain, Despair, and One-Sided Struggle. Front Public Health 2020; 8:540423. [PMID: 33251171 PMCID: PMC7676222 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2020.540423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The opioid/overdose crisis in the United States and Canada has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives and has become a major field for research and interventions. It has embroiled pharmaceutical companies in lawsuits and possible bankruptcy filings. Effective interventions and policies toward this and future drug-related outbreaks may be improved by understanding the sociostructural roots of this outbreak. Much of the literature on roots of the opioid/overdose outbreak focuses on (1) the actions of pharmaceutical companies in inappropriately promoting the use of prescription opioids; (2) "deaths of despair" based on the deindustrialization of much of rural and urban Canada and the United States, and on the related marginalization and demoralization of those facing lifetimes of joblessness or precarious employment in poorly paid, often dangerous work; and (3) increase in occupationally-induced pain and injuries in the population. All three of these roots of the crisis-pharmaceutical misconduct and unethical marketing practices, despair based on deindustrialization and increased occupational pain-can be traced back, in part, to what has been called the "one-sided class war" that became prominent in the 1970s, became institutionalized as neo-liberalism in and since the 1980s, and may now be beginning to be challenged. We describe this one-sided class war, and how processes it sparked enabled pharmaceutical corporations in their misconduct, nurtured individualistic ideologies that fed into despair and drug use, weakened institutions that created social support in communities, and reduced barriers against injuries and other occupational pain at workplaces by reducing unionization, weakening surviving unions, and weakening the enforcement of rules about workplace safety and health. We then briefly discuss the implications of this analysis for programs and policies to mitigate or reverse the opioid/overdose outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samuel R. Friedman
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population Health, Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Noa Krawczyk
- Department of Population Health, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | - David C. Perlman
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States
- Mount Sinai Medical Center, Miami Beach, FL, United States
| | - Pedro Mateu-Gelabert
- Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Danielle C. Ompad
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, NY, United States
- Center for Drug Use and HIV Research (CDUHR), New York, NY, United States
| | - Leah Hamilton
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population Health, Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
| | | | - Honoria Guarino
- Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy, City University of New York, New York, NY, United States
| | - Magdalena Cerdá
- Division of Epidemiology, Department of Population Health, Center for Opioid Epidemiology and Policy, School of Medicine, New York University, New York, NY, United States
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Piccioni A, Cicchinelli S, Saviano L, Gilardi E, Zanza C, Brigida M, Tullo G, Volonnino G, Covino M, Franceschi F, La Russa R. Risk Management in First Aid for Acute Drug Intoxication. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17218021. [PMID: 33143348 PMCID: PMC7663746 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17218021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2020] [Revised: 10/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/29/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Drug abuse (cannabis, cocaine, opiates, and synthetic drugs) is an increasing phenomenon, especially in the younger population, thus leading to more cases of intoxication requiring evaluation in the emergency department and subsequent hospitalization. In 2017, 34.2% of students reported having used an illegal psychoactive substance in their lifetime, while 26% reported having done so over the past year. We made a review about the effectiveness of the role of the temporary observation unit in the emergency department to improve management of acute drugs intoxication. We checked medical literature from the last 10 years (2009-2019). The following electronic databases were systematically searched: MEDLINE-PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials. Then, a systematic review was carried out according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review standards. Intoxicated patients usually display a favorable medical course, few diagnostic and therapeutic interventions, a short stay in the hospital, and, when hospitalization is needed, semi-intensive therapy is a feasible solution; therefore, intoxicated patients are ideal candidates for a temporary observation unit. The emergency department is very important to manage intoxicated patients; however, the hospitalization of these patients is often not necessary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea Piccioni
- Emergency Medicine Department, University Polyclinic Foundation A. Gemelli, IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Hospitalization and Treatment), 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (S.C.); (L.S.); (M.B.); (G.T.); (M.C.)
| | - Sara Cicchinelli
- Emergency Medicine Department, University Polyclinic Foundation A. Gemelli, IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Hospitalization and Treatment), 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (S.C.); (L.S.); (M.B.); (G.T.); (M.C.)
| | - Luisa Saviano
- Emergency Medicine Department, University Polyclinic Foundation A. Gemelli, IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Hospitalization and Treatment), 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (S.C.); (L.S.); (M.B.); (G.T.); (M.C.)
| | - Emanuele Gilardi
- Emergency-Admission Department, Biomedical Campus, 00128 Rome, Italy;
| | - Christian Zanza
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care and Emergency Medicine, Pietro and Michele Ferrero Hospital, 12051 Verduno, Italy;
| | - Mattia Brigida
- Emergency Medicine Department, University Polyclinic Foundation A. Gemelli, IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Hospitalization and Treatment), 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (S.C.); (L.S.); (M.B.); (G.T.); (M.C.)
| | - Gianluca Tullo
- Emergency Medicine Department, University Polyclinic Foundation A. Gemelli, IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Hospitalization and Treatment), 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (S.C.); (L.S.); (M.B.); (G.T.); (M.C.)
| | - Gianpietro Volonnino
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy;
| | - Marcello Covino
- Emergency Medicine Department, University Polyclinic Foundation A. Gemelli, IRCCS (Scientific Institute for Hospitalization and Treatment), 00168 Rome, Italy; (A.P.); (S.C.); (L.S.); (M.B.); (G.T.); (M.C.)
| | | | - Raffaele La Russa
- Department of Anatomy, Histology, Forensic Medicine and Orthopedics, Sapienza University, 00161 Rome, Italy;
- Correspondence:
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'You're not just a medical professional': Exploring paramedic experiences of overdose response within Vancouver's downtown eastside. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0239559. [PMID: 32986736 PMCID: PMC7521748 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0239559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Overdose response has become an increasingly relevant component of paramedic practice, particularly in light of increased opioid overdose globally. Previous studies have noted gaps in our understanding regarding the unique challenges which paramedics face during this form of pre-hospital emergency care. The aim of this study is to explore and describe the ways in which paramedics experience overdose response, specifically within a community markedly affected by the overdose crisis. METHODS Ten participants were recruited from a single ambulance station located in an urban center in Western Canada. Two rounds of semi-structured individual interviews were conducted, and data saturation was found to have been reached. Verbatim transcripts were produced and subject to two rounds of descriptive and pattern coding. A second researcher reviewed all of the codes, with disagreements being handled by discussion until agreement was obtained. Themes were identified, along with a Core Category which seeks to describe the underlying dynamics of overdose response represented in our data. The concept of a Core Category was borrowed from Grounded Theory methodology. FINDINGS Five major themes were identified: Connecting with patients' lived experiences; Occupying roles as clinicians and patient advocates; Navigating on-scene hazards; Difficulties with transitions of care; and Emotional burden of the overdose crisis. A core category was identified as One's capacity to help. CONCLUSIONS This research contributes to existing literature on overdose response by specifically examining paramedic experiences during this form of emergency care. While paramedics felt highly confident in providing clinical care, their capacity to address underlying causes of drug use was understood as much more limited. Participants found ways to address this lack of control, along with feelings of frustration, by trying to understand patient perspectives and adopting empathetic attitudes.
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Bedene A, van Dorp ELA, Faquih T, Cannegieter SC, Mook-Kanamori DO, Niesters M, van Velzen M, Gademan MGJ, Rosendaal FR, Bouvy ML, Dahan A, Lijfering WM. Causes and consequences of the opioid epidemic in the Netherlands: a population-based cohort study. Sci Rep 2020; 10:15309. [PMID: 32943678 PMCID: PMC7499208 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-72084-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the past decade opioid use has risen globally. The causes and consequences of this increase, especially in Europe, are poorly understood. We conducted a population-based cohort study using national statistics on analgesics prescriptions, opioid poisoning hospital admissions and deaths in the Netherlands from 2013 to 2017. Pain prevalence and severity was determined by using results of 2014-2017 Health Interview Surveys. Between 2013 and 2017 the proportion of residents receiving opioid prescription rose from 4.9% to 6.0%, and the proportion of those receiving NSAIDs decreased from 15.5% to 13.7%. Self-reported pain prevalence and severity remained constant, as 44.7% of 5,119 respondents reported no pain-impeded activities-of-daily-living in 2014 (aRR, 1.00 [95% CI, 0.95-1.06] in 2017 vs 2014). Over the observation period, the incidence of opioid poisoning hospitalization and death increased from 8.6 to 12.9 per 100,000 inhabitants. The incidence of severe outcomes related to opioid use increased, as 3.9% of 1,343 hospitalized for opioid poisoning died in 2013 and 4.6% of 2,055 in 2017. We demonstrated that NSAIDs prescription decreased and opioid prescription increased in the Netherlands since 2013, without an increase in pain prevalence and severity. Consequently, the incidence of severe outcomes related to opioids increased.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajda Bedene
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Eveline L A van Dorp
- Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Tariq Faquih
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Suzanna C Cannegieter
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Internal Medicine, Section of Thrombosis and Hemostasis, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Dennis O Mook-Kanamori
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Primary Care, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marieke Niesters
- Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Monique van Velzen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Maaike G J Gademan
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.,Department of Orthopedics, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Frits R Rosendaal
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Marcel L Bouvy
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, University Utrecht, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Albert Dahan
- Department of Anesthesiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - Willem M Lijfering
- Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Leiden University Medical Center, Albinusdreef 2, 2333 ZA, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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