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Mashola MK, Korkie E, Mothabeng DJ. Pain medication misuse in the South African spinal cord injury context. Health SA 2024; 29:2377. [PMID: 38322368 PMCID: PMC10839206 DOI: 10.4102/hsag.v29i0.2377] [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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Pain after spinal cord injury (SCI) is debilitating and has been reported to be difficult to treat, despite pharmacological interventions. Pain medication misuse (PMM) and associated individual factors among people with spinal cord injury (PWSCI) are scarce. Aim To determine PMM and the associated factors in PWSCI. Setting Homes of community-dwelling manual wheelchair users with SCI in South Africa. Methods Community-dwelling PWSCI (n = 122) were consecutively sampled and the Pain Medication Questionnaire (PMQ) was used to determine PMM. Descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact test, independent t-tests, and simple linear regression tests were performed using SPSS v27. Testing was conducted at the 0.05 level of significance. Results Eighty-five per cent of the participants reported the presence of pain and 48.1% of them used pain medication. Forty-four percent of people who used pain medication scored ≥ 30, indicative of serious aberrant drug-taking behaviours. Opioids were mainly used for neuropathic pain and in combination with other types of medications such as anticonvulsants and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (44.0%). Pain severity and the type of pain medication were found to be predictors of PMM (p < 0.01 respectively). Conclusion Pain relief after SCI remains difficult to achieve, with an evident high risk of PMM, which may lead to long-lasting side effects, dependency, or overdose. Contribution This study has shown the need for the assessment of the potential risk of dependency before prescribing pain medication, particularly opioids to PWSCI.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mokgadi K Mashola
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Elzette Korkie
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Diphale J Mothabeng
- Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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Blandino A, Cotroneo R, Tambuzzi S, Di Candia D, Genovese U, Zoja R. Driving under the influence of drugs: Correlation between blood psychoactive drug concentrations and cognitive impairment. A narrative review taking into account forensic issues. Forensic Sci Int Synerg 2022; 4:100224. [PMID: 35330981 PMCID: PMC8938866 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2022.100224] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/05/2022]
Abstract
Driving under the influence of alcohol has been shown to increase the risk of involvement in road traffic collisions (RTCs) however, less is known about the effects of illicit drugs, and a clear correlation between drug concentrations and RTC risk is still debated. The goal of this narrative review is to assess the current literature regarding the most detected psychoactive drugs in RTC (ethanol, amphetamines, cannabis, opioids and cocaine), in relation to driving performance. Evidence on impaired driving due to psychoactive substances, forensic issues relating to the assessment of the impact of drugs, blood cut-off values proposed to date as well as scientific basis for proposed legislative limits are discussed. At present there is no unequivocal evidence demonstrating a clear dose/concentration dependent impairment in many substances. Per se and zero tolerance approaches seem to have negative effect on drugged driving fatalities. However, the weight of these approaches needs further investigation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alberto Blandino
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Luigi Mangiagalli 31, Milan, Italy
| | - Rosy Cotroneo
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Luigi Mangiagalli 31, Milan, Italy
| | - Stefano Tambuzzi
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Luigi Mangiagalli 31, Milan, Italy
| | - Domenico Di Candia
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Luigi Mangiagalli 31, Milan, Italy
| | - Umberto Genovese
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Luigi Mangiagalli 31, Milan, Italy
| | - Riccardo Zoja
- Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, University of Milan, Via Luigi Mangiagalli 31, Milan, Italy
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Imagined and Actual Acupuncture Effects on Chronic Low Back Pain: A Preliminary Study. Neural Plast 2020; 2020:8579743. [PMID: 32684925 PMCID: PMC7350074 DOI: 10.1155/2020/8579743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Revised: 04/16/2020] [Accepted: 05/15/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Research suggests that imagined experiences can produce brain responses similar to those produced by actual experiences. Shared brain responses that support both imagination and perception may underlie the functional nature of mental imagery. In a previous study, we combined acupuncture and imagery to develop a new treatment method, video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT). We found that VGAIT significantly increased pain thresholds in healthy subjects. The aim of this study is to extend our previous finding by investigating whether VGAIT can relieve symptoms in patients with chronic low back pain. Methods We first performed a single-arm study in which we administered video-guided acupuncture imagery treatment (VGAIT) on patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP) (Study 1, n = 18, 12 females). We then compared our findings to those from a recently published study in which real or sham acupuncture treatment was applied on patients with cLBP (Study 2, n = 50, 31 females) using a similar protocol. All patients in Studies 1 and 2 received 6 treatments over 4 weeks. Results All three treatments (VGAIT, real, and sham acupuncture) significantly reduced pain severity as measured by a low back pain bothersomeness score. VGAIT produced similar effects to real acupuncture (p = 0.97) and nonsignificantly greater pain bothersomeness relief compared to sham acupuncture (p = 0.14). Additional analysis showed that there was no significant difference on the sensations evoked by different treatment modalities. Conclusion These findings support VGAIT as a promising method for pain management.
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Majnarić LT, Wittlinger T, Stolnik D, Babič F, Bosnić Z, Rudan S. Prescribing Analgesics to Older People: A Challenge for GPs. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2020; 17:ijerph17114017. [PMID: 32516932 PMCID: PMC7312581 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17114017] [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: 04/21/2020] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Background: Due to population aging, there is an increase in the prevalence of chronic diseases, and in particular musculoskeletal diseases. These trends are associated with an increased demand for prescription analgesics and an increased risk of polypharmacy and adverse medication reactions, which constitutes a challenge, especially for general practitioners (GPs), as the providers who are most responsible for the prescription policy. Objectives: To identify patterns of analgesics prescription for older people in the study area and explore associations between a long-term analgesic prescription and comorbidity patterns, as well as the prescription of psychotropic and other common medications in a continuous use. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 2015 in eastern Croatia. Patients were GP attenders ≥40 years old (N = 675), who were recruited during their appointments (consecutive patients). They were divided into two groups: those who have been continuously prescribed analgesics (N = 432) and those who have not (N = 243). Data from electronic health records were used to provide information about diagnoses of musculoskeletal and other chronic diseases, as well as prescription rates for analgesics and other medications. Exploratory methods and logistic regression models were used to analyse the data. Results: Analgesics have been continuously prescribed to 64% of the patients, mostly to those in the older age groups (50–79 years) and females, and they were indicated mainly for dorsalgia symptoms and arthrosis. Non-opioid analgesics were most common, with an increasing tendency to prescribe opioid analgesics to older patient groups aged 60–79 years. The study results indicate that there is a high rate of simultaneous prescription of analgesics and psychotropic medications, despite the intention of GPs to avoid prescribing psychotropic medications to patients who use any option with opioid analgesics. In general, receiving prescription analgesics does not exceed the prescription for chronic diseases over the rates that can be found in patients who do not receive prescription analgesics. Conclusion: Based on the analysis of comorbidities and parallel prescribing, the results of this study can improve GPs’ prescription and treatment strategies for musculoskeletal diseases and chronic pain conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ljiljana Trtica Majnarić
- Department of Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and the History of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University Josip Juraj Strossmayer, 31000 Osijek, Croatia;
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University Josip Juraj Strossmayer, 31000 Osijek, Croatia; (Z.B.); (S.R.)
| | - Thomas Wittlinger
- Department of Cardiology, Asklepios Hospital, 38642 Goslar, Germany
- Correspondence:
| | - Dunja Stolnik
- Family Medicine Practice, Health Center Osijek, 31000 Osijek, Croatia;
| | - František Babič
- Department of Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Technical University of Košice, 04201 Košice, Slovak Republic;
| | - Zvonimir Bosnić
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University Josip Juraj Strossmayer, 31000 Osijek, Croatia; (Z.B.); (S.R.)
| | - Stjepan Rudan
- Department of Public Health, Faculty of Dental Medicine, University Josip Juraj Strossmayer, 31000 Osijek, Croatia; (Z.B.); (S.R.)
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Rauck RL. Mitigation of IV Abuse Through the Use of Abuse-Deterrent Opioid Formulations: An Overview of Current Technologies. Pain Pract 2019; 19:443-454. [PMID: 30597739 PMCID: PMC6849554 DOI: 10.1111/papr.12760] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2018] [Revised: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 12/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Providers who treat patients with chronic pain face a dual challenge: providing adequate access to opioid therapies for appropriate pain management while adopting strategies to minimize the risk for abuse. Commonly prescribed opioids have substantial abuse potential when administered intravenously, and extended‐release (ER)/long‐acting (LA) opioids may be targeted for intravenous (IV) abuse because of the higher per‐dose medication level. The consequences of IV opioid abuse are severe and increase the risks for adverse outcomes, including mortality due to acute health events, serious infections, and deep vein thrombosis, to name a few. To reduce the potential for abuse of prescription opioids by both recreational and experienced drug abusers, abuse‐deterrent formulations (ADFs) of opioid medications employ either physical/chemical barriers or agonist‐antagonist combinations. Here we review the development and use of opioid ADFs as a harm‐reduction strategy, and their potential for mitigating IV opioid abuse. The approved ER/LA opioids with ADF labeling in the United States include formulations of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and morphine. Findings from in vitro laboratory tests of abuse deterrence for opioid ADFs are described herein, as are data from human abuse potential studies for IV abuse of those ADF products, for which such studies are feasible (ie, abuse‐deterrent agonist‐antagonist formulations). The available ADF opioids may decrease both the attractiveness and the feasibility of IV abuse. The adoption of ADF opioids represents one tactic for providing access to needed medication for patients with chronic pain, while potentially reducing the risk for opioid abuse, in a comprehensive effort to combat the opioid epidemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L Rauck
- Carolinas Pain Institute, The Center for Clinical Research, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, U.S.A
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Twillman RK, Hemmenway N, Passik SD, Thompson CA, Shrum M, DeGeorge MK. Impact of opioid dose reduction on individuals with chronic pain: results of an online survey. J Pain Res 2018; 11:2769-2779. [PMID: 30519080 PMCID: PMC6235338 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s175402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a guideline on opioid prescribing for primary care physicians. Patients with chronic pain receiving long-term opioid therapy were surveyed to assess the incidence and impact of opioid dose reduction following this guideline’s promulgation. Methods Members of an advocacy organization for people with chronic pain were invited to participate in a 16-item, anonymous, online survey conducted in September/October 2017. Eligibility requirements included current treatment of ≥7 months’ duration for chronic pain with the same extended-release (ER)/long-acting (LA) opioid. The final sample consisted of respondents who reported being on the same ER/LA opioid for ≥1 year and excluded respondents whose 1) ER/LA opioid dose increased; 2) ER/LA opioid dose decreased and immediate-release (IR) opioid dose increased; and 3) ER/LA opioid dose was unchanged and IR opioid dose was changed. Survey results were analyzed using z-test to ascertain differences between proportion of responses for ER/LA opioid dose decreased vs dose unchanged groups. Results Of the 511 eligible respondents, 362 respondents were included in the final sample. In the final sample, the subgroup with decreased ER/LA opioid dose (n=149) was significantly more likely (P≤ 0.05) than those who reported no dose change (n=213) to rate their condition as “worse” for level of pain (73.2 vs 33.3%), level of function (67.8 vs 31.5%), mental health (64.4 vs 32.9%), ability to work (62.9% of 97 respondents vs 33.8% of 145 respondents), and interpersonal relationships (48.3 vs 25.8%) during the previous 6 months. Conclusion In this Internet-based survey of people with chronic pain, reduction of ER/LA opioid dose was associated with reduced pain control and diminished function. These results indicate a need for further guidance on how to apply the CDC guideline to patients with chronic pain who are stable on long-term opioid therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert K Twillman
- Academy of Integrative Pain Management, Lenexa, KS, USA, .,Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Kansas School of Medicine, Kansas City, KS, USA,
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Busardò FP, Pichini S, Pellegrini M, Montana A, Lo Faro AF, Zaami S, Graziano S. Correlation between Blood and Oral Fluid Psychoactive Drug Concentrations and Cognitive Impairment in Driving under the Influence of Drugs. Curr Neuropharmacol 2018; 16:84-96. [PMID: 28847293 PMCID: PMC5771389 DOI: 10.2174/1570159x15666170828162057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2017] [Revised: 08/09/2017] [Accepted: 08/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The effects of drugs on driving performance should be checked with drug concentration in the brain and at the same time with the evaluation of both the behavioural and neurophysiological effects. The best accessible indicator of this information is the concentration of the drug and/or metabolites in blood and, to a certain extent, oral fluid. We sought to review international studies on correlation between blood and oral fluid drug concentrations, neurological correlates and cognitive impairment in driving under the influence of drugs. METHODS Relevant scientific articles were identified from PubMed, Cochrane Central, Scopus, Web of Science, Science Direct, EMBASE up to April 2017. RESULTS Up to 2010, no epidemiological studies were available on this matter and International scientists suggested that even minimal amounts of parent drugs in blood and oral fluid could affect driving impairment. More recently, epidemiological data, systematic reviews and meta-analysis on drugged drivers allowed the suggestion of impairment concentration limits for the most common illicit drugs. These values were obtained comparing driving disability induced by psychotropic drugs with that of established blood alcohol limits. Differently from ethyl alcohol where both detection methods and concentration limits have been well established even with inhomogeneity of ranges within different countries, in case of drugs of abuse no official cut-offs have yet been established, nor any standardized analytical protocols. CONCLUSION Multiple aspects of driving performance can be differently affected by illicit drugs, and even if for few of them some dose/concentration dependent impairment has been reported, a wider knowledge on concentration/impairment relationship is still missing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Francesco Paolo Busardò
- Unit of Forensic Toxicology (UoFT), Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Simona Pichini
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Manuela Pellegrini
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
| | - Angelo Montana
- Department “G.F. Ingrassia” – University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | | | - Simona Zaami
- Unit of Forensic Toxicology (UoFT), Department of Anatomical, Histological, Forensic and Orthopedic Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy
| | - Silvia Graziano
- National Centre on Addiction and Doping, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy
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Ponton R, Sawyer R. Opioid prescribing in general practice: use of a two-stage review tool to identify and assess high-dose prescribing. Br J Pain 2017; 12:171-182. [PMID: 30057762 DOI: 10.1177/2049463717742420] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Long-term opioid analgesic prescribing in chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is a growing worldwide concern. This has implications for optimal healthcare management in general and chronic pain management specifically. This work documents the development of a review tool and its use in the South West of England in a locality that showed opioid prescribing levels higher than surrounding localities. Methods An electronic tool which enabled calculation of total prescribed morphine-equivalent doses was developed to allow general practitioners (GPs) to undertake reviews of CNCP patients. This tool was used to assess strong opioid prescribing over a 3-month period at every GP practice (n = 41) in the locality. Every prescription for morphine, oxycodone, pethidine and fentanyl during this period was included.Aspects assessed included drug(s) prescribed, dose prescribed, whether tramadol was prescribed concurrently, whether the drugs were potentially being overused and/or whether the patient was in palliative care. Patients prescribed over 120 mg morphine equivalent per day were reviewed in greater depth, as this is an indication for specialist input. Results In total, 1881 patients received a prescription in the assessment period. Morphine was the most commonly prescribed drug (n = 847). In all, 363 CNCP patients were prescribed a dose equal to or above 120 mg morphine a day, with a maximum morphine-equivalent dose of 890 mg being prescribed. Over 11% (n = 211) of patients were concurrently prescribed tramadol. The most frequently cited reason for prescription of high-dose opioids was found to be a musculoskeletal pain of the back, neck, joints or limbs. The care of 85 specific CNCP patients was reviewed and optimised. Discussion No published work to date has documented such an in-depth analysis of primary-care opioid analgesic prescribing utilising prescriber data. Assessing total-dose morphine-equivalent prescribing using this method provides valuable insights into the potential need for urgent medication review. The tool developed may be of value to other GP practices following validation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rhys Ponton
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Richard Sawyer
- Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
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Maher DP, Cohen SP. Opioid Reduction Following Interventional Procedures for Chronic Pain: A Synthesis of the Evidence. Anesth Analg 2017; 125:1658-1666. [PMID: 28719427 DOI: 10.1213/ane.0000000000002276] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
The past decade has witnessed the tremendous growth of procedures to treat chronic pain, which has resulted in increased third-party scrutiny. Although most of these procedures appear to be associated with significant pain relief, at least in the short and intermediate term, their ability to improve secondary outcome measures, including function and work status is less clear-cut. One of these secondary outcome measures that has garnered substantial interest in the pain and general medical communities is whether interventions can reduce opioid intake, which is associated with significant risks that in most cases outweigh the benefits in the long term. In the article, we examine whether procedural interventions for chronic pain can reduce opioid intake. Most studies that have examined analgesic reduction as a secondary outcome measure have not separated opioid and nonopioid analgesics, and, among those studies that have, few have demonstrated between-group differences. Reasons for failure to demonstrate opioid reduction can be broadly classified into procedural, design-related, clinical, psychosocial, biological, and pharmacological categories, all of which are discussed. In the future, clinical trials in which this outcome is examined should be designed to evaluate this, at least on a preliminary basis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dermot P Maher
- From the *Department of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine and †Departments of Anesthesiology & Critical Care Medicine, Neurology, and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland; and ‡Departments of Anesthesiology and Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland
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Silverman S, Raffa RB, Cataldo MJ, Kwarcinski M, Ripa SR. Use of immediate-release opioids as supplemental analgesia during management of moderate-to-severe chronic pain with buprenorphine transdermal system. J Pain Res 2017; 10:1255-1263. [PMID: 28579823 PMCID: PMC5449099 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s132595] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The buprenorphine transdermal system (BTDS) is approved in the US for the management of chronic pain. Due to its high affinity for μ-opioid receptors with a slow dissociation profile, buprenorphine may potentially displace or prevent the binding of competing μ-opioid-receptor agonists, including immediate-release (IR) opioids, in a dose-dependent manner. Health care professionals may assume that the use of IR opioids for supplemental analgesia during BTDS therapy is not acceptable. Materials and methods This post hoc analysis evaluated the use of IR opioids as supplemental analgesia during the management of moderate–severe chronic pain with BTDS at 52 US sites (BUP3015S, NCT01125917). Patients were categorized into IR-opioid and no-IR-opioid groups. At each visit of the extension phase, adverse events, concomitant medications, and information from the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI) were recorded. Results The most common supplemental IR opioids prescribed during BTDS treatment (n=354) were hydrocodone–acetaminophen and oxycodone–acetaminophen. The mean daily dose of IR opioids (morphine equivalents) for supplemental analgesia was 22 mg. At baseline, BPI – pain intensity and BPI – interference scores were higher for patients in the IR-opioid group. In both treatment groups, scores improved by week 4, and then were maintained throughout 6 months of the open-label extension trial. The incidence of treatment-emergent adverse events was similar in both groups. Conclusion Patients who were prescribed IR opioids reported lower scores for BPI pain intensity and pain interference to levels similar to patients receiving BTDS without IR opioids, without increasing the rate or severity of treatment-emergent adverse events. Patients prescribed concomitant use of IR opioids with BTDS had greater treatment persistence. The results of this post hoc analysis provide support for the concomitant use of IR opioids for supplemental analgesia during the management of moderate–severe chronic pain with BTDS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanford Silverman
- Comprehensive Pain Medicine, Pompano Beach.,Department of Integrated Medical Sciences, Charles E Schmidt College of Medicine, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL
| | - Robert B Raffa
- Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA.,Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, College of Pharmacy, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ
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Dumitru CM, Erzsébet F, Erzsébet V, Adelina C, Monica-Simina C, Ibolya F. Could Codeine Containing OTC Analgesics Sold in Romania be Used as Recreational Drugs? ACTA MEDICA MARISIENSIS 2016. [DOI: 10.1515/amma-2016-0031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Objective: Analgesic medicines containing combinations of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and codeine are available without prescription. Codeine, in these combinations can not be used recreationally due to the high toxicity profile of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, methods for extracting codeine from these types of medication are available on the internet. The purpose of this work is to evaluate if codeine can be extracted from codeine containing analgesics sold without prescription.
Methods: High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection was used to measure the amounts of codeine and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs recovered after applying an extraction method described on the internet.
Results: The results show that codeine can be very easily separated from NSAID as aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen using the cold water extraction method. However, very large differences (20 to 90%) were recorded for the recovery of codeine depending on the OTC product that was used. That large difference increases the risk of potentially lethal overdoses when the user switches between “similar” products.
Conclusions: Our work shows that analgesic medication with codeine content can be recreationally used after the extraction of codeine. In order to prevent this, the sell of this type of products should be regulated or products that do not allow the extraction of codeine should be developed.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Varga Erzsébet
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tirgu Mures, Romania
| | | | | | - Fülop Ibolya
- University of Medicine and Pharmacy Tirgu Mures, Romania
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