Delivery models of opioid agonist maintenance treatment in South Asia: a good beginning

The Opioid Crisis, Preventing and Managing Substance Abuse in India: A Systematic Review

The opioid crisis has emerged as a significant public health concern globally, with India facing unique challenges in preventing and managing substance abuse. This systematic review aims to analyze the current state of the opioid crisis in India, evaluate existing prevention and management strategies, and propose evidence-based recommendations for addressing this complex issue. A comprehensive literature search was conducted across multiple databases, resulting in the inclusion of 30 studies meeting the predefined criteria. The review highlights the multifaceted nature of the opioid crisis in India, influenced by factors such as socioeconomic conditions, cultural norms, and healthcare accessibility. Key findings include the need for comprehensive prevention programs, improved access to evidence-based treatments, and integration of harm reduction strategies. The review also emphasizes the importance of addressing co-occurring mental health disorders and the potential of community-based interventions in managing substance abuse. Challenges identified include stigma, limited access to treatment, inadequate healthcare infrastructure, regulatory barriers, and lack of comprehensive policies. Recommendations for future directions include developing culturally appropriate prevention programs, assessing the long-term effectiveness of treatment modalities, exploring innovative approaches to reduce stigma, and investigating the role of technology in improving access to care. By implementing a multifaceted approach that considers the unique sociocultural context of India (including factors such as family structures, religious beliefs, economic disparities, and regional variations in drug use patterns), there is potential to significantly reduce the burden of opioid abuse and improve outcomes for affected individuals and communities.

Buprenorphine treatment receipt characteristics and retention among people who inject drugs at Integrated Care Centers in India

BACKGROUND

India is facing overlapping opioid injection and HIV epidemics among people who inject drugs (PWID) in several cities. Integrated Care Centers (ICCs) provide single-venue HIV and substance use services to PWID. We evaluated PWID engagement in daily observed buprenorphine treatment at 7 ICCs to inform interventions.

METHODS

We analyzed 1-year follow-up data for PWID initiating buprenorphine between 1 January - 31 December 2018, evaluating receipt frequency, treatment interruptions (no buprenorphine receipt for 60 consecutive days with subsequent re-engagement), and drop-out (no buprenorphine receipt for 60 consecutive days without re-engagement). Using descriptive statistics, we explored differences between ICCs in the opioid-endemic Northeast region and ICCs in the emerging opioid epidemic North/Central region. We used a multivariable logistic regression model to determine predictors of treatment drop-out by 6 months.

RESULTS

1312 PWID initiated buprenorphine (76% North/Central ICCs vs. 24% Northeast ICCs). 31% of PWID in North/Central, and 25% in Northeast ICCs experienced ≥ 1 treatment interruption in 1 year. Over 6 months, 48% of PWID in North/Central vs. 60% in Northeast ICCs received buprenorphine ≤ 2 times/week (p < 0.0001). A third of PWID in North/Central vs. half in Northeast ICCs experienced treatment drop-out by 6 months (p < 0.001). In the multivariable model, living in Northeast cities was associated with increased odds of drop-out while counseling receipt was associated with decreased odds.

CONCLUSIONS

Retention among PWID initiating buprenorphine at ICCs was comparable to global reports. However, regional heterogeneity in retention, and low daily buprenorphine receipt suggest patient-centered interventions adapted to regional contexts are urgently needed.

Mobile methadone dispensing in Delhi, India: implementation research

Objective

To assess the implementation of a mobile dispensing service to improve opioid users’ access to methadone maintenance therapy.

Methods

In March 2019, we started mobile methadone dispensing in an urban underprivileged locality in Delhi, India. The doctor was available only at the main community drug treatment clinic for clinical services, while the nurse dispensed methadone from a converted ambulance. We involved patients in identifying community leaders for sensitization and in deciding the location and timings for dispensing. We conducted a retrospective chart review of the programme data collected during delivery of clinical services. We compared the numbers of patients registered for methadone therapy and their retention and adherence to therapy in the 12-month periods before and after implementation of the mobile service.

Findings

The number of patients registered for therapy at the clinic increased from 167 in the year before implementation to 671 in the year after. A significantly higher proportion of patients were retained in therapy at 3, 6 and 9 months after enrolment; 9-month retention rates were 19% (32/167 patients) and 45% (44/97 patients) in the year before and after implementation, respectively. There was no significant difference in patients’ adherence to therapy between the two periods. Challenges included providing suitable dispensing hours for patients in employment and concerns of local community near to the dispensing sites.

Conclusion

It is feasible to dispense methadone by a mobile team in an urban setting, with better retention rates in therapy compared with dispensing through a stationary clinic.

Maintainence Treatment of Opioid Dependence with Tramadol

Background:

Although tramadol has been used in the management of acute withdrawal in patients with opioid dependence, its use for maintenance treatment as a harm reduction approach has not been assessed systematically. This case series describes patients with opioid dependence who were treated with tramadol for long-term maintenance.

Methods:

Patients with opioid dependence who received treatment at the National Drug Dependence Treatment Centre of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, were included in the study. Patients who received at least 6 months of tramadol and had follow-up adherence of more than 80% were included in the case series.

Results:

A total of 25 cases were included, all of whom were males. The types of opioids being taken at the time of initiation of tramadol were natural opiates (poppy husk and raw opium), followed by heroin. The median dose of tramadol at initiation and maintenance was 300 mg/day. Nineteen patients were able to achieve complete abstinence to other opiates on tramadol.

Conclusion:

Tramadol may be an effective option in the long-term management of patients with opioid dependence. Further studies are required for establishing the efficacy of tramadol for agonist management of patients with opioid dependence.

Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder: An Overview

Opioid use disorder affects over 26 million individuals worldwide. There are currently three World Health Organization-recommended and US Food and Drug Administration-approved medication treatments for opioid use disorder: the full opioid agonist methadone, the opioid partial agonist buprenorphine, and the opioid receptor antagonist naltrexone. We provide a review of the use of buprenorphine for the treatment of opioid use disorder and discuss the barriers, challenges, risks, and efficacy of buprenorphine treatment vs. other treatments. Although evidence from numerous studies has shown buprenorphine to be effective for the treatment of opioid use disorder, a majority of patients with opioid use disorder do not receive buprenorphine, or any other medical treatment. We review the different formulations of buprenorphine, including newer long-acting injectable formulations that may decrease the risk of diversion and improve adherence.

Can Tramadol be Used for Maintenance Treatment of Opioid Dependence?

BACKGROUND

Certain limitations of the existing opioid substitution therapies necessitate exploration of other options for maintenance of patients with opioid dependence. This study aimed to present the experience of use of tramadol for long-term treatment of patients with opioid dependence.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional interview-based observational study conducted in Uttar Pradesh state in India. Patients with opioid dependence who received oral tramadol treatment for a period of more than 6 months were recruited. Outcome was assessed in terms of self-reported abstinence on tramadol.

RESULTS

A total of 102 participants were recruited in the study, with a mean age of 41.3 years. All the participants were males. Abstinence to extraneous opioids was reported by 58.8% of the sample, and the median dose of tramadol at which abstinence was achieved was 350 mg/d. Those who reported to be taking natural opioids (raw opium or poppy husk) at the time of seeking treatment had higher rates of achieving abstinence.

CONCLUSIONS

Tramadol may be a possible option for the maintenance treatment among some opioid-dependent individuals. Further studies are required to establish its efficacy vis-à-vis other medications used in opioid substitution treatment.

Social and structural barriers for adherence to methadone maintenance treatment among Vietnamese opioid dependence patients

Introduction

Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) services may reduce the risk of HIV transmission if patients completely adhere to the treatment. Identifying adherence patterns and potential related factors is vital for the sustainability of MMT program in Vietnam. This study examined social and structural factors associated with adherence to MMT among patients in different service delivery models.

Materials and methods

A total of 510 patients at three MMT clinics in Hanoi were interviewed. Measures of self-reported adherence included the number of missed doses in the past 7 days and the level of adherence in the past 30 days using a visual analog scale (VAS) scoring from 0 (non-adherence) to 100 (perfect adherence). Multivariate regressions were employed to identify factors associated with non-adherence to MMT.

Results

A total of 17.7% of participants reported incomplete MMT adherence in the last 30 days and 8.3% reported missing a dose in the last seven days, respectively. Living with HIV/AIDS, poor self-care and usual activities, and disclosure of health issues to spouses or intimate partners were associated with non-adherence. Those patients with pain or depression were more likely to report better adherence. Disclosing health status to spouse/partner increased the risk of incomplete adherence, while disclosing to friends reduced the number of missed dose in the last seven days. Patients attending clinics with comprehensive services had a lower VAS score of adherence compared to those enrolling in clinics with only MMT and general health care.

Conclusions

Sustaining the compliance of patients to MMT is principal in the rapid expansion of this service in Vietnam. It is necessary to address the complexity of health care demands of drug users, their difficulties to be rehabilitated into workforce and society, and the stigmatization to maximize the outcomes of MMT program.

Expanding co-payment for methadone maintenance services in Vietnam: the importance of addressing health and socioeconomic inequalities

BACKGROUND

Ensuring high enrollment while mobilizing resources through co-payment services is critical to the success of the methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) program in Vietnam. This study assessed the willingness of patients to pay (WTP) for different MMT services delivery models and determined its associated factors.

METHODS

A facility based survey was conducted among 1016 MMT patients (98.7% male, 42% aged 35 or less, and 67% living with spouse) in five MMT clinics in Hanoi and Nam Dinh province in 2013. Socioeconomic, HIV and health status, history of drug use and rehabilitation, and MMT experience were interviewed. WTP was assessed using contingent valuation method, including a set of double-bounded binary questions and a follow-up open-ended question. Point and interval data models were used to estimate maximum willingness to pay.

RESULTS

95.5% patients were willing to pay for MMT at the monthly mean price of US$ 32 (95%CI = 28-35). Higher WTP was associated with higher level of educational attainment, higher income, male sex, and had high expenses on opiates prior to MMT. Patients who reported having any problem in Pain/ Discomfort, and who did not have outpatient care last year were willing to pay less for MMT than others.

CONCLUSION

High level of WTP supports the co-payment policies as a strategy to mobilize resources for the MMT program in Vietnam. However, it is necessary to ensure equalities across patient groups by acknowledging socioeconomic status of different settings and providing financial supports for disadvantaged patients with severe health status.

The journey of opioid substitution therapy in India: Achievements and challenges

Opioids are one of the most problematic illegal substances globally. Opioid abuse is associated with complications in various spheres of the user's life, his/her family, and the society. Injecting drug use (IDU) is also linked to public health problems such as HIV infection and viral hepatitis. Medications form an important cornerstone in the treatment of opioid dependence. Treatment strategies such as "detoxification" alone or long-term treatment with opioid antagonist have limited acceptability and retention rates. Opioid substitution therapy (OST) has demonstrated better retention rates than other existing treatment strategies and helps improve the individual's functioning as well as his/her quality of life. The use of OST in India spans three decades, with initial use of low-dose buprenorphine followed by higher strength buprenorphine and buprenorphine-naloxone. Other medications such as slow-release oral morphine, and recently, methadone have also been introduced. Indian research also confirms the findings from Western literature on the effectiveness as well as acceptability of this treatment modality. OST received its biggest thrust when it became a part of the National AIDS Control Programme. In recent years, the number of OST centers in India has increased manifold. Practice guidelines, standard operating procedures, and capacity-building mechanisms have been put in place for effective OST implementation. Despite such widespread use, many challenges exist for OST implementation. The targets for ensuring adequate coverage of the population with this treatment are still far away. There is concern of OST being branded as a "harm reduction" intervention reserved only for injecting drug users. Despite three decades of advancements, certain sections of policymakers and practitioners still have reservations with this treatment modality. There is a need to overcome these barriers for OST to become easily accessible to those who need it.

Pattern of Drug Use and Associated Behaviors Among Female Injecting Drug Users From Northeast India: A Multi-Centric, Cross-Sectional, Comparative Study

BACKGROUND

Studies from developed countries document the presence of injecting drug use among females and significantly higher vulnerabilities and risks as compared with male injecting drug users (IDUs). Studies comparing vulnerabilities and drug use patterns between female and male IDUs are not available for developing countries.

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the study was to assess the drug use pattern and related HIV vulnerabilities among female IDUs and compare these findings with those from male IDUs from four states of Northeast India.

METHOD

The study used data collected as part of a nationwide study of drug use pattern and related HIV vulnerabilities among IDUs. Ninety-eight female and 202 male IDUs accessing services from harm reduction sites across the four states of Northeast region of India were chosen through random sampling methodology. Drug use pattern, injecting practices, and knowledge of HIV were assessed using a structured questionnaire.

RESULTS

Significantly higher proportion of female IDUs was uneducated, unemployed, reported their occupation as sex workers, and switched to injecting drug use faster as compared with male IDUs. Female IDUs practicing sex work differed significantly from those who did not with respect to frequency of daily injections, choice of drugs injected, and concomitant use of non-injecting drugs. More than half of female IDUs initiated sharing within the first month of injecting.

CONCLUSIONS

The study demonstrates that female IDUs differ from male IDUs in their drug use pattern, initiation into injection as well as injecting behavior, which would be an important consideration during designing of female-specific interventions.

Type of opioids injected: does it matter? A multicentric cross-sectional study of people who inject drugs

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS

Injecting pharmaceutical opioids for non-medical purposes is a major concern globally. Though pharmaceutical opioids injection is reported in India, the exact proportion of people who inject drugs (PWID) using pharmaceutical opioids is unknown. The objectives of this study were to describe the various types of drugs that are injected by people in India and to analyse the differences between the commonly injected drugs.

DESIGN AND METHODS

A cross-sectional, multicentric study covering 22 harm-reduction sites from different regions of the country was conducted. First 50 subjects, chosen randomly from a list of PWIDs accessing services from each site and fulfilling study criteria, were interviewed using a structured questionnaire. Data from 902 male subjects are presented here.

RESULTS

Pharmaceutical opioid injectors (POI) accounted for 65% of PWIDs (buprenorphine: 30.8%, pentazocine: 21.8% and dextropropoxyphene: 11.9%). Heroin, injected by 34.3%, was prevalent in most states surveyed. Buprenorphine and pentazocine were not injected in the north-east region, whereas dextropropoxyphene was injected in the north-east alone. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression showed that, compared with heroin injectors, the POI group was more likely to consume alcohol and pharmaceutical opioids orally, inject frequently, share needle/syringes and develop injection-site complications. Among individual POIs, buprenorphine injectors had significantly higher proportion of subjects injecting frequently, sharing needle/syringes and developing local complications. Irrespective of the opioid type, majority of subjects were opioid dependent.

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS

Pharmaceutical opioids are the most common drugs injected in India currently and have greater injection-related risks and complications. Significant differences exist between different pharmaceutical opioids, which would be important considerations for interventions.

Barriers to antiretroviral treatment access for injecting drug users living with HIV in Chennai, South India

India's National AIDS Control Organization provides free antiretroviral treatment (ART) to people living with HIV (PLHIV), including members of marginalized groups such as injecting drug users (IDUs). To help inform development of interventions to enhance ART access, we explored barriers to free ART access at government ART centers for IDUs living with HIV in Chennai by conducting three focus groups (n = 19 IDUs) and four key informant interviews. Data were explored using framework analysis to identify categories and derive themes. We found interrelated barriers at the family and social, health-care system, and individual levels. Family and social level barriers included lack of family support and fear of societal discrimination, as well as unmet basic needs, including food and shelter. Health-care system barriers included actual or perceived unfriendly hospital environment and procedures such as requiring proof of address and identity from PLHIV, including homeless IDUs; provider perception that IDUs will not adhere to ART, resulting in ART not being initiated; actual or perceived inadequate counseling services and lack of confidentiality; and lack of effective linkages between ART centers, needle/syringe programs, and drug dependence treatment centers. Individual-level barriers included active drug use, lack of self-efficacy in ART adherence, low motivation to initiate ART stemming from a fatalistic attitude, and inadequate knowledge about ART. These findings indicate that to facilitate IDUs gaining access to ART, systemic changes are needed, including steps to make the environment and procedures at government ART centers more IDU-friendly and steps to decrease HIV- and drug use-related stigma and discrimination faced by IDUs from the general public and health-care providers. Housing support for homeless IDUs and linkage of IDUs with drug dependence treatment are also essential.

Factors associated with relapse into drug use among male and female attendees of a three-month drug detoxification-rehabilitation programme in Dhaka, Bangladesh: a prospective cohort study

BACKGROUND

To determine relapse rates and associated factors among people who use drugs (PWUDs) attending abstinence-oriented drug treatment clinics in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

METHODS

A cohort of male and female PWUDs admitted to the 3-month drug detoxification-rehabilitation treatment programmes of three non-governmental organisation-run drug treatment clinics in Dhaka, Bangladesh were interviewed on admission and over the following 5 months, which included the first 2 months after discharge. The study subjects comprised 150 male and 110 female PWUDs who had been taking opiates/opioids, cannabis or other drugs (including sedatives) before admission, had provided informed consent and were aged ≥16 years. Interviews were conducted using semi-structured questionnaires at four time points; on admission, at discharge and at 1 and 2 months after discharge. Relapse rates were assessed by the Kaplan-Meier method. Factors associated with relapse on enrolment and after discharge were determined using the Cox proportional hazards regression model.

RESULTS

A greater proportion of female than male subjects relapsed over the study period (71.9% versus 54.5%, p < 0.01). For men, baseline factors associated with relapse were living with other PWUDs (relative hazard ratio [RHR] = 2.27), living alone (RHR = 2.35) and not having sex with non-commercial partners (RHR = 2.27); whereas for women these were previous history of drug treatment (RHR = 1.94), unstable housing (RHR = 2.44), higher earnings (RHR = 1.89), preferring to smoke heroin (RHR = 3.62) and injecting buprenorphine/pethidine (RHR = 3.00). After discharge, relapse for men was associated with unstable housing (RHR = 2.78), living alone (RHR = 3.69), higher earnings (RHR = 2.48) and buying sex from sex workers (RHR = 2.29). Women' relapses were associated with not having children to support (RHR = 3.24) and selling sex (RHR = 2.56).

CONCLUSIONS

The relapse rate was higher for female PWUDs. For both male and female subjects the findings highlight the importance of stable living conditions. Additionally, female PWUDs need gender-sensitive services and active efforts to refer them for opioid substitution therapy, which should not be restricted only to people who inject drugs.

The trajectory of methadone maintenance treatment in Nepal

There are about 28,500 people who inject drugs (PWID) in Nepal and HIV prevalence among this group is high. Nepal introduced harm reduction services for PWID much earlier than other countries in South Asia. Methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) was first introduced in Nepal in 1994. This initial small scale MMT programme was closed in 2002 but reopened in 2007 as an emergency HIV prevention response. It has since been scaled up to include three MMT clinics and continuation of MMT is supported by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA; the nodal ministry for drug supply reduction activities) and has been endorsed in the recent National Narcotics policy. Pressure from drug user groups has also helped its reintroduction. Interestingly, these developments have taken place during a period of political instability in Nepal, with the help of strong advocacy from multiple stakeholders. The MMT programme has also had to face resistance from those who were running drug treatment centres. Despite overcoming such troubles, the MMT programme faces a number of challenges. Coverage of MMT is low and high-risk injecting and sexual behaviour among PWID continues. The finance for MMT is largely from external donors and these donations have become scarce with the current global economic problems. With a multitude of developmental challenges for Nepal, the position of MMT in the national priority list is uncertain. Ownership of the programme by government, a cost-effective national MMT scale up plan and rigorous monitoring of its implementation is needed.