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Wilson H, Roxas BH, Lintzeris N, Harris MF. Diagnosing and managing prescription opioid use disorder in patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain in Australian general practice settings: a qualitative study using the theory of Planned Behaviour. BMC PRIMARY CARE 2024; 25:236. [PMID: 38961328 PMCID: PMC11223276 DOI: 10.1186/s12875-024-02474-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 07/05/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic pain is a debilitating and common health issue. General Practitioners (GPs) often prescribe opioids to treat chronic pain, despite limited evidence of benefit and increasing evidence of harms, including prescription Opioid Use Disorder (pOUD). Australian GPs are worried about the harms of long-term opioids, but few are involved in the treatment of pOUD. There is little research on GPs' experiences diagnosing and managing pOUD in their chronic pain patients. METHODS This qualitative research used semi-structured interviews and a case study to investigate GPs' experiences through the lens of the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB). TPB describes three factors, an individual's perceived beliefs/attitudes, perceived social norms and perceived behavioural controls. Participants were interviewed via an online video conferencing platform. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. RESULTS Twenty-four GPs took part. Participants were aware of the complex presentations for chronic pain patients and concerned about long-term opioid use. Their approach was holistic, but they had limited understanding of pOUD diagnosis and suggested that pOUD had only one treatment: Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT). Participants felt uncomfortable prescribing opioids and were fearful of difficult, conflictual conversations with patients about the possibility of pOUD. This led to avoidance and negative attitudes towards diagnosing pOUD. There were few positive social norms, few colleagues diagnosed or managed pOUD. Participants reported that their colleagues only offered positive support as this would allow them to avoid managing pOUD themselves, while patients and other staff were often unsupportive. Negative behavioural controls were common with low levels of knowledge, skill, professional supports, inadequate time and remuneration described by many participants. They felt OAT was not core general practice and required specialist management. This dichotomous approach was reflected in their views that the health system only supported treatment for chronic pain or pOUD, not both conditions. CONCLUSIONS Negative beliefs, negative social norms and negative behavioural controls decreased individual behavioural intention for this group of GPs. Diagnosing and managing pOUD in chronic pain patients prescribed opioids was perceived as difficult and unsupported. Interventions to change behaviour must address negative perceptions in order to lead to more positive intentions to engage in the management of pOUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hhk Wilson
- Drug and Alcohol Services, South East Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity (CPHCE), University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - B Harris Roxas
- School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - N Lintzeris
- Drug and Alcohol Services, South East Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Department Addiction Medicine, University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- NSW Drug and Alcohol Clinical Research and Improvement Network (DACRIN), NSW Health, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity (CPHCE), University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - M F Harris
- Centre for Primary Health Care and Equity (CPHCE), University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Chavanne D, Ahluwalia JS, Goodyear K. The effects of race and class on community-level stigmatization of opioid use and policy preferences. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 120:104147. [PMID: 37639913 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Revised: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With opioid use and overdose rates continuing to plague minority communities in the U.S., we explored whether a geographic community's racial composition and social class affect how opioid use in the community is stigmatized and what policy preferences arise in response. METHODS We use case vignettes in a randomized, between-subjects study (N = 1478) with a nation-wide survey. The vignettes describe a community where opioids are harmfully used, varying whether the community was (1) wealthy or poor, (2) predominantly Black or White and (3) facing prevalent use of painkillers or heroin. We tested how these variables affect public stigmatization of opioid use (measured with ratings of responsibility, dangerousness, sympathy, concern, anger, and disappointment) preferred levels of social distance from communities with opioid use (measured with responses to questions about living, working, and interacting in the community), and policy preferences for responding to opioid use (measured with levels of support for providing a safe-consumption site in the community, treating drug use in the community punitively, treating drug use in the community as an illness, and funding drug treatment in the community through income redistribution). RESULTS Compared to wealthy communities with opioid use, poor communities with opioid use were less stigmatized in terms of responsibility, sympathy, concern, anger, and disappointment; they were also met with less support for punitiveness, more support for treating drug use as an illness, and preferences for greater social distance. Compared to White communities with opioid use, Black communities with opioid use were less stigmatized in terms of responsibility, and they were met with stronger preferences to not live and work there and with reduced support for using income redistribution to provide drug treatment for people in the community. Poor-Black communities with opioid use were also perceived to be more dangerous than both poor-White and wealthy-Black communities with opioid use. CONCLUSION These results point to class- and race-based territorial stigma affecting how communities with opioid use are judged and whether policies for providing communities with treatment are supported.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Chavanne
- Department of Economics, Connecticut College, New London, CT, USA.
| | - Jasjit S Ahluwalia
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
| | - Kimberly Goodyear
- Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA; Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Brown University, Providence, RI, USA
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Nielsen S, Scott N, Tidhar T, Quiroga MDM, Lenton S, Dietze P. The cost and impact of distributing naloxone to people who are prescribed opioids to prevent opioid-related deaths: findings from a modelling study. Addiction 2022; 117:1009-1019. [PMID: 34793616 DOI: 10.1111/add.15727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Although most opioid-related mortality in Australia involves prescription opioids, most research to understand the impact of naloxone supply on opioid-related mortality has focused upon people who inject heroin. We aimed to examine the cost and probable impact of up-scaling naloxone supply to people who are prescribed opioids. DESIGN Decision-tree model. Four scenarios were compared with a baseline scenario (the current status quo): naloxone scale-up between 2020 and 2030 to reach 30 or 90% coverage by 2030, among the subgroups of people prescribed either ≥ 50 or ≥ 100 mg of oral morphine equivalents (OME). SETTING Australia. PARTICIPANTS People who are prescribed opioids. MEASUREMENTS Possible deaths averted, costs (ambulance and naloxone distribution) and cost per life saved for different scenarios of naloxone scale-up. FINDINGS Maintaining the status quo, there would be an estimated 7478 [uncertainty interval (UI) = 6868-8275] prescription opioid overdose deaths between 2020 and 2030, resulting in Australian dollars (A$)51.9 million (49.4, 56.0) in ambulance costs. If naloxone were scaled-up to 90% of people prescribed > 50 mg OME, an estimated 657 (UI = 245, 1489) deaths could be averted between 2020 and 2030 (a 20% reduction in the final year of the model compared with the no naloxone scenario), with a cost of A$43 600 (20 800-110 500) per life saved. If naloxone were scaled-up to 30% of people prescribed > 50 mg OME an estimated 219 (82-496) deaths could be averted with the same cost per live saved. If naloxone were restricted to those prescribed > 100 mg OME, an estimated 130 (UI = 44-289) deaths would be averted if scaled-up to 30% or 390 (UI = 131-866) deaths averted if scaled-up to 90%, with the cost per life saved for both scenarios A$38 200 (UI = 12 400-97 400). CONCLUSION In Australia, scaling-up take-home naloxone by 2030 to reach 90% of people prescribed daily doses of ≥ 50 mg of oral morphine equivalents would be cost-effective and save more than 650 lives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Suzanne Nielsen
- Behaviours and Health Risks, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Frankston, VIC, Australia
| | - Nick Scott
- Behaviours and Health Risks, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Tom Tidhar
- Behaviours and Health Risks, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Maria Del Mar Quiroga
- Behaviours and Health Risks, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Melbourne Data Analytics Platform, University of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Simon Lenton
- National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
| | - Paul Dietze
- Behaviours and Health Risks, Burnet Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.,Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Frankston, VIC, Australia.,National Drug Research Institute, Curtin University, Bentley, WA, Australia
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Murnion BP, Demirkol A. Opioid use disorder in anaesthesia and intensive care: Prevention, diagnosis and management. Anaesth Intensive Care 2022; 50:95-107. [PMID: 35189716 DOI: 10.1177/0310057x211066929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Opioid misuse is common, as is opioid agonist treatment of opioid dependence. Almost 3% of Australians and over 3.5% of those living in New Zealand report misuse of analgesics. Over 50,000 Australians receive opioid agonist treatment with methadone or buprenorphine for management of severe opioid use disorder.The perioperative period is an opportunity to identify pre-existing opioid misuse, and to introduce interventions to reduce the risk of development of opioid use disorder. Challenges of acute perioperative pain management or intensive care management of patients receiving opioid agonist treatment include opioid tolerance and ongoing prescribing of methadone or buprenorphine. There has been some ambiguity about the optimal perioperative management of buprenorphine, a partial agonist at the mu receptor.In this article, a framework to identify emerging opioid misuse problems, identify risk of overdose and to manage the opioid-dependent patient on opioid agonist treatment perioperatively or in the intensive care unit is provided. Diagnostic criteria and risk stratification criteria are presented. Management strategies include trauma-informed care, care planning and care coordination with community practitioners and opioid agonist treatment providers. Continuing methadone or buprenorphine perioperatively with additional opioid and non-opioid analgesia is generally recommended. Increased opioid agonist treatment doses may be required on discharge. An algorithm for decisions about opioid agonist treatment management in the intensive care unit based on the risks of opioid withdrawal and toxicity is considered. Strategies for managing the opioid-dependent patient who is not in treatment are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bridin P Murnion
- Drug and Alcohol Services, Western Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.,Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
| | - Apo Demirkol
- Drug and Alcohol Services, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.,School of Public Health and Community Medicine, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
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Cheetham A, Picco L, Barnett A, Lubman DI, Nielsen S. The Impact of Stigma on People with Opioid Use Disorder, Opioid Treatment, and Policy. Subst Abuse Rehabil 2022; 13:1-12. [PMID: 35115860 PMCID: PMC8800858 DOI: 10.2147/sar.s304566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 26.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Illicit drug use disorders are the most stigmatised health conditions worldwide, and stigma acts as a meaningful barrier to treatment entry and treatment provision. In the context of dramatically rising opioid-related harms, it is critical that we understand the drivers of stigma and how it affects opioid use disorder treatment and policy. The aim of this narrative review is to discuss how opioid-related stigma impacts treatment provision and harm reduction, and provide potential strategies to reduce stigma at a social and structural level. We used the Framework for Integrating Normative Influences on Stigma (FINIS) to identify sources of opioid-related stigma at the macro (structural stigma), meso (public stigma) and micro (internalised stigma) levels. Reducing stigma requires strategies that target multiple levels, however addressing inequity in the laws, regulations, and rules that segregate people with opioid and other substance use disorders from mainstream society is essential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ali Cheetham
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University Peninsula Campus, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, Victoria, 3121, Australia
| | - Louisa Picco
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University Peninsula Campus, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
| | - Anthony Barnett
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University Peninsula Campus, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, Victoria, 3121, Australia
| | - Dan I Lubman
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University Peninsula Campus, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, Victoria, 3121, Australia
| | - Suzanne Nielsen
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University Peninsula Campus, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, Victoria, 3121, Australia
- Correspondence: Suzanne Nielsen, Monash Addiction Research Centre, Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University Peninsula Campus, 47-49 Moorooduc Hwy, Frankston, Victoria, 3199, Australia, Tel +61 3 9904 4641, Email
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McMahan VM, Kingston S, Newman A, Stekler JD, Glick SN, Banta-Green CJ. Interest in reducing methamphetamine and opioid use among syringe services program participants in Washington State. Drug Alcohol Depend 2020; 216:108243. [PMID: 32911134 PMCID: PMC9632690 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2020.108243] [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: 07/17/2019] [Revised: 08/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/15/2020] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methamphetamine use is increasing, and opioid use remains elevated in the US. Understanding interest in reducing/stopping substance use among people who inject drugs (PWID), as well as types of help wanted, can inform interventions. METHODS Data from the 2019 Washington State Syringe Exchange Survey were used in logistic regression analyses to assess if demographics, substance use, and concern about anxiety or depression were associated with interest in reducing/stopping substance use among people whose main drug was methamphetamine or opioids. Types of help wanted to reduce/stop use are reported. RESULTS Of 583 participants included, 76 % reported opioids were their main drug, of whom 82 % were interested in reducing/stopping their opioid use. 24 % reported methamphetamine as their main drug, of whom 46 % were interested in reducing/stopping their methamphetamine use. Among those whose main drug was an opioid, female gender (AOR:2.19, p = .023) and concern about depression (AOR:3.04, p = .002) were associated with interest in reducing/stopping opioid use. Among participants whose main drug was methamphetamine, being in jail in the past year and having an infection likely related to injection (e.g., abscess) in the past year were associated with over twice the odds of interest in reducing/stopping methamphetamine use (AOR:2.14, p = .056 and 2.43, p = .052, respectively); however, these findings were not significant. Several types of help to reduce/stop use were endorsed. CONCLUSION There were high, though differing, levels of interest in reducing/stopping opioid or methamphetamine use and in a range of support services. PWID should be asked about interest in reducing/stopping use and provided appropriate support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa M McMahan
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9(th)Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA; Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
| | - Susan Kingston
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, 1107 NE 45th St, Suite 120, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Alison Newman
- Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, 1107 NE 45th St, Suite 120, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
| | - Joanne D. Stekler
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA,Department of Global Health, University of Washington, 1510 San Juan Road, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA,Department of Epidemiology, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sara N. Glick
- Department of Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9Avenue, Seattle, WA, 98104, USA,HIV/STD Program, Public Health – Seattle & King County, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Caleb J. Banta-Green
- Department of Health Services, School of Public Health, University of Washington, 1959 NE Pacific St, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA,Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, University of Washington, 1107 NE 45th St, Suite 120, Seattle, WA, 98105, USA
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