Extended-Release Naltrexone for Alcohol and Opioid Problems in Missouri Parolees and Probationers

Use of long-acting injectable buprenorphine in the correctional setting

BACKGROUND

As overdoses due to opioids rise, medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) continue to be underemployed, resulting in limited access to potentially life-saving treatment. Substance use disorders are prevalent in individuals who are incarcerated, and these individuals are at increased risk for death postrelease due to overdose. Few jails and prisons offer MOUD and most limit access. Extended-release buprenorphine (XR-BUP), a novel monthly injectable MOUD formulation, could be uniquely poised to address treatment access in correctional settings.

METHODS

This study linked a retrospective cohort design of statewide datasets to evaluate the real-world use of XR-BUP. The study included individuals (N = 54) who received XR-BUP while incarcerated from January 2019 through February 2022. The study was conducted at the Rhode Island Department of Corrections, with the nation's first comprehensive statewide correctional MOUD program.

RESULTS

Fifty-four individuals received a combined total of 162 injections during the study period. The study found no evidence of tampering with the injection site, indicating no attempts by participants to remove, hoard, or divert the medication. Sixty-one percent reported at least one adverse effect after injections were received, with an average of 2.8 side effects. Sixty-one percent of those released on XR-BUP engaged in MOUD after release, 30 % continued with XR-BUP.

CONCLUSIONS

XR-BUP is feasible and acceptable in correctional settings. XR-BUP addresses administrative concerns of diversion that obstruct lifesaving MOUD and offers another safe and effective treatment option. Further studies and trials should continue to assess this novel medication's ability to treat opioid addiction in the correctional setting and upon release to the community.

The association between medication for opioid use disorder and employment outcomes in the U.S.: The relevance of race and ethnicity

•White admissions given MOUD were less likely to become unemployed at discharge.•Blacks and Hispanics given MOUD were more likely to remain unemployed at discharge.•Racial disparities associated with MOUD have notable implications for policy.

Pharmacological interventions for alcohol misuse in correctional settings: A systematic review

BACKGROUND

The prevalence of alcohol use disorder (AUD) is estimated to be 10 times higher amongst individuals in the criminal justice system than the general population. Alcohol use is also one of the strongest modifiable risk factors for recidivism. One intervention that has been shown to be effective in reducing alcohol consumption in the general population is medication-assisted treatment (MAT), and this systematic review synthesized the existing evidence on MAT for AUD in correctional settings.

METHODS

Empirical, peer-reviewed studies on approved medications for AUD in correctional populations were searched in major databases. One hundred sixty-two articles were initially screened and 14 eligible articles were included in the final review. Four articles examined disulfiram, and 10 articles examined naltrexone.

RESULTS

The studies on disulfiram were considerably older than those on naltrexone, predating contemporary scientific standards. Disulfiram in combination with substantial contingencies in a supervised setting significantly reduced alcohol-related measures of consumption and recidivism and had acceptable safety and tolerability. All naltrexone studies showed significant reductions in alcohol-related measures, but effects on recidivism were mixed. The naltrexone studies indicated that it was highly acceptable and well tolerated. In addition, offenders receiving naltrexone had significantly greater medication adherence, treatment attendance, and treatment duration than with placebo.

CONCLUSIONS

A small number of studies on pharmacological interventions for AUD in the correctional population suggest that MAT is effective in reducing alcohol consumption, although results on recidivism are mixed. On balance, the evidence was more supportive of naltrexone in reducing alcohol-related outcomes than disulfiram and it may also be a more feasible intervention in correctional settings. Further research on MAT to address AUD in correctional populations with larger sample sizes, longer duration, and in combination with behavioral interventions is warranted.

Dose Escalation of Naltrexone to Reduce Stress Responses Associated With Opioid Antagonist Induction: A Double-blind Randomized Trial

CONTEXT

To describe the role of opioid antagonist induction in reducing stress response and withdrawal symptoms.

OBJECTIVE

Complexity of naltrexone induction is limiting broader applicability of opioid antagonist-assisted abstinence. The aim of this clinical trial was to assess the stress response to 2 low-dose naltrexone induction protocols under minimal oral sedation.

DESIGN

Double-blind randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

Open setting in-patient unit.

PARTICIPANTS

Adults with opioid use disorder, and at least a year-long history of opioid use.

INTERVENTION PROTOCOL

Patients received either a single 12.5 mg naltrexone oral dose (SI group) or escalating dosage regimen starting from 50 μg up to a cumulative dose of 12.5 mg (ED group).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Differences in cortisol and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations 1 hour after the start of naltrexone induction.

RESULTS

In all, 124 patients were enrolled and 68 remained in the trial at the point of randomization-33 in SI and 35 in ED group. Eight patients were excluded from final analysis. Plasma cortisol and ACTH concentrations were significantly higher in SI group; mean difference between groups 313 nmol/L (95% confidence interval [CI] 182-444, P < 0.001) and 36.9 pg/mL (95% CI 12.3-61.4, P = 0.004), respectively.

SECONDARY OUTCOMES

SI patients experienced significant increases in plasma cortisol and ACTH concentrations, and withdrawal scores. In ED group these measures remained at or below baseline throughout the 24-hour period from start of naltrexone induction.

CONCLUSIONS

Contrary to a single 12.5-mg dose, the escalating naltrexone dosing regimen produced no significant increase in stress response and withdrawal scores during antagonist induction.

Prevention, screening, and treatment for heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder

Heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder are major public health problems. Practitioners not specialising in alcohol treatment are often unaware of the guidelines for preventing, identifying, and treating heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder. However, a consensus exists that clinically useful and valuable tools are available to address these issues. Here, we review existing information and developments from the past 5 years in these areas. We also include information on heavy drinking and alcohol use disorder among individuals with co-occurring psychiatric disorders, including drug use disorders. Areas covered include prevention; screening, brief intervention, and referral for treatment; evidence-based behavioural interventions; medication-assisted treatment; technology-based interventions (eHealth and mHealth); and population-level interventions. We also discuss the key topics for future research.

Prevention of Opioid Abuse and Treatment of Opioid Addiction: Current Status and Future Possibilities

Prescription opioid medications have seen a dramatic rise in misuse and abuse, leading regulators and scientists to develop policies and abuse-deterrent technologies to combat the current opioid epidemic. These abuse-deterrent formulations (ADFs) are intended to deter physical and chemical tampering of opioid-based products, while still providing safe and effective delivery for therapeutic purposes. Even though formulations with varying abuse-deterrent technologies have been approved, questions remain about their effectiveness. While these formulations provide a single means to combat the epidemic, a greater emphasis should be placed on formulations for treatment of addiction and overdose to help those struggling with opioid dependence. This article analyzes various ADFs currently in clinical use and explores potential novel systems for treatment of addiction and prevention of overdose.

Extended-release injectable naltrexone for opioid use disorder: a systematic review

AIMS

To review systematically the published literature on extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX, Vivitrol^® ), marketed as a once-per-month injection product to treat opioid use disorder. We addressed the following questions: (1) how successful is induction on XR-NTX; (2) what are adherence rates to XR-NTX; and (3) does XR-NTX decrease opioid use? Factors associated with these outcomes as well as overdose rates were examined.

METHODS

We searched PubMed and used Google Scholar for forward citation searches of peer-reviewed papers from January 2006 to June 2017. Studies that included individuals seeking treatment for opioid use disorder who were offered XR-NTX were included.

RESULTS

We identified and included 34 studies. Pooled estimates showed that XR-NTX induction success was lower in studies that included individuals that required opioid detoxification [62.6%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 54.5-70.0%] compared with studies that included individuals already detoxified from opioids (85.0%, 95% CI = 78.0-90.1%); 44.2% (95% CI = 33.1-55.9%) of individuals took all scheduled injections of XR-NTX, which were usually six or fewer. Adherence was higher in prospective investigational studies (i.e. studies conducted in a research context according to a study protocol) compared to retrospective studies of medical records taken from routine care (6-month rates: 46.7%, 95% CI = 34.5-59.2% versus 10.5%, 95% CI = 4.6-22.4%, respectively). Compared with referral to treatment, XR-NTX reduced opioid use in adults under criminal justice supervision and when administered to inmates before release. XR-NTX reduced opioid use compared with placebo in Russian adults, but this effect was confounded by differential retention between study groups. XR-NTX showed similar efficacy to buprenorphine when randomization occurred after detoxification, but was inferior to buprenorphine when randomization occurred prior to detoxification.

CONCLUSIONS

Many individuals intending to start extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) do not and most who do start XR-NTX discontinue treatment prematurely, two factors that limit its clinical utility significantly. XR-NTX appears to decrease opioid use but there are few experimental demonstrations of this effect.

Antagonists in the medical management of opioid use disorders: Historical and existing treatment strategies

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Opioid use disorder (OUD) is a chronic condition with potentially severe health and social consequences. Many who develop moderate to severe OUD will repeatedly seek treatment or interact with medical care via emergency department visits or hospitalizations. Thus, there is an urgent need to develop feasible and effective approaches to help persons with OUD achieve and maintain abstinence from opioids. Treatment that includes one of the three FDA-approved medications is an evidence-based strategy to manage OUD. The purpose of this review is to address practices for managing persons with moderate to severe OUD with a focus on opioid withdrawal and naltrexone-based relapse-prevention treatment.

METHODS

Literature available on PubMed was used to review the evolution of treatment strategies from the 1960s onward to manage opioid withdrawal and initiate treatment with naltrexone.

RESULTS

Emerging practices for extended-release naltrexone induction include the use of agonist tapers and adjuvant medications. Clinical challenges frequently encountered when initiating this therapy include managing withdrawal and ongoing opioid use during treatment. Clinical factors may inform decisions regarding patient selection and length of naltrexone treatment, such as recent opioid use and patient preferences.

CONCLUSIONS AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE

Treatment strategies to manage opioid withdrawal have evolved, but many patients with OUD do not receive medication for the prevention of relapse. Clinical strategies for induction onto extended-release naltrexone are now available and can be safely and effectively implemented in specialty and select primary care settings. (© 2018 The Authors. The American Journal on Addictions Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of The American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry (AAAP);27:177-187).

Effects of medication assisted treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder on functional outcomes: A systematic review

This systematic review synthesizes evidence on the effects of Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) on functional outcomes, including cognitive (e.g., memory), physical (e.g., fatigue), occupational (e.g., return to work), social/behavioral (e.g., criminal activity), and neurological (e.g., balance) function. Five databases were searched from inception to July 2017 to identify English-language controlled trials, case control studies, and cohort comparisons of one or more groups; cross-sectional studies were excluded. Two independent reviewers screened identified literature, abstracted study-level information, and assessed the quality of included studies. Meta-analyses used the Hartung-Knapp method for random-effects models. The quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE approach. A comprehensive search followed by 1411 full text publication screenings yielded 30 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and 10 observational studies meeting inclusion criteria. The studies reported highly diverse functional outcome measures. Only one RCT was rated as high quality, but several methodologically sound observational studies were identified. The statistical power to detect differences in functional outcomes was unclear in most studies. When compared with matched "healthy" controls with no history of substance use disorder (SUD), in two studies MAT patients had significantly poorer working memory and cognitive speed. One study found MAT patients scored worse in aggressive responding than did "healthy" controls. A large observational study found that MAT users had twice the odds of involvement in an injurious traffic accident as non-users. When compared with persons with OUD not on MAT, one cohort study found lower fatigue rates among buprenorphine-treated OUD patients. No differences were reported for occupational outcomes and results for criminal activity and other social/behavioral areas were mixed. There were few differences among MAT drug types. A pooled analysis of three RCTs found a significantly lower prevalence of fatigue with buprenorphine compared to methadone, while a meta-analysis of the same RCTs found no statistical difference in insomnia prevalence. Three RCTs that focused on cognitive function compared the effects of buprenorphine to methadone; no statistically significant differences in memory, cognitive speed and flexibility, attention, or vision were reported. The quality of evidence for most functional outcomes was rated low or very low. In sum, weaknesses in the body of evidence prevent strong conclusions about the effects of MAT for opioid use disorder on functional outcomes. Rigorous studies of functional effects would strengthen the body of literature.

Alcohol and Opioid Use, Co-Use, and Chronic Pain in the Context of the Opioid Epidemic: A Critical Review

The dramatic increase in opioid misuse, opioid use disorder (OUD), and opioid-related overdose deaths in the United States has led to public outcry, policy statements, and funding initiatives. Meanwhile, alcohol misuse and alcohol use disorder (AUD) are a highly prevalent public health problem associated with considerable individual and societal costs. This study provides a critical review of alcohol and opioid misuse, including issues of prevalence, morbidity, and societal costs. We also review research on interactions between alcohol and opioid use, the influence of opioids and alcohol on AUD and OUD treatment outcomes, respectively, the role of pain in the co-use of alcohol and opioids, and treatment of comorbid OUD and AUD. Heavy drinking, opioid misuse, and chronic pain individually represent significant public health problems. Few studies have examined co-use of alcohol and opioids, but available data suggest that co-use is common and likely contributes to opioid overdose-related morbidity and mortality. Co-use of opioids and alcohol is related to worse outcomes in treatment for either substance. Finally, chronic pain frequently co-occurs with use (and co-use) of alcohol and opioids. Opioid use and alcohol use are also likely to complicate the treatment of chronic pain. Research on the interactions between alcohol and opioids, as well as treatment of the comorbid disorders is lacking. Currently, most alcohol research excludes patients with OUD and there is lack of measurement in both AUD and OUD research in relation to pain-related functioning. Research in those with chronic pain often assesses opioid use, but rarely assesses alcohol use or AUD. New research to examine the nexus of alcohol, opioids, and pain, as well as their treatment, is critically needed.

Endogenous Opiates and Behavior: 2015

This paper is the thirty-eighth consecutive installment of the annual review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system. It summarizes papers published during 2015 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides, opioid receptors, opioid agonists and opioid antagonists. The particular topics that continue to be covered include the molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors related to behavior, and the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia, stress and social status, tolerance and dependence, learning and memory, eating and drinking, drug abuse and alcohol, sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology, mental illness and mood, seizures and neurologic disorders, electrical-related activity and neurophysiology, general activity and locomotion, gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions, cardiovascular responses, respiration and thermoregulation, and immunological responses.

A Naturalistic Evaluation of Extended-Release Naltrexone in Clinical Practice in Missouri

The purpose of this study was to compare the naturalistic outcomes of individuals with alcohol or opioid use problems who were treated with extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) to those treated with psychosocial treatment only and also to those treated with other medication-assisted therapies in Missouri during 2010 to 2011. We analyzed intake and discharge data collected as part of SAMHSA's Treatment Episode Data Set assessments. Patients who received XR-NTX during their treatment episode were compared, for those reporting alcohol (but not opioids) as their problem (N=21,137), to those who received oral naltrexone, acamprosate, and psychosocial treatment only, and for those who reported opioids as a problem (N=8996), to those receiving oral naltrexone, buprenorphine/naloxone, and psychosocial treatment only. Group differences were adjusted using propensity score weighting, with propensity scores derived from 18 intake variables. For the alcohol sample, patients who received XR-NTX vs. the oral naltrexone group had superior composite outcomes on a measure combining abstinence, self-help participation, employment, and arrests. For the opioid sample, XR-NTX was found to have significantly better outcomes than oral naltrexone on the composite outcome measure. For both the alcohol and opioid samples, the group that received XR-NTX stayed in treatment longer vs. psychosocial treatment only. In the opioid sample, those receiving buprenorphine/naloxone remained in treatment longer than those receiving XR-NTX.

Predictors of Continued Use of Extended-Released Naltrexone (XR-NTX) for Opioid-Dependence: An Analysis of Heroin and Non-Heroin Opioid Users in Los Angeles County

Extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) is associated with an increased number of opioid-free days, improved adherence rates in substance use disorder treatment programs, and reduced cravings and drug-seeking behaviors. There is little evidence on the predictive associations between baseline characteristics of opioid-dependent patients and XR-NTX utilization. Some studies have demonstrated better pharmacotherapy adherence and/or retention rates among non-heroin opioid users compared to heroin users. This study examines predictive associations between characteristics of patients and XR-NTX utilization, as well as participants' urge to use opiates. Our findings suggest that XR-NTX may contribute to decreases in urges to use among both heroin and non-heroin opioid users. Non-heroin opioid users and heroin users were retained in XR-NTX treatment for comparable periods of time. However, those who identified as homeless, injected opioids (regardless of opioid-type), or were diagnosed with a mental illness were less likely to be retained in treatment with XR-NTX.