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Axson SA, Becker WC, Merlin JS, Lorenz KA, Midboe AM, C Black A. Long-term opioid therapy trajectories in veteran patients with and without substance use disorder. Addict Behav 2024; 153:107997. [PMID: 38442438 PMCID: PMC11080947 DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2024.107997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2023] [Revised: 01/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/21/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Sydney A Axson
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA; The National Clinician Scholars Program, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, USA; Ross and Carol Nese College of Nursing, The Pennsylvania State University, 201 Nursing Sciences Building, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - William C Becker
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, USA; Pain Research, Informatics, Multimorbidities and Education Center of Innovation, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.
| | - Jessica S Merlin
- CHAllenges in Managing and Preventing Pain (CHAMPP) Clinical Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
| | - Karl A Lorenz
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA.
| | - Amanda M Midboe
- Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA; Center for Innovation to Implementation, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Palo Alto, CA, USA.
| | - Anne C Black
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, 333 Cedar St, New Haven, CT, USA; Pain Research, Informatics, Multimorbidities and Education Center of Innovation, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA.
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Joudrey PJ, Wang M, DeRycke E, Williams EC, Edelman EJ. Alcohol-Related Care Among Veterans With Unhealthy Alcohol Use: The Role of Long-Term Opioid Therapy Receipt. J Addict Med 2024; 18:293-299. [PMID: 38533996 PMCID: PMC11150097 DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000001291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/28/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) is potentially dangerous among patients with unhealthy alcohol use because of possible adverse interactions. We examined receipt of alcohol-related care among patients with unhealthy alcohol use receiving LTOT and without opioid receipt. METHODS We use data collected from 2009 to 2017 in the Women Veterans Cohort Study, a national cohort of Veterans engaged in Veterans Health Administration care. We included patients who screened positive for unhealthy alcohol use (score ≥5) using the Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Consumption questionnaire. Our primary exposure was LTOT (receipt of prescribed opioids for ≥90 days) versus no opioid receipt at the time of the first positive Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Consumption. Our primary outcome was receipt of brief intervention within 14 days of positive alcohol screen. Unadjusted and 4 adjusted modified Poisson regression models assessed prevalence and relative rates (RRs) of outcomes. RESULTS Among eligible veterans, 6222 of 113,628 (5.5%) received LTOT at screening. Among patients receiving LTOT, 67.5% (95% confidence interval [CI], 66.3%-68.6%) had a documented brief intervention within 14 days of positive screen, compared with 70.1% (95% CI, 69.8%-70.4%) among patients without opioid receipt (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.95-0.98; P < 0.001). Within adjusted models, the rate of brief intervention among patients receiving LTOT remained lower than patients without opioid receipt. CONCLUSIONS Among patients with unhealthy alcohol use, patients receiving LTOT had significantly lower rates of brief intervention receipt compared with those without opioid receipt, and they should be a focus for interventions to improve alcohol-related care and safer opioid prescribing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul J Joudrey
- From the Center for Research on Health Care, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA (PJJ); Department of Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA (MW); VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT (ED); Pain Research, Informatics, Multi-morbidities, and Education Center, Department of Veterans Affairs, West Haven, CT (ED); Center of Innovation for Veteran Centered and Value-Driven Care, VA Puget Sound, Seattle, WA (ECW); Department of Health Systems and Population Health, University of Washington School of Public Health, Seattle, WA (ECW); Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT (EJE); and Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT (EJE)
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Mudumbai SC, He H, Chen JQ, Kapoor A, Regala S, Mariano ER, Stafford RS, Abnet CC, Pfeiffer RM, Freedman ND, Etemadi A. Opioid use in cancer patients compared with noncancer pain patients in a veteran population. JNCI Cancer Spectr 2024; 8:pkae012. [PMID: 38457606 PMCID: PMC11009465 DOI: 10.1093/jncics/pkae012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/04/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid safety initiatives may secondarily impact opioid prescribing and pain outcomes for cancer care. METHODS We reviewed electronic health record data at a tertiary Veterans Affairs system (VA Palo Alto) for all patients from 2015 to 2021. We collected outpatient Schedule II opioid prescriptions data and calculated morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conversion formulas. To determine the clinical impact of changes in opioid prescription, we used the highest level of pain reported by each patient on the 0-to-10 Numeric Rating Scale in each year, categorized into mild (0-3), moderate (4-6), and severe (7 and above). RESULTS Among 89 569 patients, 9073 had a cancer diagnosis. Cancer patients were almost twice as likely to have an opioid prescription compared with noncancer patients (69.0% vs 36.7%, respectively). The proportion of patients who received an opioid prescription decreased from 27.1% to 18.1% (trend P < .01) in cancer patients and from 17.0% to 10.2% in noncancer patients (trend P < .01). Cancer and noncancer patients had similar declines of MMEs per year between 2015 and 2019, but the decline was more rapid for cancer patients (1462.5 to 946.4, 35.3%) compared with noncancer patients (1315.6 to 927.7, 29.5%) from 2019 to 2021. During the study period, the proportion of noncancer patients who experienced severe pain was almost unchanged, whereas it increased among cancer patients, reaching a significantly higher rate than among noncancer patients in 2021 (31.9% vs 27.4%, P < .01). CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest potential unintended consequences for cancer care because of efforts to manage opioid-related risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seshadri C Mudumbai
- Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Han He
- Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Ji-Qing Chen
- Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Aditi Kapoor
- Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Samantha Regala
- Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Edward R Mariano
- Anesthesiology, Perioperative and Pain Medicine Service, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, CA, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative, and Pain Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Randall S Stafford
- Stanford Prevention Research Center, Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Christian C Abnet
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Ruth M Pfeiffer
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Neal D Freedman
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Arash Etemadi
- Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
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Turner AP, Arewasikporn A, Hawkins EJ, Suri P, Burns SP, Leipertz SL, Haselkorn JK. Risk Factors for Chronic Prescription Opioid Use in Multiple Sclerosis. Arch Phys Med Rehabil 2023; 104:1850-1856. [PMID: 37137460 DOI: 10.1016/j.apmr.2023.04.012] [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: 06/13/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterize patterns of prescription opioid use among individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS) and identify risk factors associated with chronic use. DESIGN Retrospective longitudinal cohort study examining US Department of Veterans Affairs electronic medical record data of Veterans with MS. The annual prevalence of prescription opioid use by type (any, acute, chronic, incident chronic) was calculated for each study year (2015-2017). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify demographics and medical, mental health, and substance use comorbidities in 2015-2016 associated with chronic prescription opioid use in 2017. SETTING US Department of Veterans Affairs, Veteran's Health Administration. PARTICIPANTS National sample of Veterans with MS (N=14,974). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Chronic prescription opioid use (≥90 days). RESULTS All types of prescription opioid use declined across the 3 study years (chronic opioid use prevalence=14.6%, 14.0%, and 12.2%, respectively). In multivariable logistic regression, prior chronic opioid use, history of pain condition, paraplegia or hemiplegia, post-traumatic stress disorder, and rural residence were associated with greater risk of chronic prescription opioid use. History of dementia and psychotic disorder were both associated with lower risk of chronic prescription opioid use. CONCLUSION Despite reductions over time, chronic prescription opioid use remains common among a substantial minority of Veterans with MS and is associated with multiple biopsychosocial factors that are important for understanding risk for long-term use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron P Turner
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA; VA MS Center of Excellence West, Seattle, WA; Center of Excellence in Substance Addiction Treatment and Education, Seattle, WA; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA.
| | | | - Eric J Hawkins
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA; Center of Excellence in Substance Addiction Treatment and Education, Seattle, WA; Health Services Research & Development (HSR&D), Seattle Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, Seattle, WA; Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Pradeep Suri
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA; Clinical Learning, Evidence, and Research Center (CLEAR), University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Stephen P Burns
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Steve L Leipertz
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA; VA MS Center of Excellence West, Seattle, WA
| | - Jodie K Haselkorn
- VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA; VA MS Center of Excellence West, Seattle, WA; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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Merlin JS, Black AC, Midboe AM, Troszak L, Asch SM, Bohnert A, Fenton BT, Giannitrapani KF, Glassman P, Kerns RD, Silveira M, Lorenz KA, Abel EA, Becker WC. Long-term opioid therapy trajectories and overdose in patients with and without cancer. BMJ ONCOLOGY 2023; 2:e000023. [PMID: 38259328 PMCID: PMC10802123 DOI: 10.1136/bmjonc-2022-000023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Objective Pain is experienced by most patients with cancer and opioids are a cornerstone of management. Our objectives were (1) to identify patterns or trajectories of long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) and their correlates among patients with and without cancer and (2) to assess the association between trajectories and risk for opioid overdose, considering the potential moderating role of cancer. Methods and Analysis We conducted a retrospective cohort study among individuals in the US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) database with incident LTOT with and without cancer (N=44,351; N=285,772, respectively) between 2010-2017. We investigated the relationship between LTOT trajectory and all International Classification of Diseases-9 and 10-defined accidental and intentional opioid-related overdoses. Results Trajectories of opioid receipt observed in patients without cancer and replicated in patients with cancer were: low-dose/stable trend, low-dose/de-escalating trend, moderate-dose/stable trend, moderate-dose/escalating with quadratic downturn trend, and high-dose/escalating with quadratic downturn trend. Time to first overdose was significantly predicted by higher-dose and escalating trajectories; the two low-dose trajectories conferred similar, lower risk. Conditional hazard ratios (99% CI) for the moderate-dose, moderate-dose/escalating with quadratic downturn and high-dose/escalating with quadratic downturn trends were 1·84 (1·18, 2·85), 2·56 (1·54, 4·25), and 2·41 (1·37, 4·26), respectively. Effects of trajectories on time to overdose did not differ by presence of cancer; inferences were replicated when restricting to patients with stage 3/4 cancer. Conclusion Patients with cancer face opioid overdose risks like patients without cancer. Future studies should seek to expand and address our knowledge about opioid risk in cancer patients. Trial registration None.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica S Merlin
- CHAllenges on Managing and Preventing Pain (CHAMPP) Clinical Research Center, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
- Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics, Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Anne C Black
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Amanda M Midboe
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Center for Innovation to Implementation, Palo Alto, CA
- Department of Medicine/Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Lara Troszak
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Center for Innovation to Implementation, Palo Alto, CA
| | - Steven M Asch
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Center for Innovation to Implementation, Palo Alto, CA
- Department of Medicine/Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Amy Bohnert
- VA Center for Clinical Management Research, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Department of Anesthesiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Brenda T Fenton
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Karleen F Giannitrapani
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Center for Innovation to Implementation, Palo Alto, CA
- Department of Medicine/Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Peter Glassman
- VA Center for Medication Safety, VA Greater Los Angeles Healthcare System, Los Angeles, CA, USA
- Pharmacy Benefits Management Services, Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Robert D Kerns
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - Maria Silveira
- Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
- Division of Palliative Care, Lieutenant Colonel Charles S. Kettles VA Medical Center, Ann Arbor MI, USA
| | - Karl A Lorenz
- VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Center for Innovation to Implementation, Palo Alto, CA
- Department of Medicine/Primary Care and Population Health, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | - Erica A Abel
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
| | - William C Becker
- Health Services Research & Development, VA Connecticut Healthcare System, West Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
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Gjerde LC, Skurtveit S, Handal M, Nesvåg R, Clausen T, Lid TG, Hamina A, Borchgrevink PC, Odsbu I. Mental disorder prevalence in chronic pain patients using opioid versus non-opioid analgesics: A registry-linkage study. Eur J Pain 2023. [PMID: 37133299 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.2121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2022] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/20/2023] [Indexed: 05/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic pain and mental disorders are leading causes of disability worldwide. Individuals with chronic pain are more likely to experience mental disorders compared to individuals without chronic pain, but large-scale estimates are lacking. We aimed to calculate overall prevalence of mental health diagnoses from primary and secondary care among individuals treated for chronic pain in 2019 and to compare prevalence among chronic pain patients receiving opioid versus non-opioid analgesics, according to age and gender. METHODS It is a population-based cohort study. Linked data from nationwide health registers on dispensed drugs and diagnoses from primary (ICPC-2) and secondary (ICD-10) health care. Chronic pain patients were identified as all patients over 18 years of age filling at least one prescription of an analgesic reimbursed for non-malignant chronic pain in both 2018 and 2019 (N = 139,434, 69.3% women). RESULTS Prevalence of any mental health diagnosis was 35.6% (95% confidence interval: 35.4%-35.9%) when sleep diagnoses were included and 29.0% (28.8%-29.3%) when excluded. The most prevalent diagnostic categories were sleep disorders (14% [13.8%-14.2%]), depressive and related disorders (10.1% [9.9%-10.2%]) and phobia and other anxiety disorders (5.7% [5.5%-5.8%]). Prevalence of most diagnostic categories was higher in the group using opioids compared to non-opioids. The group with the highest overall prevalence was young women (18-44 years) using opioids (50.1% [47.2%-53.0%]). CONCLUSIONS Mental health diagnoses are common in chronic pain patients receiving analgesics, particularly among young individuals and opioid users. The combination of opioid use and high psychiatric comorbidity suggests that prescribers should attend to mental health in addition to somatic pain. SIGNIFICANCE This large-scale study with nation-wide registry data supports previous findings of high psychiatric burden in chronic pain patients. Opioid users had significantly higher prevalence of mental health diagnoses, regardless of age and gender compared to users of non-opioid analgesics. Opioid users with chronic pain therefore stand out as a particularly vulnerable group and should be followed up closely by their physician to ensure they receive sufficient care for both their mental and somatic symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- L C Gjerde
- Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Promenta Research Center, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - S Skurtveit
- Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research (SERAF), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - M Handal
- Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research (SERAF), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
- Department of Chronic Diseases, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - R Nesvåg
- Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
| | - T Clausen
- Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research (SERAF), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - T G Lid
- Centre for Alcohol and Drug Research (KORFOR), Stavanger University Hospital, Stavanger, Norway
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Stavanger, Stavanger, Norway
| | - A Hamina
- Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research (SERAF), Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - P C Borchgrevink
- Department of Circulation and Medical Imaging, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Pain and Complex Disorders, St. Olav's University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway
| | - I Odsbu
- Division of Mental and Physical Health, Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Oslo, Norway
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Cypel YS, DePhilippis D, Davey VJ. Substance Use in U.S. Vietnam War Era Veterans and Nonveterans: Results from the Vietnam Era Health Retrospective Observational Study. Subst Use Misuse 2023; 58:858-870. [PMID: 37096682 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2023.2188427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/26/2023]
Abstract
Background: Substance use (SU) is associated with physical injury and mental health disorders in older persons, but recent research has scarcely examined SU in U.S. Vietnam-era veterans who are mostly in or near their eighth decade of life. Objectives: We compared the prevalence of self-reported lifetime and current SU and modeled current usage patterns in a nationally representative sample of veterans versus a matched nonveteran cohort. Methods: Cross-sectional, self-reported survey data were analyzed from the 2016-2017 Vietnam Era Health Retrospective Observational Study (VE-HEROeS) (n = 18,866 veterans, n = 4,530 nonveterans). We assessed lifetime and current alcohol and drug use disorders; lifetime and current use of cannabis, opioids, stimulants, sedatives, "other drugs" (psychedelics, prescription or over-the-counter drugs not prescribed/used as intended); and current SU patterns (alcohol-use-only, drug-use-only, dual-SU, no SU). Weighted descriptive, bivariable, and multivariable statistics were calculated. Covariates in multinomial modeling included sociodemographic characteristics, lifetime cigarette smoking, depression, potentially traumatic events (PTEs), and current pain (SF-8TM). Results: Prevalence of lifetime opioid and sedative use (p ≤ .01), drug and alcohol use disorders (p < .001), and current "other drug" use (p < .001) were higher in veterans versus nonveterans. Current use of alcohol and cannabis was high in both cohorts. In veterans, very severe/severe pain, depression, and PTEs were highly associated with drug-use-only (p < .001) and dual-SU (p < .01), but these associations were fewer for nonveterans. Conclusion: This research confirmed existing concerns over substance misuse in older individuals. Vietnam-era veterans may be at particular risk due to service-related experiences and later-life tribulations. Era veterans' unique perceptions toward healthcare assistance for SU may need greater provider focus to maximize self-efficacy and treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yasmin S Cypel
- Epidemiology Program, Health Outcomes Military Exposures (HOME) (12POP5), Office of Patient Care Services, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - D DePhilippis
- Office of Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Veterans Health Administration, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - V J Davey
- Office of Research & Development (14RD), U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
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Beaudoin FL, Gaither R, DeLomba WC, McLean SA. Tolerability and efficacy of duloxetine for the prevention of persistent musculoskeletal pain after trauma and injury: a pilot three-group randomized controlled trial. Pain 2023; 164:855-863. [PMID: 36375173 PMCID: PMC10014491 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT This study investigated the tolerability and preliminary efficacy of duloxetine as an alternative nonopioid therapeutic option for the prevention of persistent musculoskeletal pain (MSP) among adults presenting to the emergency department with acute MSP after trauma or injury. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study, eligible participants (n = 78) were randomized to 2 weeks of a daily dose of one of the following: placebo (n = 27), 30 mg duloxetine (n = 24), or 60 mg duloxetine (n = 27). Tolerability, the primary outcome, was measured by dropout rate and adverse effects. Secondary outcomes assessed drug efficacy as measured by (1) the proportion of participants with moderate to severe pain (numerical rating scale ≥ 4) at 6 weeks (pain persistence); and (2) average pain by group over the six-week study period. We also explored treatment effects by type of trauma (motor vehicle collision [MVC] vs non-MVC). In both intervention groups, duloxetine was well tolerated and there were no serious adverse events. There was a statistically significant difference in pain over time for the 60 mg vs placebo group ( P = 0.03) but not for the 30 mg vs placebo group ( P = 0.51). In both types of analyses, the size of the effect of duloxetine was larger in MVC vs non-MVC injury. Consistent with the role of stress systems in the development of chronic pain after traumatic stress, our data indicate duloxetine may be a treatment option for reducing the transition from acute to persistent MSP. Larger randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm these promising results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesca L. Beaudoin
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Rachel Gaither
- Department of Epidemiology, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Weston C. DeLomba
- Department of Emergency Medicine, The Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Samuel A. McLean
- Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
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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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Hayes CJ, Koonce RM, Gressler LE, Hu B, Williams JS, Martin BC. Association between opioid therapy trajectories and potential opioid-related adverse health events. Pharmacoepidemiol Drug Saf 2022; 31:1075-1090. [PMID: 35695189 PMCID: PMC10052807 DOI: 10.1002/pds.5495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE We identified associations between membership in seven group-based trajectories based on supply of filled opioid prescriptions and potential opioid-related adverse health events over a 720-day window. METHODS We identified two veteran cohorts with chronic non-cancer pain who initiated treatment with long-term opioid therapy between 2008 and 2015, excluding those with prior substance use disorder (n = 373 941) or non-SUD, opioid-related adverse outcome (n = 405 631) diagnoses. Outcomes of interest included opioid use disorder, non-opioid drug use disorder, and alcohol use disorder for the first cohort; or accidents resulting in wounds or injuries, self-inflicted injuries, opioid-related accidents and overdoses, alcohol and non-opioid drug-related accidents and overdoses, and violence-related injuries for the second cohort. Using a cross-sectional design, Veterans were followed until the specific outcome of interest was diagnosed, they died, the study ended, or they were lost to follow up. Accelerated failure time models were estimated for each outcome. RESULTS Membership in persistent moderate days covered and persistent modest days covered trajectories was associated with decreased risk of opioid use disorder (Moderate: θ = 0.59, 95%CI:0.54, 0.64; Modest: θ = 0.54, 95%CI:0.50, 0.59) and opioid overdose (Moderate: θ = 0.67,95%CI: 0.57, 0.79; Modest: θ = 0.72, 95%CI:0.61, 0.85) versus higher-utilizing persistent users. Rapid discontinuation was associated with decreased risk of opioid use disorder (θ = 0.86, 95% CI:0.77, 0.95) and opioid overdose (θ = 0.54, 95%CI:0.41, 0.71), but increased risk of alcohol use disorder (θ = 1.07, 95%CI:1.00, 1.15) and other substance use disorders. Delayed discontinuation or delayed reduction was associated with increased risk for most opioid related adverse health events. CONCLUSION Persistent use trajectories with low levels of opioid utilization were associated with lower risks of potential opioid-related adverse health events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey J Hayes
- Department of Biomedical Informatics, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA.,Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Ruston M Koonce
- Division of Pharmaceutical Evaluation and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Laura Elisabeth Gressler
- Division of Pharmaceutical Evaluation and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Bo Hu
- Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - James Silas Williams
- Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
| | - Bradley C Martin
- Division of Pharmaceutical Evaluation and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, USA
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11
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Vowles KE, Schmidt ZS, Ford CG. Opioid and Alcohol Misuse in Veterans with Chronic Pain: A Risk Screening Study. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2022; 23:1790-1798. [PMID: 35753662 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2022.06.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Abstract
In United States military veterans, chronic pain represents a risk factor for opioid and alcohol misuse, yet few studies have examined interactions among chronic pain, opioid prescription, and opioid and alcohol misuse. Previous work found substantial risk of co-morbid alcohol and opioid misuse in a community sample of opioid-prescribed individuals with chronic pain, a finding expanded upon here. Specifically, 211 veterans assessed within a chronic pain treatment service for opioid-prescribed individuals completed self-report measures of opioid misuse, alcohol misuse, pain intensity, depression, pain catastrophizing, and post-traumatic stress symptoms (PTS). Based on the substance misuse measures, 32% (n = 68) were misusing neither opioids nor alcohol, 23% (n = 48) were misusing both opioids and alcohol, 40% (n = 84) were misusing opioids alone, and 5% (n = 11) were misusing alcohol alone. Group comparisons indicated that individuals not misusing either substance were less distressed in comparison to those who were misusing opioids alone or both substances. The latter groups differed in PTS. Overall, misuse frequencies mirrored previous work, with approximately 1 of 3 misusing opioids and approximately 1 of 5 misusing both substances. There is a need for increased focus on both polysubstance misuse and the development of integrated treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin E Vowles
- School of Psychology, Queen's University Belfast & Belfast Centre for Chronic Pain Rehabilitation, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom.
| | - Zachary S Schmidt
- Raymond G. Murphy Veterans Affairs Medical Center, New Mexico VA Healthcare System, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America
| | - C Graham Ford
- Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
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12
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Drug-drug-gene interaction risk among opioid users in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Pain 2022; 163:2390-2397. [PMID: 35319502 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000002637] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Response to analgesic therapy is influenced by several factors including genetics and drug-drug interactions. Pharmacogenetic (PGx) variants in the CYP2D6 gene modify response to opioids by altering drug metabolism. We sought to determine the potential impact of PGx testing on the care of Veterans with noncancer pain prescribed opioids metabolized by CYP2D6 (codeine, hydrocodone, or tramadol). A retrospective analysis was performed within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) evaluating prescription records for pain medications metabolized by CYP2D6 and interacting drugs from 2012-2017. Among 2,436,654 VHA pharmacy users with at least one opioid prescription, 34% met the definition of chronic use (longer than 90 days with more than 10 prescriptions or 120 days- supply). Opioids were commonly co-prescribed with antidepressants interacting with CYP2D6 (28%). An estimated 21.6% (n=526,905) of these patients are at elevated risk of an undesirable response to their opioid medication based on predicted phenotypes and drug-drug interactions: 3.5% are predicted CYP2D6 ultrarapid metabolizers and at increased risk for toxicity, 5.4% are poor metabolizer at higher risk for nonresponse, and 12.8% are normal or intermediate metabolizers co-prescribed a CYP2D6 inhibitor leading to phenoconversion into poor metabolizer. Despite the high rate of co-prescription of opioids and interacting drugs, CYP2D6 testing was infrequent in the sample (0.02%) and chart review suggest that test results were used to optimize antidepressant treatments rather than pain medications. Using pharmacogenetic testing combined with consideration of phenoconversion may allow for an enhanced precision medicine approach to pain management in Veterans.
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13
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Salans M, Riviere P, Vitzthum LK, Nalawade V, Murphy JD. Temporal Trends and Predictors of Opioid Use Among Older Patients With Cancer. Am J Clin Oncol 2022; 45:74-80. [PMID: 35019879 DOI: 10.1097/coc.0000000000000888] [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] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES While opioids represent a cornerstone of cancer pain management, the timing and patterns of opioid use in the cancer population have not been well studied. This study sought to explore longitudinal trends in opioid use among Medicare beneficiaries with nonmetastatic cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS Within a cohort of 16,072 Medicare beneficiaries ≥66 years old diagnosed with nonmetastatic cancer between 2007 and 2013, we determined the likelihood of receiving a short-term (0 to 6 mo postdiagnosis), intermediate-term (6 to 12 mo postdiagnosis), long-term (1 to 2 y postdiagnosis), and high-risk (morphine equivalent dose ≥90 mg/day) opioid prescription after cancer diagnosis. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to identify patient and cancer risk factors associated with these opioid use endpoints. RESULTS During the study period, 74.6% of patients received an opioid prescription, while only 2.66% of patients received a high-risk prescription. Factors associated with use varied somewhat between short-term, intermediate-term, and long-term use, though in general, patients at higher risk of receiving an opioid prescription after their cancer diagnosis were younger, had higher stage disease, lived in regions of higher poverty, and had a history of prior opioid use. Prescriptions for high-risk opioids were associated with individuals living in regions with lower poverty. CONCLUSIONS Temporal trends in opioid use in cancer patients depend on patient, demographic, and tumor characteristics. Overall, understanding these correlations may help physicians better identify patient-specific risks of opioid use and could help better inform future evidence-based, cancer-specific opioid prescription guidelines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mia Salans
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Paul Riviere
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - Lucas K Vitzthum
- Department of Radiation Oncology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA
| | - Vinit Nalawade
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
| | - James D Murphy
- Department of Radiation Medicine and Applied Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla
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14
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Subramaniam S, Stryczek KC, Ball S, Stevenson L, Ho PM, Aron DC. Workforce Development to Improve Access to Pain Care for Veterans: A Qualitative Analysis of VA-ECHO Participant Experiences. Health Serv Res Manag Epidemiol 2022; 9:23333928221124806. [PMID: 36093259 PMCID: PMC9452798 DOI: 10.1177/23333928221124806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 08/08/2022] [Accepted: 08/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background/Objective The prevalence of chronic pain and its links to the opioid epidemic have given way to widespread aims to improve pain management care and reduce opioid use, especially in rural areas. Pain Management Specialty Care Access Network-Extension for Community Health Outcomes (VA-ECHO) promotes increased pain care access to rural Veterans through knowledge sharing from specialists to primary care providers (PCPs). We explored PCP participants’ experiences in VA-ECHO and pain management care. Methods This qualitative study is based on a descriptive secondary analysis of semi-structured interviews (n = 10) and 3 focus groups with PCPs participating in VA-ECHO from 2017–2019. A rapid matrix analysis approach was used to analyze participants’ responses. Results VA-ECHO was an effective workforce development strategy for meeting PCPs’ training needs by providing pain management knowledge and skills training (eg alternative care approaches and communicating treatment options). Having protected time to participate in VA-ECHO was a challenge for many PCPs, mitigated by leadership and administrative support. Participants who volunteer to participate had more positive experiences than those required to attend. Conclusions VA-ECHO could be used for meeting the workforce development needs of PCPs. Respondents were satisfied with the program citing improvement in their practice and increased confidence in providing pain management care to Veterans despite some challenges to participation. These findings offer insight into using VA-ECHO to meet the VHA’s workforce development to improve Veterans’ access to pain management care. The ECHO model presents opportunities for workforce development in large complex healthcare systems and garnering ongoing support for this training model is necessary for promoting workforce development for PCPs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Sherry Ball
- VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, Cleveland, OH, USA
| | | | - P. Michael Ho
- VA Eastern Colorado Health Care System, Center of Innovation for Veteran-Centered and Value-Driven Care, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - David C. Aron
- VA Northeast Ohio Healthcare System, Cleveland, OH, USA
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15
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Agbalajobi OM, Gmelin T, Moon AM, Alexandre W, Zhang G, Gellad WF, Jonassaint N, Rogal SS. Characteristics of opioid prescribing to outpatients with chronic liver diseases: A call for action. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0261377. [PMID: 34919585 PMCID: PMC8682904 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0261377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Chronic liver disease (CLD) is among the strongest risk factors for adverse prescription opioid-related events. Yet, the current prevalence and factors associated with high-risk opioid prescribing in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) remain unclear, making it challenging to address opioid safety in this population. Therefore, we aimed to characterize opioid prescribing patterns among patients with CLD. Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients with CLD identified at a single medical center and followed for one year from 10/1/2015-9/30/2016. Multivariable, multinomial regression was used identify the patient characteristics, including demographics, medical conditions, and liver-related factors, that were associated with opioid prescriptions and high-risk prescriptions (≥90mg morphine equivalents per day [MME/day] or co-prescribed with benzodiazepines). Results Nearly half (47%) of 12,425 patients with CLD were prescribed opioids over a one-year period, with 17% of these receiving high-risk prescriptions. The baseline factors significantly associated with high-risk opioid prescriptions included female gender (adjusted incident rate ratio, AIRR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.14–1.53), Medicaid insurance (AIRR = 1.68, 95% CI = 1.36–2.06), cirrhosis (AIRR = 1.22, 95% CI = 1.04–1.43) and baseline chronic pain (AIRR = 3.40, 95% CI = 2.94–4.01), depression (AIRR = 1.93, 95% CI = 1.60–2.32), anxiety (AIRR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.53–2.22), substance use disorder (AIRR = 2.16, 95% CI = 1.67–2.79), and Charlson comorbidity score (AIRR = 1.27, 95% CI = 1.22–1.32). Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease was associated with decreased high-risk opioid prescriptions (AIRR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.47–0.66). Conclusion Opioid medications continue to be prescribed to nearly half of patients with CLD, despite efforts to curtail opioid prescribing due to known adverse events in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Olufunso M. Agbalajobi
- Department of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Theresa Gmelin
- Department of Biostatistics, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Andrew M. Moon
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States of America
| | - Wheytnie Alexandre
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Grace Zhang
- University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Walid F. Gellad
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Naudia Jonassaint
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
| | - Shari S. Rogal
- Center for Health Equity Research and Promotion, VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, University Drive, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States of America
- * E-mail: ,
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16
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Using Prescription Drug Monitoring Program Data to Assess Likelihood of Incident Long-Term Opioid Use: a Statewide Cohort Study. J Gen Intern Med 2021; 36:3672-3679. [PMID: 33742304 PMCID: PMC8642457 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-06555-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/22/2020] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Limiting the incidence of opioid-naïve patients who transition to long-term opioid use (i.e., continual use for > 90 days) is a key strategy for reducing opioid-related harms. OBJECTIVE To identify variables constructed from data routinely collected by prescription drug monitoring programs that are associated with opioid-naïve patients' likelihood of transitioning to long-term use after an initial opioid prescription. DESIGN Statewide cohort study using prescription drug monitoring program data PARTICIPANTS: All opioid-naïve patients in California (no opioid prescriptions within the prior 2 years) age ≥ 12 years prescribed an initial oral opioid analgesic from 2010 to 2017. METHODS AND MAIN MEASURES Multiple logistic regression models using variables constructed from prescription drug monitoring program data through the day of each patient's initial opioid prescription, and, alternatively, data available up to 30 and 60 days after the initial prescription were constructed to identify probability of transition to long-term use. Model fit was determined by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (C-statistic). KEY RESULTS Among 30,569,125 episodes of patients receiving new opioid prescriptions, 1,809,750 (5.9%) resulted in long-term use. Variables with the highest adjusted odds ratios included concurrent benzodiazepine use, ≥ 2 unique prescribers, and receipt of non-pill, non-liquid formulations. C-statistics for the day 0, day 30, and day 60 models were 0.81, 0.88, and 0.94, respectively. Models assessing opioid dose using the number of pills prescribed had greater discriminative capacity than those using milligram morphine equivalents. CONCLUSIONS Data routinely collected by prescription drug monitoring programs can be used to identify patients who are likely to develop long-term use. Guidelines for new opioid prescriptions based on pill counts may be simpler and more clinically useful than guidelines based on days' supply or milligram morphine equivalents.
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17
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Solberg LI, Hooker SA, Rossom RC, Bergdall A, Crabtree BF. Clinician Perceptions About a Decision Support System to Identify and Manage Opioid Use Disorder. J Am Board Fam Med 2021; 34:1096-1102. [PMID: 34772765 PMCID: PMC8759280 DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.06.210126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2021] [Revised: 06/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Addressing the opioid epidemic would benefit from primary care clinicians identifying and managing opioid use disorder (OUD) during routine clinical encounters, but current rates are low. Clinical decision support (CDS) systems are a promising way to facilitate such interactions, but will clinicians use them? METHODS We iteratively conducted semi-structured interviews with 8 purposively sampled primary care clinicians participating in a pilot OUD-CDS study to identify attitudes toward discussing OUD and preferences for support in doing so. Five of them had used a pilot version of the CDS for 6 months, while the others were in comparison clinics. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by a multi-disciplinary group of experienced researchers, using an editing organizing style where the analysts independently highlighted relevant text and then discussed to reach a consensus on themes. RESULTS We identified five themes: 1. Primary care is the right place to address OUD. 2. Both clinician-patient and clinician-clinician relationships affect how and whether clinicians address OUD in a particular patient encounter. 3. The main challenges are limited time and competing priorities for these complex patients. 4. Although a CDS for OUD could be very helpful, it must meet different needs for different clinicians and clinical situations and be simple to use. 5. For optimal benefit, the CDS needs to be complemented by supportive organizational policies and systems as well as local clinician encouragement. CONCLUSIONS With the right design and a supportive organization, these primary care clinicians believe a CDS could help them regularly identify and address OUD among their patients as long as it incorporates their concerns about relationships, competing priorities, patient complexity, and user simplicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leif I Solberg
- From the HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis, MN (LIS, SAH, RCR, AB); Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ (BFC).
| | - Stephanie A Hooker
- From the HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis, MN (LIS, SAH, RCR, AB); Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ (BFC)
| | - Rebecca C Rossom
- From the HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis, MN (LIS, SAH, RCR, AB); Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ (BFC)
| | - Anna Bergdall
- From the HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis, MN (LIS, SAH, RCR, AB); Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ (BFC)
| | - Benjamin F Crabtree
- From the HealthPartners Institute, Minneapolis, MN (LIS, SAH, RCR, AB); Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, New Brunswick, NJ (BFC)
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18
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Elphinston RA, Sullivan MJL, Sterling M, Connor JP, Baranoff JA, Tan D, Day MA. Pain Medication Beliefs Mediate the Relationship Between Pain Catastrophizing and Opioid Prescription Use in Patients With Chronic Non-Cancer Pain. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2021; 23:379-389. [PMID: 34662709 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2021.08.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 08/16/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Little is known about the mechanisms by which pain catastrophizing may be associated with opioid use outcomes. This study aimed to investigate the potential mediating role of beliefs about the appropriateness of pain medicines for pain treatment on the association between pain catastrophizing and prescription opioid use in a community chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) sample. Individuals (N = 420) diagnosed with CNCP participated in a cross-sectional online self-report study with validated measures of pain medication beliefs, pain catastrophizing, and current prescription opioid use. Two parallel multiple mediator analyses with percentile-based bootstrapping examined pathways to both prescription opioid use and high-dose use (≥ 100mg oral morphine equivalents/day), while controlling for pain intensity and other relevant covariates. Pain medication beliefs significantly mediated the association between pain catastrophizing and prescription opioid use (CI = 0.011, 0.033). A similar pattern of findings was found for high-dose opioid use, with pain medication beliefs significantly mediating the pain catastrophizing-high-dose use association (CI = 0.006, 0.050). Pain medication beliefs are a potentially modifiable psychological mechanism by which pain catastrophizing is associated with opioid use, including high-dose use. These findings have important implications for personalizing prevention and treatment programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel A Elphinston
- RECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; National Health and Medical Research Council Centre for Research Excellence in Road Traffic Injury Recovery, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia.
| | | | - Michele Sterling
- RECOVER Injury Research Centre, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; National Health and Medical Research Council Centre for Research Excellence in Road Traffic Injury Recovery, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Jason P Connor
- Discipline of Psychiatry, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - John A Baranoff
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Centre for Treatment of Anxiety and Depression, SA Health, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - Dylan Tan
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Melissa A Day
- School of Psychology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The University of Washington, Washington
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Patient, Provider, and Clinic Characteristics Associated with Opioid and Non-Opioid Pain Prescriptions for Patients Receiving Low Back Imaging in Primary Care. J Am Board Fam Med 2021; 34:950-963. [PMID: 34535520 PMCID: PMC9746536 DOI: 10.3122/jabfm.2021.05.210033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2021] [Revised: 04/16/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To describe characteristics of patients, providers, and clinics associated with opioid or non-opioid pain medication prescribing patterns for patients who received lower spine imaging in primary care clinics. METHODS In these secondary analyses of the Lumbar Imaging with Reporting of Epidemiology (LIRE) study, a randomized controlled trial conducted in 4 health systems in the United States, we evaluated characteristics associated with receipt of pain medication prescriptions. The outcomes were receipt of prescriptions for opioid or, separately, non-opioid pain medications within 90 days after imaging. Among patients who received opioid or non-opioid prescriptions, we evaluated receipt of multiple prescriptions in the year following imaging. Mixed models were used to estimate adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS Compared with whites, patients identified as Asian (OR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.51-0.56), Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (OR, 0.73; 95% CI, 0.64-0.83), multiracial (OR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.71-0.98) or Black (OR, 0.92; 95% CI, 0.89-0.96) had significantly reduced odds for receiving prescriptions for opioids within 90 days. Patients identified as Native American/Alaska Native had greater odds for receiving prescriptions for non-opioid pain medications within 90 days (OR, 1.12; 95% CI, 1.01-1.24). Receipt of pain prescriptions 120 days before imaging was strongly predictive of subsequent receipt of pain prescriptions across all categories. CONCLUSIONS After adjusting for factors that could affect prescribing, the strongest differences observed in pain-medication prescribing were across racial categories and for patients with previous pain prescriptions. Further research is needed to understand these differences and to optimize prescribing.
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Robayo Gonzalez CX, Quevedo Buitrago WG, Chaves Silva DC, Gónimo- Valero E. Valoración del riego de adicción a tramadol en pacientes con dolor crónico no oncológico. Rev Salud Publica (Bogota) 2021. [DOI: 10.15446/rsap.v23n5.94305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Objetivo El manejo del dolor crónico no oncológico con analgésicos opioides ha sido de importancia para el control de los síntomas y el restablecimiento de la actividad, sin embargo, el riesgo de adicción asociado a estos medicamentos es ampliamente conocido y evaluado. Este estudio evalúa el riesgo de adicción que presentaban los pacientes con manejo de tramadol describiendo los factores mas frecuentes en la muestra estudiada frente a lo reportado en la literatura.
Métodos Una muestra de 76 pacientes de una clínica de dolor que están en manejo con tramadol y se les administra un cuestionario con características demográficas y con la escala Opioid Risk Tool para el riesgo de adicción.
Resultados El 57,89% de los sujetos fueron mujeres, el 55,20% se encontraba entre los 29 y 59 años. El riesgo de adicción moderado se encontró en el 9,09% de las mujeres y en el 37,05% de los hombres. La inclusión de otras enfermedades como ansiedad y trastorno de estrés postraumático aumenta el riesgo de adicción a severo en 6,06% de los hombres.
Conclusiones La valoración del riesgo de adicción a opioides debe tener en cuenta los factores encontrados en la población colombiana.
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Lucas P, Boyd S, Milloy MJ, Walsh Z. The impact of non-medical cannabis legalization and other exposures on retention in longitudinal cannabis research: a survival analysis of a prospective study of Canadian medical cannabis patients. J Cannabis Res 2021; 3:34. [PMID: 34321108 PMCID: PMC8320176 DOI: 10.1186/s42238-021-00089-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite repeated calls by medical associations to gather evidence on the harms and benefits of cannabis, there are ongoing methodological challenges to conducting observational and clinical studies on cannabis, including a high rate of patients that are lost to follow-up (LTFU). This study explores factors potentially associated with retention in a large prospective study of Canadian medical cannabis patients, with the goal of reducing the probability that patients will be lost to follow-up in future cannabis research. METHODS The Tilray Observational Patient Study (TOPS) was a multi-site, prospective study assessing the impact of medical cannabis over 6 months in a broad population of authorized Canadian cannabis patients. The study took place from 2016 to 19, and we conducted a series of exploratory analyses including a Kaplan-Meier survival analysis and logistic regressions to assess the potential association between study retention and variables including patient characteristics, cannabis and prescription drug use, quality of life, and the legalization of non-medical cannabis. RESULTS Overall, 1011 participants were included in this analysis, contributing 287 patient-years of data. Retention was 728 (72%) at 3 months, and 419 (41.4%) at 6 months. Our analyses found significantly lower adjusted odds of retention following legalization (AOR 0.28, 95% CI 0.18-0.41), and in patients that used prescription opioids at baseline (AOR 0.62, 95% CI 0.46-0.85), while increased odds of retention were found in patients with a higher baseline psychological score (AOR 1.43, 95% CI 1.08-1.90) or that used anti-seizure medications at baseline (AOR 1.91, 95% CI 1.30-2.81). DISCUSSION TOPS provided a unique opportunity to examine patient characteristics and other variables that may be associated with retention in prospective medical cannabis studies. Our findings highlight some of the challenges of conducting medical cannabis research at a time when patients have a multitude of cannabis access options, including legal adult dispensaries and a robust illicit market. High LTFU rates can impact the validity of studies, and potentially lead to misestimations of the harms and benefits of medical cannabis use. Despite being a multi-site prospective study, this was a convenience sample, thereby limiting the generalizability of these findings. Additionally, data regarding the use of cannabis was self-reported by patients, so is subject to potential recall bias. CONCLUSION We found evidence that external policy changes that affect access to cannabis such as the legalization of non-medical adult use and patient characteristics associated with patient physical/psychological capacity can impact retention in prospective medical cannabis studies. Evidence-based strategies to reduce study burden on participants, such as minimizing in-person visits by providing digitized internet-based surveys and phone or telemedicine follow-up options as well as ensuring adequate participant compensation could improve retention. Additionally, policy-related changes aimed at improving access to medical cannabis, including increased cost-coverage and community-based distribution, could encourage patients to remain in the federal medical cannabis program and thereby reduce LTFU in associated studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Lucas
- Social Dimensions of Health, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, B.C V8P 5C2 Canada
- 1100 Maughan Rd, Nanaimo, BC V9X1J2 Canada
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, 2300 McKenzie Ave, Victoria, BC V8N 5M8 Canada
| | - Susan Boyd
- Faculty of Human and Social Development, School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, 3800 Finnerty Rd, Victoria, B.C V8P 5C2 Canada
| | - M.-J. Milloy
- Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul’s Hospital, Burrard Street, Vancouver, B.C 806-1081 Canada
- British Columbia Centre On Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe St, Vancouver, B.C V6Z 2A9 Canada
| | - Zach Walsh
- Department of Psychology, University of British Columbia, 3333 University Way, OkanaganKelowna, B.C V1V 1V7 Canada
- Centre for the Advancement of Psychological Science and Law, University of British Columbia, 3333 University Way, OkanaganKelowna, BC V1V 1V7 Canada
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22
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Zvolensky MJ, Rogers AH, Garey L, Shepherd JM, Ditre JW. Opioid Misuse among Smokers with Chronic Pain: Relations with Substance Use and Mental Health. Behav Med 2021; 47:335-343. [PMID: 34719341 DOI: 10.1080/08964289.2020.1742642] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Opioid misuse is a significant public health concern with substantial medical, social, and economic costs. Cross cutting the personal and societal effects of this current crisis, opioid misuse is associated with poorer physical and mental health outcomes that impair function across numerous life domains. Importantly, opioid misuse disproportionately affects persons with chronic pain and individuals who smoke tobacco. Despite the higher risk for smokers with chronic pain to engage in opioid misuse, little work has examined how opioid misuse may be related to mental health problems, including other substance use, among this vulnerable group. The current study examined opioid misuse as a predictor of substance use and mental health problems among 187 (Mage = 39.02, SD = 9.94, 74.9% female) daily cigarette smokers with chronic pain who currently use opioids. Results indicated that opioid misuse is associated with greater tobacco (13% of variance), alcohol (27% of variance), and cannabis (22% of variance) problems, as well as anxiety (26% of variance) and depressive symptoms (26% of variance). These results highlight the potential importance of opioid misuse in terms of concurrent substance and mental health problems among smokers with chronic pain. Future work is needed to explicate directionality and temporal ordering in the observed relations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Zvolensky
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.,Department of Behavioral Science, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, Texas, USA.,HEALTH Institute, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Andrew H Rogers
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Lorra Garey
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Justin M Shepherd
- Department of Psychology, University of Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Joseph W Ditre
- Department of Psychology, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York, USA
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23
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Hayes CJ, Gressler LE, Hu B, Jones BL, Williams JS, Martin BC. Trajectories of Opioid Coverage After Long-Term Opioid Therapy Initiation Among a National Cohort of US Veterans. J Pain Res 2021; 14:1745-1762. [PMID: 34163232 PMCID: PMC8214015 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s308196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2021] [Accepted: 05/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Purpose The objective of this study was to identify the trajectories that patients take after initiating long-term opioid therapy (LTOT). Materials and Methods Using a retrospective cohort design, veterans with chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) initiating LTOT were identified. Group-based trajectory models were used to identify opioid therapy trajectories based on days of opioid supply (primary outcome) and average daily morphine milligram equivalent dose (AMME; secondary outcome) in each 180-day period following initiation of LTOT. Results A total of 438,398 veterans with CNCP initiated LTOT. Nine trajectories were identified: 33.7% with persistent, high days covered, 17.7% with persistent, moderate days covered, 16.6% with slow, persistent days-covered reduction, 2.4% with days-covered reduction followed by increase, 4.6% with delayed days-covered reduction, 4.1% with rapid days-covered reduction, 10.9% with moderate-paced discontinuation, 3.4% with delayed discontinuation, and 6.5% with rapid discontinuation. Patients following discontinuation trajectories were more likely to be younger, persons of color, use more supportive services (eg, physical therapy), and received less opioid days' supply and lower doses prior to initiating LTOT as compared to patients following persistent opioid days-covered trajectories. AMME trajectories were similar to days-covered trajectories. Conclusion Among persons initiating LTOT, nine opioid trajectories emerged which can be broadly characterized into three main trajectory groups: persistent opioid therapy (2 trajectories), reductions in opioid therapy (4 trajectories), and discontinuation (3 trajectories). A majority of patients (51.4%) maintained persistent opioid therapy. Further research is needed to assess the risks of opioid-related adverse outcomes among the identified trajectories.
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Affiliation(s)
- Corey J Hayes
- Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, USA.,Center of Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Laura E Gressler
- Department of Pharmaceutical Health Services Research, College of Pharmacy, University of Maryland Baltimore, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bo Hu
- Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, USA.,Center of Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Bobby L Jones
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - J Silas Williams
- Center for Mental Healthcare and Outcomes Research, Central Arkansas Veterans Healthcare System, North Little Rock, AR, USA.,Center of Health Services Research, Department of Psychiatry, College of Medicine, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
| | - Bradley C Martin
- Division of Pharmaceutical Evaluation and Policy, College of Pharmacy, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, USA
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24
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Kamba PF, Mulangwa J, Kageni P, Balikuna S, Kengo A, Mutamba BB, Sewankambo N, Adome RO, Byakika-Kibwika P. Predictors of controlled prescription drug non-medical and lifetime use among patients accessing public mental health services in Uganda: a cross-sectional study. BMJ Open 2021; 11:e037602. [PMID: 33771822 PMCID: PMC8006833 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2020-037602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We determined the prevalence of controlled prescription drug (CPD) non-medical and lifetime use and their predictors among patients at three public psychiatric clinics in Uganda to identify missed care opportunities, enhanced screening priorities, and drug control needs. METHODS A cross-sectional survey of 1275 patients was performed from November to December 2018. Interviewer-administered semi-structured questionnaires, desk review guide and urine drug assays were employed. Questionnaire recorded CPD non-medical and illicit drug use history from patients' files, CPD lifetime use and risk factors. Desk review guide recorded recently prescribed drugs in patients' files to corroborate with urine assays. Predictors were analysed by multivariate logistic regression. RESULTS From desk review, 145 (11.4%) patients had history of CPD non-medical use and 36 (2.8%) had used illicit drugs. Of 988 patients who provided urine, 166 (16.8%) self-medicated CPDs, particularly benzodiazepines while 12 (1.2%) used illicit drugs. Of those with drug-positive urine, 123 (69.1%) had no documented history of CPD non-medical and illicit drug use. Being an inpatient (OR=10.90, p<0.001) was independently associated with CPD non-medical use. Additionally, being an inpatient (OR=8.29, p<0.001) and tobacco consumption (OR=1.85, p=0.041) were associated with CPD non-medical and illicit drug use combined. Among participants, 119 (9.3%) reported CPD lifetime use, and this was independently associated with education level (OR=2.71, p<0.001) and history of treatment for substance abuse (OR=2.08, p=0.018). CONCLUSIONS CPD non-medical use is common among Uganda's psychiatric patients, and more prevalent than illicit drug use. Rapid diagnostic assays may be needed in psychiatric care in resource limited settings. It is necessary to assess how CPD non-medical use impacts mental care outcomes and patient safety. High risk groups like inpatients and tobacco consumers should be prioritised in psychiatric screening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pakoyo Fadhiru Kamba
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - John Mulangwa
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Peter Kageni
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Sulah Balikuna
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Allan Kengo
- Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, Gulu University, Gulu, Uganda
| | - Brian Byamah Mutamba
- Department of Psychiatry, Butabika National Referral Mental Hospital, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Nelson Sewankambo
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Richard Odoi Adome
- Department of Pharmacy, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Pauline Byakika-Kibwika
- Department of Internal Medicine, College of Health Sciences, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
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25
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de Oliveira Costa J, Bruno C, Baranwal N, Gisev N, Dobbins TA, Degenhardt L, Pearson SA. Variations in Long-term Opioid Therapy Definitions: A Systematic Review of Observational Studies Using Routinely Collected Data (2000-2019). Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 87:3706-3720. [PMID: 33629352 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.14798] [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: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Routinely collected data have been increasingly used to assess long-term opioid therapy (LTOT) patterns, with very little guidance on how to measure LTOT from these data sources. We conducted a systematic review of studies published between January 2000 and July 2019 to catalogue LTOT definitions, the rationale for definitions and LTOT rates in observational research using routinely collected data in nonsurgical settings. We screened 4056 abstracts, 210 full-text manuscripts and included 128 studies, mostly from the United States (81%) and published between 2015 and 2019 (69%). We identified 78 definitions of LTOT, commonly operationalised as 90 days of use within a year (23%). Studies often used multiple criteria to derive definitions (60%), mostly based on measures of duration, such as supply days/days of use (66%), episode length (21%) or prescription fills within specified time periods (12%). Definitions were based on previous publications (63%), clinical judgment (16%) or empirical data (3%); 10% of studies applied more than one definition. LTOT definition was not provided with enough details for replication in 14 studies and 38 studies did not specify the opioids evaluated. Rates of LTOT within study populations ranged from 0.2% to 57% according to study design and definition used. We observed a substantial rise in the last 5 years in studies evaluating LTOT with large variability in the definitions used and poor reporting of the rationale and implementation of definitions. This variation impacts on research reproducibility, comparability of findings and the development of strategies aiming to curb therapy that is not guideline-recommended.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claudia Bruno
- Centre for Big Data Research in Health, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Navya Baranwal
- Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Natasa Gisev
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Timothy A Dobbins
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sallie-Anne Pearson
- Centre for Big Data Research in Health, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Menzies Centre for Health Policy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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26
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Béliveau A, Castilloux AM, Tannenbaum C, Vincent P, de Moura CS, Bernatsky S, Moride Y. Predictors of long-term use of prescription opioids in the community-dwelling population of adults without a cancer diagnosis: a retrospective cohort study. CMAJ Open 2021; 9:E96-E106. [PMID: 33563639 PMCID: PMC8034379 DOI: 10.9778/cmajo.20200076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Long-term opioid use is a known risk factor for opioid-related harms. We aimed to identify risk factors for and predictors of long-term use of prescription opioids in the community-dwelling population of adults without a diagnosis of cancer, to inform practice change at the point of care. METHODS Using Quebec administrative claims databases, we conducted a retrospective cohort study in a random sample of adult members (≥ 18 yr) of the public drug plan who did not have a cancer diagnosis and who initiated a prescription opioid in the outpatient setting between Jan. 1, 2012, and Dec. 31, 2016. The outcome of interest was long-term opioid use (≥ 90 consecutive days or ≥ 120 cumulative days over 12 mo). Potential predictors included sociodemographic factors, medical history, characteristics of the initial opioid prescription and prescriber's specialty. We used multivariable logistic regression to assess the association between each characteristic and long-term use. We used the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve to determine the predictive performance of full and parsimonious models. RESULTS Of 124 664 eligible patients who initiated opioid therapy, 4172 (3.3%) progressed to long-term use of prescription opioids. The most important associated factors in the adjusted analysis were long-term prescription of acetaminophen-codeine (odds ratio [OR] 6.30, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.99 to 7.96), prescription of a long-acting opioid at initiation (OR 6.02, 95% CI 5.31 to 6.84), initial supply of 30 days or more (OR 4.22, 95% CI 3.81 to 4.69), chronic pain (OR 2.41, 95% CI 2.16 to 2.69) and initial dose of at least 90 morphine milligram equivalents (MME) per day (OR 1.24, 95% CI 1.04 to 1.47). Our predictive model, including only the initial days' supply and chronic pain diagnosis, had area under the curve of 0.7618. INTERPRETATION This study identified factors associated with long-term prescription opioid use. Limiting the initial supply to no more than 7 days and limiting doses to 90 MME/day or less are actions that could be undertaken at the point of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Audrey Béliveau
- Faculty of Pharmacy (Béliveau, Castilloux, Tannenbaum, Vincent, Moride), Université de Montréal; Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (Tannenbaum); Department of Pharmacy (Vincent), Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal; Division of Clinical Epidemiology (Soares de Moura, Bernatsky), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Moride), New Brunswick, NJ
| | - Anne-Marie Castilloux
- Faculty of Pharmacy (Béliveau, Castilloux, Tannenbaum, Vincent, Moride), Université de Montréal; Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (Tannenbaum); Department of Pharmacy (Vincent), Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal; Division of Clinical Epidemiology (Soares de Moura, Bernatsky), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Moride), New Brunswick, NJ
| | - Cara Tannenbaum
- Faculty of Pharmacy (Béliveau, Castilloux, Tannenbaum, Vincent, Moride), Université de Montréal; Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (Tannenbaum); Department of Pharmacy (Vincent), Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal; Division of Clinical Epidemiology (Soares de Moura, Bernatsky), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Moride), New Brunswick, NJ
| | - Philippe Vincent
- Faculty of Pharmacy (Béliveau, Castilloux, Tannenbaum, Vincent, Moride), Université de Montréal; Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (Tannenbaum); Department of Pharmacy (Vincent), Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal; Division of Clinical Epidemiology (Soares de Moura, Bernatsky), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Moride), New Brunswick, NJ
| | - Cristiano Soares de Moura
- Faculty of Pharmacy (Béliveau, Castilloux, Tannenbaum, Vincent, Moride), Université de Montréal; Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (Tannenbaum); Department of Pharmacy (Vincent), Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal; Division of Clinical Epidemiology (Soares de Moura, Bernatsky), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Moride), New Brunswick, NJ
| | - Sasha Bernatsky
- Faculty of Pharmacy (Béliveau, Castilloux, Tannenbaum, Vincent, Moride), Université de Montréal; Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (Tannenbaum); Department of Pharmacy (Vincent), Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal; Division of Clinical Epidemiology (Soares de Moura, Bernatsky), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Moride), New Brunswick, NJ
| | - Yola Moride
- Faculty of Pharmacy (Béliveau, Castilloux, Tannenbaum, Vincent, Moride), Université de Montréal; Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal (Tannenbaum); Department of Pharmacy (Vincent), Institut universitaire en santé mentale de Montréal; Division of Clinical Epidemiology (Soares de Moura, Bernatsky), McGill University, Montréal, Que.; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Moride), New Brunswick, NJ
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27
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Morasco BJ, Smith N, Dobscha SK, Deyo RA, Hyde S, Yarborough BJ. Prospective Investigation of Factors Associated with Prescription Opioid Dose Escalation among Patients in Integrated Health Systems. J Gen Intern Med 2020; 35:895-902. [PMID: 33145684 PMCID: PMC7728960 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-020-06250-x] [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: 01/16/2020] [Accepted: 09/17/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prior research has identified factors associated with prescription opioid initiation, but little is known about the prevalence or predictors of dose escalation among patients already prescribed long-term opioid therapy (LTOT). OBJECTIVE This was a 2-year prospective cohort study to examine patient and clinician factors associated with opioid dose escalation. DESIGN A prospective cohort study. Participants were seen at baseline and every 6 months for a total of 2 years. PARTICIPANTS Patients prescribed a stable dose of LTOT for musculoskeletal pain were recruited from two integrated health systems (Kaiser Permanente and the Department of Veterans Affairs, respectively). MAIN MEASURES The prescription opioid dose was based on pharmacy records and self-report. Administrative data were gathered on characteristics of the opioid-prescribing clinician and healthcare utilization. Participants completed measures of pain, functioning, and quality of life. KEY RESULTS Of enrolled participants (n = 517), 19.5% had an opioid dose increase. In multivariate analyses, patient variables associated with dose escalation were lower opioid dose (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.86, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.79-0.94, for every 10-mg increase in baseline dose) and greater pain catastrophizing (HR = 1.03, 95% CI = 1.01-1.05). Other variables associated with dose escalation were as follows: receiving medications from a nurse practitioner primary care provider (HR = 2.10, 95% CI = 1.12-3.96) or specialty physician (HR = 3.18, 95% CI = 1.22-8.34), relative to a physician primary care provider, and having undergone surgery within the past 6 months (HR = 1.80, 95% CI = 1.10-2.94). Other variables, including pain intensity, pain disability, or depression, were not associated with dose escalation. CONCLUSIONS In this 2-year prospective cohort study, variables associated with opioid dose escalation were lower opioid dose, higher pain catastrophizing, receiving opioids from a medical specialist (rather than primary care clinician) or nurse practitioner, and having recently undergone surgery. Study findings highlight intervention points that may be helpful for reducing the likelihood of future prescription opioid dose escalation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J Morasco
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D99), Portland, OR, USA. .,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.
| | - Ning Smith
- Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Steven K Dobscha
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D99), Portland, OR, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Richard A Deyo
- Kaiser Permanente Northwest Center for Health Research, Portland, OR, USA.,Department of Family Medicine, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA.,Department of Internal Medicine, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA.,Oregon Institute for Occupational Health Sciences, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA.,School of Public Health, Oregon Health & Sciences University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Stephanie Hyde
- Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care, VA Portland Health Care System (R&D99), Portland, OR, USA.,Department of Psychiatry, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
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28
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Traumatic brain injury and the misuse of alcohol, opioids, and cannabis. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2020; 157:195-243. [PMID: 33648670 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2020.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Traumatic brain injury (TBI), most often classified as concussion, is caused by biomechanical forces to the brain resulting in short- or long-term impairment in brain function. TBI resulting from military combat, sports, violence, falls, and vehicular accidents is a major cause of long-term physical, cognitive, and psychiatric dysfunction. Psychiatric disorders associated with TBI include depression, anxiety, and substance use disorder, all having significant implications for post-TBI recovery and rehabilitation. This chapter reviews the current preclinical and clinical literature describing the bidirectional relationship between TBI and misuse of three commonly abused drugs: alcohol, opioids, and cannabis. We highlight the influence of each of these drugs on the incidence of TBI, as well as trends in their use after TBI. Furthermore, we discuss factors that may underlie post-injury substance use. Understanding the complex relationship between TBI and substance misuse will enhance the clinical treatment of individuals suffering from these two highly comorbid conditions.
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29
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Shen Y, Bhagwandass H, Branchcomb T, Galvez SA, Grande I, Lessing J, Mollanazar M, Ourhaan N, Oueini R, Sasser M, Valdes IL, Jadubans A, Hollmann J, Maguire M, Usmani S, Vouri SM, Hincapie-Castillo JM, Adkins LE, Goodin AJ. Chronic Opioid Therapy: A Scoping Literature Review on Evolving Clinical and Scientific Definitions. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2020; 22:246-262. [PMID: 33031943 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2020.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The management of chronic noncancer pain (CNCP) with chronic opioid therapy (COT) is controversial. There is a lack of consensus on how COT is defined resulting in unclear clinical guidance. This scoping review identifies and evaluates evolving COT definitions throughout the published clinical and scientific literature. Databases searched included PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science. A total of 227 studies were identified from 8,866 studies published between January 2000 and July 2019. COT definitions were classified by pain population of application and specific dosage/duration definition parameters, with results reported according to PRISMA-ScR. Approximately half of studies defined COT as "days' supply duration >90 days" and 9.3% defined as ">120 days' supply," with other days' supply cut-off points (>30, >60, or >70) each appearing in <5% of total studies. COT was defined by number of prescriptions in 63 studies, with 16.3% and 11.0% using number of initiations or refills, respectively. Few studies explicitly distinguished acute treatment and COT. Episode duration/dosage criteria was used in 90 studies, with 7.5% by Morphine Milligram Equivalents + days' supply and 32.2% by other "episode" combination definitions. COT definitions were applied in musculoskeletal CNCP (60.8%) most often, and typically in adults aged 18 to 64 (69.6%). The usage of ">90 days' supply" COT definitions increased from 3.2 publications/year before 2016 to 20.7 publications/year after 2016. An increasing proportion of studies define COT as ">90 days' supply." The most recent literature trends toward shorter duration criteria, suggesting that contemporary COT definitions are increasingly conservative. PERSPECTIVE: This study summarized the most common, current definition criteria for chronic opioid therapy (COT) and recommends adoption of consistent definition criteria to be utilized in practice and research. The most recent literature trends toward shorter duration criteria overall, suggesting that COT definition criteria are increasingly stringent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Shen
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Center for Drug Evaluation and Safety (CoDES), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Hemita Bhagwandass
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Tychell Branchcomb
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Sophia A Galvez
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Ivanna Grande
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Julia Lessing
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Mikela Mollanazar
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Natalie Ourhaan
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Razanne Oueini
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Michael Sasser
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Ivelisse L Valdes
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Ashmita Jadubans
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Josef Hollmann
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Michael Maguire
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Silken Usmani
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Scott M Vouri
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Center for Drug Evaluation and Safety (CoDES), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Juan M Hincapie-Castillo
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Center for Drug Evaluation and Safety (CoDES), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Pain Research and Intervention Center of Excellence, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Lauren E Adkins
- University of Florida Health Science Center Libraries, Gainesville, Florida
| | - Amie J Goodin
- Department of Pharmaceutical Outcomes & Policy, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida; Center for Drug Evaluation and Safety (CoDES), University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
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Ramírez-Maestre C, Reyes-Pérez Á, Esteve R, López-Martínez AE, Bernardes S, Jensen MP. Opioid Pain Medication Prescription for Chronic Pain in Primary Care Centers: The Roles of Pain Acceptance, Pain Intensity, Depressive Symptoms, Pain Catastrophizing, Sex, and Age. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17176428. [PMID: 32899359 PMCID: PMC7503487 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17176428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2020] [Revised: 08/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Background: Psychological factors of patients may influence physicians’ decisions on prescribing opioid analgesics. However, few studies have sought to identify these factors. The present study had a double objective: (1) To identify the individual factors that differentiate patients who had been prescribed opioids for the management of chronic back pain from those who had not been prescribed opioids and (2) to determine which factors make significant and independent contributions to the prediction of opioid prescribing. Methods: A total of 675 patients from four primary care centers were included in the sample. Variables included sex, age, pain intensity, depressive symptoms, pain catastrophizing, and pain acceptance. Results: Although no differences were found between men and women, participants with chronic noncancer pain who were prescribed opioids were older, reported higher levels of pain intensity and depressive symptoms, and reported lower levels of pain-acceptance. An independent association was found between pain intensity and depressive symptoms and opioid prescribing. Conclusions: The findings suggest that patient factors influence physicians’ decisions on prescribing opioids. It may be useful for primary care physicians to be aware of the potential of these factors to bias their treatment decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carmen Ramírez-Maestre
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Psicología, Andalucía Tech, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain; (Á.R.-P.); (R.E.); (A.E.L.-M.)
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-952-13-23-89
| | - Ángela Reyes-Pérez
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Psicología, Andalucía Tech, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain; (Á.R.-P.); (R.E.); (A.E.L.-M.)
| | - Rosa Esteve
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Psicología, Andalucía Tech, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain; (Á.R.-P.); (R.E.); (A.E.L.-M.)
| | - Alicia E. López-Martínez
- Instituto de Investigación Biomédica de Málaga, Facultad de Psicología, Andalucía Tech, Universidad de Málaga, 29071 Málaga, Spain; (Á.R.-P.); (R.E.); (A.E.L.-M.)
| | - Sonia Bernardes
- Instituto Universitario de Lisboa (ISCTE-IUL), Cis-IUL, Av. das Forças Armadas, 1649-026 Lisboa, Portugal;
| | - Mark P. Jensen
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9th Ave, Seattle, WA 98104, USA;
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Predictors and Characteristics of Opioid Utilization >15 Days Following Total Knee Arthroplasty. J Arthroplasty 2020; 35:2027-2032. [PMID: 32307293 DOI: 10.1016/j.arth.2020.03.030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Revised: 03/12/2020] [Accepted: 03/16/2020] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND America is amid an opioid epidemic, best characterized by liberal prescribing practices; widespread opioid misuse, abuse, and diversion; and rising rates of prescription-related opioid overdose. While many contributors to opioid overprescribing exist, orthopedic surgery is identified as a key driver. The purpose of this study is to determine predictors of ongoing opioid use >15 days post-total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and those patients prescribed >1350 morphine milligram equivalents (MMEs) in the 15 days following surgery. METHODS A retrospective cohort study was conducted in patients undergoing TKA (January 2016-December 2017) in an integrated healthcare system. Outcomes of interest were patient and clinical characteristics. RESULTS A total of 621 patients were included in the study. The majority were female (57.6%), were non-Hispanic/Latino white (92.3%), and from metropolitan areas (64.3%) with fewer than 110,000 population. Mean age was 66.3. Being female (odds ratio [OR] = 1.547, P = .092), having a higher body mass index (OR = 1.043, P = .036), and receipt of more postdischarge prescriptions in the 60-day follow-up period (OR = 8.815, P < .0001) were associated with a greater likelihood of receipt of opioid prescriptions for more than 15 days. Older patients (OR = 0.954, P = .01) and those discharged to home (OR = 0.478, P = .045) were less likely to receive >1350 MME; longer length of stay (OR = 1.447, P = .013) was more likely in those prescribed >1350 MMEs. CONCLUSION Several predictors were associated with longer duration and higher doses of opioid prescriptions post-TKA. Further research is needed to ascertain the challenges of opioid prescribing from both the metropolitan surgical team and rural healthcare provider perspective.
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High-dose prescribed opioids are associated with increased risk of heroin use among United States military veterans. Pain 2020; 160:2126-2135. [PMID: 31145217 DOI: 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000001606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Despite evidence linking increased risk of opioid use disorder with specific opioid-prescribing patterns, the relationship between these patterns and heroin use is less understood. This study aimed to determine whether dose and duration of opioid prescriptions predict subsequent heroin use in United States veterans. We analyzed data from 2002 to 2012 from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study, a prospective cohort study. We used inverse probability of censoring weighted Cox regression to examine the relationship between self-reported past year heroin use and 2 primary predictors: (1) prior receipt of a high-dose opioid prescription (≥90 mg morphine equivalent daily dose), and (2) prior receipt of a long-term opioid prescription (≥90 days). Heroin use was ascertained using most recent value of time-updated self-reported past year heroin use. Models were adjusted for HIV and hepatitis C virus infection status, sociodemographics, pain interference, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, and use of marijuana, cocaine, methamphetamines, and unhealthy alcohol use. In the final model, prior receipt of a high-dose opioid prescription was associated with past year heroin use (adjusted hazard ratio use = 2.54, 95% confidence interval: 1.26-5.10), whereas long-term opioid receipt was not (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.09, 95% confidence interval: 0.75-1.57). Patients receiving high-dose opioid prescriptions should be monitored for heroin use. These findings support current national guidelines recommending against prescribing high-dose opioids for treating pain.
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33
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Carnide N, Hogg-Johnson S, Côté P, Koehoorn M, Furlan AD. Factors associated with early opioid dispensing compared with NSAID and muscle relaxant dispensing after a work-related low back injury. Occup Environ Med 2020; 77:637-647. [PMID: 32636331 DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2019-106380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2019] [Revised: 03/31/2020] [Accepted: 04/22/2020] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES The objective of this historical cohort study was to determine the claimant and prescriber factors associated with receiving opioids at first postinjury dispense compared with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and skeletal muscle relaxants (SMRs) in a sample of workers' compensation claimants with low back pain (LBP) claims between 1998 and 2009 in British Columbia, Canada. METHODS Administrative workers' compensation, prescription and healthcare data were linked. The association between claimant factors (sociodemographics, occupation, diagnosis, comorbidities, pre-injury prescriptions and healthcare) and prescriber factors (sex, birth year, specialty) with drug class(es) at first dispense (opioids vs NSAIDs/SMRs) was examined with multilevel multinomial logistic regression. RESULTS Increasing days supplied with opioids in the previous year was associated with increased odds of receiving opioids only (1-14 days OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.51 to 1.75; ≥15 days OR 5.12, 95% CI 4.65 to 5.64) and opioids with NSAIDs/SMRs (1-14 days OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.39 to 1.60; ≥15 days OR 2.82, 95% CI 2.56 to 3.12). Other significant claimant factors included: pre-injury dispenses for NSAIDs, SMRs, antidepressants, anticonvulsants and sedative-hypnotics/anxiolytics; International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, 9th Revision diagnosis; various pre-existing comorbidities; prior physician visits and hospitalisations; and year of injury, age, sex, health authority and occupation. Prescribers accounted for 25%-36% of the variability in the drug class(es) received, but prescriber sex, specialty and birth year did not explain observed between-prescriber variation. CONCLUSIONS During this period in the opioid crisis, early postinjury dispensing was multifactorial, with several claimant factors associated with receiving opioids at first prescription. Prescriber variation in drug class choice appears particularly important, but was not explained by basic prescriber characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nancy Carnide
- Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sheilah Hogg-Johnson
- Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Research & Innovation, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pierre Côté
- Research & Innovation, Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada.,Centre for Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mieke Koehoorn
- Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,School of Population and Public Health, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Andrea D Furlan
- Institute for Work and Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,KITE, Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, University Health Network, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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34
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Toxicology of tramadol following chronic exposure based on metabolomics of the cerebrum in mice. Sci Rep 2020; 10:11130. [PMID: 32636435 PMCID: PMC7341866 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-67974-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Tramadol is an opioid used as an analgesic for treating moderate or severe pain. The long-term use of tramadol can induce several adverse effects. The toxicological mechanism of tramadol abuse is unclear. Metabolomics is a very useful method for investigating the toxicology of drug abuse. We investigated the impact of chronic tramadol administration on the cerebrum of mice, focusing on the metabolites after tramadol administration. The mice received 20 or 50 mg/kg body weight tramadol dissolved in physiological saline daily for 5 weeks via oral gavage. Compared with the control group, the low dose tramadol group showed seven potential biomarkers, including gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, succinate semialdehyde, and methylmalonic acid, which were either up- or down-regulated. Compared with the control group, the high dose tramadol group showed ten potential biomarkers, including gamma-hydroxybutyric acid, glutamine, and O-phosphorylethanolamine, which were either up- or down-regulated. The up-regulated gamma-hydroxybutyric acid and the down-regulated succinate semialdehyde revealed that the neurotransmitter system was disrupted after tramadol abuse. Compared with the low dose tramadol group, there were twenty-nine potential biomarkers in the high dose tramadol group, mainly related to the pentose phosphate pathway and glycerophospholipid metabolism. In conclusion, metabolomics in the tramadol abuse group demonstrated that long-term tramadol abuse can result in oxidative damage, inflammation, and disruption of the GABA neurotransmitter system, which will help to elucidate the toxicology of tramadol abuse.
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Henry SG, Gosdin MM, White AEC, Kravitz RL. "It Sometimes Doesn't Even Work": Patient Opioid Assessments as Clues to Therapeutic Flexibility in Primary Care. J Gen Intern Med 2020; 35:1635-1640. [PMID: 31659669 PMCID: PMC7280428 DOI: 10.1007/s11606-019-05421-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Physicians' fear of difficult patient interactions is an important barrier to discontinuing long-term opioid therapy. OBJECTIVE To identify patient statements about opioids that indicate potential openness to tapering opioids or trying non-opioid pain treatments DESIGN: This is an observational study of regularly scheduled primary care visits involving discussion of chronic pain management. A coding system to characterize patient assessments about opioids, physician responses to assessments, and patient-endorsed opioid side effects was developed and applied to transcripts of video-recorded visits. All visits were independently coded by 2 authors. PARTICIPANTS Eighty-six established adult patients taking opioids for chronic pain; 49 physicians in 2 academic primary care clinics MAIN MEASURES: Frequency and topic of patients' opioid assessments; proportion of opioid assessments classified as clues (assessments indicating potential willingness to consider non-opioid pain treatments or lower opioid doses); physician responses to patient clues; frequency and type of patient-endorsed side effects KEY RESULTS: Patients made a mean of 3.2 opioid assessments (median 2) per visit. The most common assessment topics were pain relief (51%), effect on function (21%), and opioid safety (14%). Forty-seven percent of opioid assessments (mean 1.5 per visit) were classified as clues. Fifty-three percent of visits included ≥ 1 clue; 21% of visits contained ≥ 3 clues. Physicians responded to patient clues with no/minimal response 43% of the time, sympathetic/empathetic statements 14% of the time, and further explored clues 43% of the time. Fifty-eight percent of patients endorsed ≥ 1 opioid-related side effect; 10% endorsed ≥ 3 side effects. The most commonly endorsed side effects were constipation (15% of patients), sedation (15%), withdrawal symptoms (13%), and nausea (12%). CONCLUSIONS Patient statements suggesting openness to non-opioid pain treatments or lower opioid doses are common during routine primary care visits. Listening for and exploring these clues may be a patient-centered strategy for broaching difficult topics with patients on long-term opioid therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen G Henry
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA. .,Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.
| | - Melissa M Gosdin
- Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Anne E C White
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.,Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
| | - Richard L Kravitz
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA.,Center for Healthcare Policy and Research, University of California, Davis, Sacramento, CA, USA
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36
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Mathieson S, Wertheimer G, Maher CG, Christine Lin CW, McLachlan AJ, Buchbinder R, Pearson SA, Underwood M. What proportion of patients with chronic noncancer pain are prescribed an opioid medicine? Systematic review and meta-regression of observational studies. J Intern Med 2020; 287:458-474. [PMID: 32100394 DOI: 10.1111/joim.13026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2019] [Revised: 12/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Guidelines now discourage opioid analgesics for chronic noncancer pain because the benefits frequently do not outweigh the harms. We aimed to determine the proportion of patients with chronic noncancer pain who are prescribed an opioid, the types prescribed and factors associated with prescribing. Database searches were conducted from inception to 29 October 2018 without language restrictions. We included observational studies of adults with chronic noncancer pain measuring opioid prescribing. Opioids were categorized as weak (e.g. codeine) or strong (e.g. oxycodone). Study quality was assessed using a risk of bias tool designed for observational studies measuring prevalence. Individual study results were pooled using a random-effects model. Meta-regression investigated study-level factors associated with prescribing (e.g. sampling year, geographic region as per World Health Organization). The overall evidence quality was assessed using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation criteria. Of the 42 studies (5,059,098 participants) identified, the majority (n = 28) were from the United States of America. Eleven studies were at low risk of bias. The pooled estimate of the proportion of patients with chronic noncancer pain prescribed opioids was 30.7% (95% CI 28.7% to 32.7%, n = 42 studies, moderate-quality evidence). Strong opioids were more frequently prescribed than weak (18.4% (95% CI 16.0-21.0%, n = 15 studies, low-quality evidence), versus 8.5% (95% CI 7.2-9.9%, n = 15 studies, low-quality evidence)). Meta-regression determined that opioid prescribing was associated with year of sampling (more prescribing in recent years) (P = 0.014) and not geographic region (P = 0.056). Opioid prescribing for patients with chronic noncancer pain is common and has increased over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mathieson
- From the, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - G Wertheimer
- School of Medicine, University of Notre Dame, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - C G Maher
- From the, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - C-W Christine Lin
- From the, Institute for Musculoskeletal Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney School of Public Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - A J McLachlan
- Faculty of Medicine and Health, Sydney Pharmacy School, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - R Buchbinder
- Monash Department of Clinical Epidemiology, Cabrini Institute, Malvern, Vic.,, Australia.,Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Vic., Australia
| | - S-A Pearson
- Medicines Policy Research Unit, Centre for Big Data Research in Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M Underwood
- Warwick Clinical Trials Unit, University of Warwick, Coventry, UK.,University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire, Coventry, UK
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Cheatle MD, Falcone M, Dhingra L, Lerman C. Independent association of tobacco use with opioid use disorder in patients of European ancestry with chronic non-cancer pain. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 209:107901. [PMID: 32126454 PMCID: PMC7219106 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.107901] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2019] [Revised: 02/06/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The harms associated with prescription opioid abuse have become a public health crisis. There is a need for evidence-based objective markers of the risk of opioid use disorder (OUD) in patients with pain receiving opioid treatment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the independent association of tobacco use and OUD in patients with chronic non-cancer pain. METHODS This cross-sectional naturalistic study evaluated 798 adults ≥ 18 years with chronic non-cancer pain treated with long-term opioid therapy (≥ 6 months) who either developed an OUD (cases, n = 216) or displayed no evidence of an OUD (controls, n = 582). The primary outcome was presence of OUD. In addition to current self-reported tobacco use (primary predictor), covariates included demographics, pain severity, and psychiatric history. Data were collected between November 2012 and September 2018. RESULTS Current tobacco use independently was strongly associated with OUD [odds ratio (OR) 14.0, 95 % confidence interval (CI) 9.5-20.6, p < 0.001], and this association remained significant after adjusting for other risk factors [adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 7.6, 95 % CI 4.8-12.2, p < 0.001]. Other factors associated independently with development of OUD included age, marital status, financial status, education and pain severity. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Current tobacco use is significantly associated with OUD in patients with chronic pain receiving long-term opioid therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martin D Cheatle
- Department of Psychiatry, Center for Studies of Addiction, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, 19104, USA.
| | - Mary Falcone
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 99003, USA
| | - Lara Dhingra
- MJHS Institute for Innovation in Palliative Care, New York, NY, USA; Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Caryn Lerman
- Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, 99003, USA
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Abstract
While prevalence of tobacco use in the US general population is declining, prevalence among those with opioid use disorder (OUD) remains high and results in excessive tobacco-related disease and premature mortality. Among smokers with OUD, tobacco cessation rates are negligible without treatment. However, both low-intensity behavioral interventions and more intensive motivational interventions yield negligible cessation rates. While contingency management has potent short-term cessation effects, effects are not maintained at post-intervention follow-up. Evidence-based smoking cessation pharmacotherapies, such as nicotine replacement therapy, bupropion, and varenicline, result in very modest cessation rates among smokers with OUD. Intensification of pharmacotherapy, such as high-dose and combination nicotine replacement therapy or extended medication treatment, has failed to improve cessation outcomes compared with standard treatment regimens. Targeting the unique challenges faced by smokers with OUD, including nicotine-opioid interactions and poor medication adherence, has potential to improve cessation outcomes, but further research is needed to optimize intervention efficacy among smokers with OUD.
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39
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Friedman S, Patel K, Liu Y, Hartzell S, Keller MS. Urine Drug Testing among Opioid-Naïve and Long-Term Opioid Nevada Medicaid Beneficiaries. Subst Use Misuse 2020; 55:2314-2320. [PMID: 32835582 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2020.1805467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Current guidelines recommend that, when prescribing opioids, providers use urine drug testing (UDT) for harm reduction. Objective: To identify whether Medicaid beneficiaries in Nevada at increased risk for opioid misuse received UDT. Methods: We used Nevada Medicaid claims data (2017-2018) to describe UDT among three samples: opioid naïve patients (N = 11,326), opioid naïve patients with a second follow-up prescription (N = 8,910), and long-term opioid patients (N = 19,173). Predictors of opioid misuse include past diagnoses of mental health and substance use, demographic characteristics and potentially risky behaviors. Outcomes include receiving UDT prior to opioid prescription among the two naïve samples and within six months for the long-term sample. We report predicted probabilities (PP) from logistic regressions and hazard ratios (HR) and Kaplan-Meier curves. Results: A small percentage of patients received UDT (naïve sample: 2.5%; naïve with a second follow-up prescription sample: 3.5%; long-term sample: 9.9%). Adults with alcohol disorders and other substance use disorders had the highest PP of UDT, among both the naïve (alcohol related disorder: 3.1%; other substance use disorder: 7.7%) and the naïve with a second follow-up prescription (alcohol related disorder: 4.1%; other substance use disorder: 11.7%) samples. Among the long-term sample, similar predictors were significant. Conclusions: Although there was an association between having risk factors for opioid misuse (e.g. past alchohol disorders and other substance use disorder diagnoses) and receiving UDT, the percentage of patients who received UDT was unexpectedly low, pointing to the need to increase guideline adherence and implementation among providers who prescribe opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Friedman
- School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | | | - Yan Liu
- School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Sarah Hartzell
- School of Community Health Sciences, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno, Nevada, USA
| | - Michelle S Keller
- Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, California, USA
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40
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López-Martínez AE, Reyes-Pérez Á, Serrano-Ibáñez ER, Esteve R, Ramírez-Maestre C. Chronic pain, posttraumatic stress disorder, and opioid intake: A systematic review. World J Clin Cases 2019; 7:4254-4269. [PMID: 31911906 PMCID: PMC6940350 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v7.i24.4254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2019] [Revised: 10/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The literature suggests that there is a high degree of co-occurrence between chronic pain and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). An association has been found between PTSD and substance abuse. PTSD is a severe disorder that should be taken into account when opioids are prescribed. It has been found that the prevalence of opioid use disorder (OUD) in chronic pain patients is higher among those with PTSD than those without this disorder.
AIM To perform a systematic review on the association between PTSD, chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), and opioid intake (i.e., prescription, misuse, and abuse).
METHODS We conducted a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The Patient, Intervention, Comparator, and Outcomes (PICOS) criteria were formulated a priori in the protocol of the systematic review. A search was conducted of the PROSPERO database. In March 2019, searches were also conducted of 5 other databases: PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Web of Science, and PILOTS. The Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network checklist for cohort studies was used to assess the selected studies for their methodological quality and risk of bias. Each study was evaluated according to its internal validity, participant sampling, confounding variables, and the statistical analysis.
RESULTS A total of 151 potentially eligible studies were identified of which 17 were retained for analysis. Only 10 met the selection criteria. All the studies were published between 2008 and 2018 and were conducted in the United States. The eligible studies included a total of 1622785 unique participants. Of these, 196516 had comorbid CNCP and PTSD and were consuming opiates. The participants had a cross-study mean age of 35.2 years. The majority of participants were men (81.6%). The most common chronic pain condition was musculoskeletal pain: back pain (47.14% across studies; range: 16%-60.6%), arthritis and joint pain (31.1%; range: 18%-67.5%), and neck pain (28.7%; range: 3.6%-63%). In total, 42.4% of the participants across studies had a diagnosis of PTSD (range: 4.7%-95%). In relation to opioid intake, we identified 2 different outcomes: opioid prescription and OUD. All the studies reported evidence of a greater prevalence of PTSD in CNCP patients who were receiving prescribed opioids and that PTSD was associated with OUD in CNCP patients.
CONCLUSION Opioid analgesic prescription as the treatment of choice for CNCP patients should include screening for baseline PTSD to ensure that these drugs are safely consumed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alicia E López-Martínez
- Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga 29071, Spain
| | - Ángela Reyes-Pérez
- Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga 29071, Spain
| | - Elena Rocío Serrano-Ibáñez
- Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga 29071, Spain
| | - Rosa Esteve
- Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga 29071, Spain
| | - Carmen Ramírez-Maestre
- Facultad de Psicología, Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (IBIMA), Universidad de Málaga, Málaga 29071, Spain
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Khodneva Y, Richman J, Kertesz S, Safford MM. Gender differences in association of prescription opioid use and mortality: A propensity-matched analysis from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) prospective cohort. Subst Abus 2019; 42:94-103. [PMID: 31860382 PMCID: PMC7305051 DOI: 10.1080/08897077.2019.1702609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prescription opioids (PO) have been widely used for chronic non-cancer pain, with commensurate concerns for overdose. The long-term effect of these medications on non-overdose mortality in the general population remains poorly understood. This study's objective was to examine the association of prescription opioid use and mortality in a large cohort, accounting for gender differences and concurrent benzodiazepine use, and using propensity score matching. Methods: 29,025 US community-dwellers were enrolled in the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort between 2003 and 2007, and followed through December 31, 2012. At baseline there were 1907 participants with PO; 1864 of them were matched to participants without PO, based on the model-derived propensity to receive opioid prescriptions. Causes of death were expert-adjudicated. Results: Over median follow-up of 6 years there were 4428 deaths (413 among persons with PO). The risk for all-cause mortality was 12% higher, in absolute terms, for persons with PO compared to those without PO in the overall sample, with gender differences (interaction p = .0008). The risk of death was increased for women with PO (hazard ratio [HR] 1.21 [95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.04-1.40]), but not men (HR 0.92 [95% CI 0.77-1.10]). Women with PO were at higher risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) death (HR 1.43 [95% CI 1.12-1.84]), sudden death (HR 2.02 [95% CI 1.29-3.15]) (a subset of CVD death), and accidents (HR 2.18 [95% CI 1.03-4.60]). These risks were not observed for men with PO. Conclusion: Over 6 years of follow-up, women but not men who had opioid prescriptions were at higher risk of all-cause mortality, CVD death, sudden death, and accidents. Special caution in prescribing opioids for women may be warranted until these findings are confirmed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yulia Khodneva
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Joshua Richman
- Department of Surgery, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Stefan Kertesz
- Department of Medicine, School of Medicine, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA.,Birmingham Veterans Administration Health Medical Center, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Monika M Safford
- Division of Internal Medicine, Weill Cornell University, New York, New York, USA
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Galindo SR, da Nóbrega Marinho MH, Gatchel RJ, de Paula Santana da Silva T, Viana EHS, Vasconcelos SC, da Costa Lima MD. Cross-cultural adaptation of the Pain Medication Questionnaire for use in Brazil. BMC Med Res Methodol 2019; 19:188. [PMID: 31547804 PMCID: PMC6757373 DOI: 10.1186/s12874-019-0821-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2019] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Background The Pain Medication Questionnaire (PMQ) assesses the risk of opioid abuse in people with non-oncological chronic pain. Methods This is a methodological study conducted at a hemotherapy centre in Recife, Pernambuco state, Brazil. A Cross-cultural adaptation was carried out by a committee of nine specialists, and we applied the PMQ to a pre-final sample of 40 individuals with sickle cell anemia, in addition to a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire. Results The mean agreement indexes for PMQ equivalences were the following: semantic (0.996), idiomatic (0.970), experiential (0.991), conceptual (0.953), language clarity (0.991), practical relevance (0.906), and theoretical relevance (0.945). Assessment of the PMQ showed that 50% of participants obtained a score equivalent to medium risk of opioid abuse. Cronbach’s alpha coefficient for the adapted PMQ instrument was 0.705, ranging from 0.641 to 0.736 among its items. Conclusion The cross-cultural adaptation of the Pain Medication Questionnaire was satisfactory and easy to apply in the Brazilian population. It is clinically relevant, contributing professional practice and enlightening patients with sickle cell anemia on their behavioral dynamics with respect to opioid consumption. It will also contribute to teaching and research, because it is a useful tool for investigating the risk of abusive behavior in people with chronic pain. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12874-019-0821-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sheila Raposo Galindo
- Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), Av. João Cardoso Ayres, 480, Boa Viagem, Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil.
| | | | | | | | | | - Selene Cordeiro Vasconcelos
- Neuroscience, Neuropsychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB), João Pessoa, Paraíba, Brazil
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Adams RS, Thomas CP, Ritter GA, Lee S, Saadoun M, Williams TV, Larson MJ. Predictors of Postdeployment Prescription Opioid Receipt and Long-term Prescription Opioid Utilization Among Army Active Duty Soldiers. Mil Med 2019; 184:e101-e109. [PMID: 30007291 DOI: 10.1093/milmed/usy162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/10/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Little is known about long-term prescription opioid utilization in the Military Health System. The objectives of this study were to examine predictors of any prescription opioid receipt, and predictors of long-term opioid utilization among active duty soldiers in the year following deployment. Materials and Methods The analytic sample consisted of Army active duty soldiers returning from deployment to Operation Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, or Operation New Dawn in fiscal years 2008-2014 (N = 540,738). The Heckman probit procedure was used to jointly examine predictors of any opioid prescription receipt and long-term opioid utilization (i.e., an episode of 90 days or longer where days-supply covered at least two-thirds of days) in the postdeployment year. Predictors were based on diagnoses and characteristics of opioid prescriptions. Results More than one-third of soldiers (34.8%, n = 188,211) had opioid receipt, and among those soldiers, 3.3% had long-term opioid utilization (or 1.1% of the cohort, n = 6,188). The largest magnitude predictors of long-term opioid utilization were receiving a long-acting opioid within the first 30 days of the episode, diagnoses of chronic pain (no specified source), back/neck pain, or peripheral/central nervous system pain, and severe pain score in vital records. Conclusions Soldiers returning from deployment were more likely to receive an opioid prescription than the overall active duty population, and 1.1% initiated a long-term opioid episode. We report a declining rate of opioid receipt and long-term opioid utilization among Army members from fiscal years 2008-2014. This study demonstrates that the most important predictors of opioid receipt were not demographic factors, but generally clinical indicators of acute pain or physical trauma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachel Sayko Adams
- Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA
| | - Cindy Parks Thomas
- Schneider Institute for Health Policy, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA
| | - Grant A Ritter
- Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA
| | - Sue Lee
- Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA
| | - Mayada Saadoun
- Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA
| | | | - Mary Jo Larson
- Institute for Behavioral Health, Heller School for Social Policy and Management, Brandeis University, 415 South Street, Waltham, MA
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44
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Zin CS, Nazar NI, Rahman NSA, Ahmad WR, Rani NS, Ng KS. Patterns of initial opioid prescription and its association with short-term and long-term use among opioid-naïve patients in Malaysia: a retrospective cohort study. BMJ Open 2019; 9:e027203. [PMID: 31270113 PMCID: PMC6609125 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-027203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study examined opioid prescription initiation patterns and their association with short-term and long-term opioid use among opioid-naïve patients. DESIGN This study was designed as a retrospective cohort study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS In this study, we analysed the prescription databases of tertiary hospitals in Malaysia. This study included patients aged ≥18 years with at least one opioid prescription (buprenorphine, morphine, oxycodone, fentanyl, dihydrocodeine or tramadol) between 1 January 2011 and 31 December 2016. These patients had no opioid prescriptions in the 365 days prior, and were followed up for 365 days after the initial opioid prescription. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES The main outcome measures were the number of short-term (<90 days) and long-term opioid users (≥90 days), initial opioid prescription period and daily dose. RESULTS There were 33 752 opioid-naïve patients who received opioid prescriptions (n=43 432 prescriptions) during the study period. Of these, 29 824 (88.36%) were short-term opioid users and 3928 (11.64%) were long-term opioid users. The majority of these short-term (99.09%) and long-term users (96.18%) received an initial daily opioid dose of <50 mg/day with a short-acting opioid formulation. Short-term opioid users were predominantly prescribed opioids for 3-7 days (59.06%) by the emergency department (ED, 60.56%), while long-term opioid users were primarily prescribed opioids for ≥7 days (91.85%) by non-ED hospital departments (91.8%). The adjusted model showed that the following were associated with long-term opioid use: increasing opioid daily doses, prescription period ≥7 days and long-acting opioids initiated by non-EDs. CONCLUSIONS The majority of opioid-naïve patients in tertiary hospital settings in Malaysia were prescribed opioids for short-term use. The progression to long-term use among opioid-naïve patients was attributed to the prescription of higher opioid doses for a longer duration as well as long-acting opioids initiated by non-ED hospital departments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Che Suraya Zin
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia - Kuantan Campus, Kuantan, Malaysia
| | - Nor Ilyani Nazar
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia - Kuantan Campus, Kuantan, Malaysia
| | - Norny Syafinaz Abdul Rahman
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Kulliyyah of Pharmacy, International Islamic University Malaysia - Kuantan Campus, Kuantan, Malaysia
| | - Wan Rohaidah Ahmad
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Nurul Sahida Rani
- Department of Pharmacy, Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Kuala Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Kim Swan Ng
- Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care, Hospital Selayang, Batu Caves, Malaysia
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the risk of prolonged opioid use in patients receiving tramadol compared with other short acting opioids. DESIGN Observational study of administrative claims data. SETTING United States commercial and Medicare Advantage insurance claims (OptumLabs Data Warehouse) January 1, 2009 through June 30, 2018. PARTICIPANTS Opioid-naive patients undergoing elective surgery. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE Risk of persistent opioid use after discharge for patients treated with tramadol alone compared with other short acting opioids, using three commonly used definitions of prolonged opioid use from the literature: additional opioid use (defined as at least one opioid fill 90-180 days after surgery); persistent opioid use (any span of opioid use starting in the 180 days after surgery and lasting ≥90 days); and CONSORT definition (an opioid use episode starting in the 180 days after surgery that spans ≥90 days and includes either ≥10 opioid fills or ≥120 days' supply of opioids). RESULTS Of 444 764 patients who met the inclusion criteria, 357 884 filled a discharge prescription for one or more opioids associated with one of 20 included operations. The most commonly prescribed post-surgery opioid was hydrocodone (53.0% of those filling a single opioid), followed by short acting oxycodone (37.5%) and tramadol (4.0%). The unadjusted risk of prolonged opioid use after surgery was 7.1% (n=31 431) with additional opioid use, 1.0% (n=4457) with persistent opioid use, and 0.5% (n=2027) meeting the CONSORT definition. Receipt of tramadol alone was associated with a 6% increase in the risk of additional opioid use relative to people receiving other short acting opioids (incidence rate ratio 95% confidence interval 1.00 to 1.13; risk difference 0.5 percentage points; P=0.049), 47% increase in the adjusted risk of persistent opioid use (1.25 to 1.69; 0.5 percentage points; P<0.001), and 41% increase in the adjusted risk of a CONSORT chronic opioid use episode (1.08 to 1.75; 0.2 percentage points; P=0.013). CONCLUSIONS People receiving tramadol alone after surgery had similar to somewhat higher risks of prolonged opioid use compared with those receiving other short acting opioids. Federal governing bodies should consider reclassifying tramadol, and providers should use as much caution when prescribing tramadol in the setting of acute pain as for other short acting opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cornelius A Thiels
- Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinic Robert D and Patricia E Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery and Department of Health Services Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | - Elizabeth B Habermann
- Mayo Clinic Robert D and Patricia E Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery and Department of Health Services Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
| | | | - Molly M Jeffery
- Mayo Clinic Robert D and Patricia E Kern Center for the Science of Health Care Delivery and Department of Health Services Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
- OptumLabs, Cambridge, MA 02142, USA
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Ball S, Wilson B, Ober S, Mchaourab A. SCAN-ECHO for Pain Management: Implementing a Regional Telementoring Training for Primary Care Providers. PAIN MEDICINE 2019; 19:262-268. [PMID: 28525633 DOI: 10.1093/pm/pnx122] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
Objective The Specialty Care Access Network-Extension for Community Health Outcomes (SCAN-ECHO) is a video teleconferencing-based training program where primary care providers are trained by a specialty care team to provide specialty care. A multidisciplinary team of pain management specialists at the Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center established such a program for pain management; a description and preliminary effectiveness assessment of this training program is presented. Design Primary care provider participants in the Specialty Care Access Network program in pain management completed pre- and post-training questionnaires. A subset of these participants also participated in a group session semistructured interview. Subjects Twenty-four primary care providers from Cleveland, South Texas, or Wisconsin Veterans Affairs Medical Centers who regularly attended pain management SCAN-ECHO sessions during 2011, 2012, 2013, or 2014 completed pre- and post-training questionnaires. Methods Pre- and post-training questionnaires were conducted to measure confidence in treating and knowledge of pain management. Questionnaire responses were tested for significance using R. Qualitative data were analyzed using inductive coding and content analysis. Results Statistically significant increases in confidence ratings and scores on knowledge questionnaires were noted from pre- to post-pain management SCAN-ECHO training. Program participants felt more knowledgeable and reported improved communication between specialty and primary care providers. Conclusions This pilot study reveals positive outcomes in terms of primary care providers' confidence and knowledge in treating patients with chronic pain. Results suggest that involving primary care providers in a one-year academic project such as this can improve their knowledge and skills and has the potential to influence their opioid prescribing practices.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Scott Ober
- Primary Care, Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.,Department of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio
| | - Ali Mchaourab
- Pain Medicine Service, Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Cleveland, Ohio.,Department of Anesthesiology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
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47
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Gebauer S, Salas J, Scherrer JF, Burge S, Schneider FD. Disability Benefits and Change in Prescription Opioid Dose. Popul Health Manag 2019; 22:503-510. [PMID: 30855207 DOI: 10.1089/pop.2018.0210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Among chronic low back pain (CLBP) patients, workers' compensation is associated with longer term prescription opioid analgesic use (OAU). The aim was to study the association between receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits and course of OAU. This prospective cohort study utilized data from primary care patients diagnosed with non-cancer CLBP. The outcomes were morphine equivalent dose (MED) - categorized as no OAU, 1-50mg MED, or >50mg MED - and change in MED over time using mixed multinomial logistic regression models. Covariates included sociodemographics, pain severity, pain management characteristics, continuity of care with their physician, health-related quality of life, number of comorbid health conditions, obesity, depression, and anxiety. In adjusted analysis, SSDI vs. non-SSDI patients were more likely to be receiving >50mg MED vs. no OAU at baseline (OR = 10.19; 95% CI:1.51-68.83). Differences in OAU trajectory between SSDI groups were nonsignificant (P = 0.204). Collection of SSDI benefits was an independent predictor of higher MED at baseline and persistently higher MED during 2 years of follow-up. Providers should consider the risk of persistent, high-dose opioid use in patients receiving SSDI benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Gebauer
- Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Joanne Salas
- Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Jeffrey F Scherrer
- Family and Community Medicine, Saint Louis University School of Medicine, St. Louis, Missouri
| | - Sandra Burge
- Family and Community Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas
| | - F David Schneider
- Family and Community Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas
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Strauss DH, Santhanam DR, McLean SA, Beaudoin FL. Study protocol for a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of duloxetine for the treatment and prevention of musculoskeletal pain: altering the transition from acute to chronic pain (ATTAC pain). BMJ Open 2019; 9:e025002. [PMID: 30842115 PMCID: PMC6430024 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-025002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2018] [Revised: 12/03/2018] [Accepted: 01/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Chronic musculoskeletal pain affects a substantial portion of adults visiting the emergency department (ED). Current treatment is limited in scope and does not effectively reduce musculoskeletal pain in patients. The study will evaluate the use of duloxetine, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor Food and Drug Administration approved for the treatment of chronic pain, as a promising option in its prevention. The proposed study may present a well-tolerated and effective non-opioid treatment for patients with acute musculoskeletal pain that may also be effective in preventing the transition to persistent or chronic musculoskeletal pain. METHODS AND ANALYSIS The primary outcome of this study will be to assess the tolerability and preliminary effectiveness of duloxetine in patients with acute musculoskeletal pain. The study will take place at two EDs in Rhode Island, USA. The study will involve randomisation to one of three arms: duloxetine 30 mg, duloxetine 60 mg or placebo. Tolerability will be assessed by comparing the proportion of participants that report an adverse event and that drop-out across the three study arms. Effectiveness will be determined by self-reported pain over 6 weeks of follow-up. Specifically, we will compare the proportion of participants with persistent pain (ongoing pain at 6-week follow-up), across the three study arms. 60 adults (aged 18-59) presenting to the ED with acute axial musculoskeletal pain within 7 days of onset are expected to be enrolled in the proposed study. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethics approval was obtained by the Institutional Review Board (IRB). These results will be published in a peer reviewed scientific journal and presented at one or more scientific conferences. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER NCT03315533.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel H Strauss
- Emergency Medicine, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Divya R Santhanam
- Biology and Medicine, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Samuel A McLean
- Emergency Medicine and Anesthesiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Francesca L Beaudoin
- Emergency Medicine, Brown University Warren Alpert Medical School, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
- Health Services, Policy, and Practice, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, Rhode Island, USA
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49
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Kumthekar A, Shull S, Lovejoy TI, Morasco BJ, Chang M, Barton J. Impact of hepatitis C treatment on pain intensity, prescription opioid use and arthritis. Int J Rheum Dis 2019; 22:592-598. [PMID: 30729702 DOI: 10.1111/1756-185x.13479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2018] [Revised: 11/10/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the impact of direct acting anti-viral (DAA) therapy for hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection on changes in pain intensity and prescription opioid use among Veterans. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of Veterans with HCV who were seen in a rheumatology clinic at least once while receiving DAA therapy between January 1, 2010 and December 31st 2016. Demographic characteristics, HCV status, HCV treatment characteristics, numeric rating scale (NRS) pain scores and opioid prescription data were extracted from the electronic medical record. Pain scores were averaged over 6 months prior to HCV treatment and 6 months after completion of treatment. Prescription opioid dose was converted to a morphine equivalent daily dose (MEDD) and averaged across the two 6-month intervals. Generalized estimating equations were used to model the change in average pain and MEDD from pre- to post-HCV treatment. Effect size was assessed using Cohen's d. RESULTS A total of 121 Veterans, 91% male with average age of 59 were included. Average pre-treatment pain was 4.4 (SD 2.4). The average reduction in pain scores was 0.6 points (P = 0.02, Cohen's d = 0.22) after treatment. Among 67 patients prescribed chronic opioid therapy at baseline, average pre-treatment MEDD was 52.4 mg (SD = 62.5 mg) and post-DAA treatment average MEDD was 49.5 mg (SD = 69.3 mg), representing a decrease by 2.9 mg (P < 0.01, Cohen's d = 0.14). Opioid dose reduction was seen in 43/67 patients and 12 patients discontinued opioids entirely. CONCLUSION Among US Veterans, subjective pain scores had modest improvement and opioid prescriptions were mildly reduced following treatment with DAA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anand Kumthekar
- Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York
| | - Sarah Shull
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon
| | - Travis I Lovejoy
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
| | - Benjamin J Morasco
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
| | - Michael Chang
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
| | - Jennifer Barton
- Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon.,VA Portland Health Care System, Portland, Oregon
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50
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LaRowe LR, Chilcott LN, Zvolensky MJ, Vanable PA, Flood K, Ditre JW. Associations between Pain-Related Anxiety, Gender, and Prescription Opioid Misuse among Tobacco Smokers Living with HIV/AIDS. Subst Use Misuse 2018; 53:2210-2219. [PMID: 29708450 PMCID: PMC6126665 DOI: 10.1080/10826084.2018.1464028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND People living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) who smoke cigarettes are vulnerable to greater pain and aberrant use of prescription pain medications. Prescription opioid misuse is highly prevalent among PLWHA and can lead to a variety of adverse outcomes. Pain-related anxiety, which has been implicated in the maintenance of both pain and tobacco dependence, may also play a role in prescription pain medication misuse. OBJECTIVES This study aimed to test associations between pain-related anxiety and prescription opioid misuse. We hypothesized that, among those prescribed opioid medication, pain-related anxiety would be positively associated with current opioid misuse, and stated intentions to misuse prescription opioids in the future. We further hypothesized that these relations would be more pronounced among males (vs. females). METHODS Participants included 61 PLWHA daily tobacco smokers with pain. Hierarchical regressions were used to test interactions between gender and pain-related anxiety on current and intended opioid misuse among those prescribed opioid medications. RESULTS There was a significant interactive effect of pain-related anxiety and gender on opioid misuse, such that pain-related anxiety was positively associated with current opioid misuse among male (but not female) participants who were prescribed opioid medications. Among both males and females, pain-related anxiety was positively associated with intention to misuse prescription pain medications in the future. Conclusions/Importance: Additional research into the role of pain-related anxiety in prescription opioid misuse is warranted. This type of work may inform the development of tailored interventions for PLWHA smokers who are prescribed opioid pain medications.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Kelley Flood
- Immune Health Services, Upstate Medical University
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