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Kolla G, Pauly B, Cameron F, Hobbs H, Ranger C, McCall J, Majalahti J, Toombs K, LeMaistre J, Selfridge M, Urbanoski K. "If it wasn't for them, I don't think I would be here": experiences of the first year of a safer supply program during the dual public health emergencies of COVID-19 and the drug toxicity crisis. Harm Reduct J 2024; 21:111. [PMID: 38849866 PMCID: PMC11157725 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-024-01029-3] [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: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In response to the devastating drug toxicity crisis in Canada driven by an unregulated opioid supply predominantly composed of fentanyl and analogues, safer supply programs have been introduced. These programs provide people using street-acquired opioids with prescribed, pharmaceutical opioids. We use six core components of safer supply programs identified by people who use drugs to explore participant perspectives on the first year of operations of a safer supply program in Victoria, BC, during the dual public health emergencies of COVID-19 and the drug toxicity crisis to examine whether the program met drug-user defined elements of an effective safer supply model. METHODS This study used a community-based participatory research approach to ensure that the research was reflective of community concerns and priorities, rather than being extractive. We interviewed 16 safer supply program participants between December 2020 and June 2021. Analysis was structured using the six core components of effective safer supply from the perspective of people who use drugs, generated through a prior study. RESULTS Ensuring access to the 'right dose and right drugs' of medications was crucial, with many participants reporting success with the available pharmaceutical options. However, others highlighted issues with the strength of the available medications and the lack of options for smokeable medications. Accessing the safer supply program allowed participants to reduce their use of drugs from unregulated markets and manage withdrawal, pain and cravings. On components related to program operations, participants reported receiving compassionate care, and that accessing the safer supply program was a non-stigmatizing experience. They also reported receiving support to find housing, access food, obtain ID, and other needs. However, participants worried about long term program sustainability. CONCLUSIONS Participants in the safer supply program overwhelmingly appreciated it and felt it was lifesaving, and unlike other healthcare or treatment services they had previously accessed. Participants raised concerns that unless a wider variety of medications and ability to consume them by multiple routes of administration became available, safer supply programs would remain unable to completely replace substances from unregulated markets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gillian Kolla
- Memorial University, St. John's, Canada.
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada.
| | - Bernie Pauly
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | | | | | - Corey Ranger
- AVI Health and Community Services, Victoria, Canada
| | - Jane McCall
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | | | - Kim Toombs
- AVI Health and Community Services, Victoria, Canada
| | | | - Marion Selfridge
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
| | - Karen Urbanoski
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada
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Pauly BB, Kurz M, Dale LM, Macevicius C, Kalicum J, Pérez DG, McCall J, Urbanoski K, Barker B, Slaunwhite A, Lindsay M, Nosyk B. Implementation of pharmaceutical alternatives to a toxic drug supply in British Columbia: A mixed methods study. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2024; 161:209341. [PMID: 38490334 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2024.209341] [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: 09/10/2023] [Revised: 01/15/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 03/17/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND North America has been in an unrelenting overdose crisis for almost a decade. British Columbia (BC), Canada declared a public health emergency due to overdoses in 2016. Risk Mitigation Guidance (RMG) for prescribing pharmaceutical opioids, stimulants and benzodiazepine alternatives to the toxic drug supply ("safer supply") was implemented in March 2020 in an attempt to reduce harms of COVID-19 and overdose deaths in BC during dual declared public health emergencies. Our objective was to describe early implementation of RMG among prescribers in BC. METHODS We conducted a convergent mixed methods study drawing population-level linked administrative health data and qualitative interviews with 17 prescribers. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR) informs our work. The study utilized seven linked databases, capturing the characteristics of prescribers for people with substance use disorder to describe the characteristics of those prescribing under the RMG using univariate summary statistics and logistic regression analysis. For the qualitative analysis, we drew on interpretative descriptive methodology to identify barriers and facilitators to implementation. RESULTS Analysis of administrative databases demonstrated limited uptake of the intervention outside large urban centres and a highly specific profile of urban prescribers, with larger and more complex caseloads associated with RMG prescribing. Nurse practitioners were three times more likely to prescribe than general practitioners. Qualitatively, the study identified five themes related to the five CFIR domains: 1) RMG is helpful but controversial; 2) Motivations and challenges to prescribing; 3) New options and opportunities for care but not enough to 'win the arms race'; 4) Lack of implementation support and resources; 5) Limited infrastructure. CONCLUSIONS BC's implementation of RMG was limited in scope, prescriber uptake and geographic scale up. Systemic, organizational and individual barriers and facilitators point to the importance of engaging professional regulatory colleges, implementation planning and organizational infrastructure to ensure effective implementation and adaptation to context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bernadette Bernie Pauly
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, 2300 McKenzie Ave, Victoria, BC V8N 5M8, Canada; University of Victoria School of Nursing, Box 1700 Stn CSC, Victoria, BC 250, Canada.
| | - Megan Kurz
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Providence Health Care, 570-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z IY6b, Canada.
| | - Laura M Dale
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Providence Health Care, 570-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z IY6b, Canada.
| | - Celeste Macevicius
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, 2300 McKenzie Ave, Victoria, BC V8N 5M8, Canada; University of Victoria School of Public Health and Social Policy, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Jeremy Kalicum
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, 2300 McKenzie Ave, Victoria, BC V8N 5M8, Canada; University of Victoria School of Public Health and Social Policy, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Daniel Gudiño Pérez
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, 2300 McKenzie Ave, Victoria, BC V8N 5M8, Canada; University of Victoria School of Public Health and Social Policy, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Jane McCall
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, 2300 McKenzie Ave, Victoria, BC V8N 5M8, Canada
| | - Karen Urbanoski
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, 2300 McKenzie Ave, Victoria, BC V8N 5M8, Canada; University of Victoria School of Public Health and Social Policy, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada.
| | - Brittany Barker
- School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, PO Box 1700 STN CSC, Victoria, BC V8W 2Y2, Canada; First Nations Health Authority, 501 - 100 Park Royal South, 170-6371 Crescent Road, Coast Salish Territory (West Vancouver), BC V7T 1A2, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6, Canada.
| | - Amanda Slaunwhite
- BC Centre for Disease Control, 655 W 12th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4R4, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, 570-1081 Burrard Street, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6Z1Y6, Canada.
| | - Morgan Lindsay
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, 2300 McKenzie Ave, Victoria, BC V8N 5M8, Canada.
| | - Bohdan Nosyk
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, Room 11300, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6, Canada; Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Providence Health Care, 570-1081 Burrard Street, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6Z1Y6, Canada.
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Ivasiy R, Madden LM, Meteliuk A, Machavariani E, Ahmad B, Zelenev A, Desai MM, Bromberg DJ, Polonsky M, Galvez de Leon SJ, Farnum SO, Islam Z, Altice FL. The impact of emergency guidance to the COVID-19 pandemic on treatment entry, retention and mortality among patients on methadone in Ukraine. Addiction 2024. [PMID: 38807448 DOI: 10.1111/add.16565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/24/2024] [Indexed: 05/30/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Ukraine's Ministry of Health released urgent COVID-19 guidelines, allowing for early implementation of take-home dosing (THD) for opioid agonist therapies (OAT) such as methadone. Enrollment in OAT and retention in the program are the most effective HIV prevention strategies for people who inject drugs (PWID). This study aimed to evaluate the impact of Ukraine's COVID-19 emergency guidance on OAT treatment enrollment, retention on treatment and mortality. DESIGN AND SETTING Using Ukraine's national OAT registry for 252 governmental clinics across 25 regions, we conducted a 12-month comparative prospective cohort survival analysis. This study compared newly enrolled methadone patients within the initial 6 months following the COVID-19 guidance (COVID) with patients from the preceding year (pre-COVID) in a country with high adult HIV prevalence (1.2%) that is concentrated in PWID. PARTICIPANTS In the nation-wide sample of newly enrolled PWID in Ukraine, comprising 2798 individuals, 1423 were in the COVID cohort and 1375 were in the pre-COVID cohort. The majority were male (86.7%), with an average age of 39.3 years. MEASUREMENTS Primary outcomes were average monthly enrollment per cohort, treatment retention and mortality, with internal time-dependent predictors, including THD and optimal (> 85 mg) methadone dosing. RESULTS Relative to the pre-COVID period, the monthly average patient enrollment was statistically significantly higher during the COVID period (283.7 versus 236.0; P < 0.0001), where patients were more likely to transition to THD and achieve optimal dosing earlier. Significant differences were observed in the proportions of person-months on THD (41 versus 13%, P < 0.0001) and optimal dosing (38 versus 31%, P < 0.0001) between the COVID and pre-COVID cohorts. Predictors of treatment retention, expressed as adjusted hazard ratios (aHR), included early THD [aHR = 1.90, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.47-2.45], early optimal dosing (aHR = 1.71, 95% CI = 1.37-2.13) and prior methadone treatment (aHR = 1.39, 95% CI = 1.15-1.68). These factors persisted, respectively, in the pre-COVID (aHR = 2.28, 95% CI = 1.41-3.70; aHR = 1.84, 95% CI = 1.32-2.56; and aHR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.06-1.74) and COVID (aHR = 1.91, 95% CI = 1.40-2.59; aHR = 1.61, 95% CI = 1.20-2.16; and aHR = 1.49, 95% CI = 1.08-1.94) cohorts. Survival did not differ significantly between the two prospective cohorts. CONCLUSION Ukraine's prompt adoption of early take-home dosing for opioid agonist therapies, such as methadone, following the emergency COVID-19 guidance appears to have increased enrollment into methadone and improved treatment retention for people who inject drugs without adverse effects on patient survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roman Ivasiy
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Lynn M Madden
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- APT Foundation, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Eteri Machavariani
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Alexei Zelenev
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Mayur M Desai
- Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Daniel J Bromberg
- Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Maxim Polonsky
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | | | | | - Frederick L Altice
- Section of Infectious Diseases, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
- APT Foundation, New Haven, CT, USA
- Center for Interdisciplinary Research on AIDS, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Department of Epidemiology of Microbial Diseases, Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, CT, USA
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Jordan AE, Bachhuber MA, Tuazon E, Jimenez C, Lincourt P, Hussain S, Rubinfeld J, Cunningham CO. Methadone dosing at New York State opioid treatment programs following initial revisions to federal regulations. Drug Alcohol Depend 2024; 258:111283. [PMID: 38581920 PMCID: PMC11088491 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2024.111283] [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: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/28/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/08/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In March 2020, a temporary federal regulatory exemption for opioid treatment programs (OTPs) was issued, allowing for a greater number of take-home methadone doses than was previously permitted. In the same month, to address financial sustainability, New York State (NYS) Medicaid also transitioned to a bundle reimbursement methodology for OTPs. We examined methadone dosing schedules in NYS before and after these regulatory and financing changes. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study using NYS OTP patient data from two sources: the client data system for a baseline period (February 2020) and survey data collected after regulatory and financing changes (May 2020 to August 2021, 64 weekly surveys). We compared methadone dosing schedules over time using chi-square tests and Poisson regression. RESULT At baseline, data were available for 78% (n=77/99) of OTPs including 90.9% (n=26,225/28,839) of their enrolled patients. During the survey period, 99 OTPs completed 93.1% (n=5901/6336) of weekly surveys, with a mean statewide weekly patient census of 38,904 (SD=1214.5). Between February and May 2020, daily dosing significantly decreased from 55.4% to 16.3% of patients (-39.1 percentage points [95%CI: -39.8 to -38.4]), although it significantly increased subsequently (3.33%/4-weeks [95%CI: 3.28, 3.39]). In addition, weekly-to-monthly dosing significantly increased from 26.9% to 54.5% of patients (27.6 percentage points [95%CI: 26.9, 28.4]), although it significantly decreased subsequently (-1.19%/4-weeks [95%CI: -1.23, -1.15]). DISCUSSION Despite large initial changes, we found a trend toward gradual return to more restrictive dosing schedules. OTPs need further support in leveraging new opportunities to improve methadone treatment and outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashly E Jordan
- New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, Albany, NY, USA.
| | - Marcus A Bachhuber
- New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Ellenie Tuazon
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY, USA
| | - Christian Jimenez
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Queens, NY, USA
| | - Pat Lincourt
- New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Shazia Hussain
- New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Jason Rubinfeld
- New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports, Albany, NY, USA
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Russell C, Ashley J, Ali F, Bozinoff N, Corace K, Marsh DC, Mushquash C, Wyman J, Zhang M, Lange S. Examining inequities in access to opioid agonist treatment (OAT) take-home doses (THD): A Canadian OAT guideline synthesis and systematic review. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2024; 127:104343. [PMID: 38554565 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104343] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2023] [Revised: 01/08/2024] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Daily supervised Opioid Agonist Treatment (OAT) medication has been identified as a barrier to treatment retention. Canadian OAT guidelines outline take-home dose (THD) criteria, yet, OAT prescribers use their clinical judgement to decide whether an individual is 'clinically stable' to receive THD. There is limited information regarding whether these decisions may result in inequitable access to THD, including in the context of updated COVID-19 guidance. The current Canadian OAT THD guideline synthesis and systematic review aimed to address this knowledge gap. METHODS This systematic review included a two-pronged approach. First, we searched available academic literature in Embase, Medline, and PsychINFO up until October 12th, 2022, to identify studies that compared characteristics of individuals on OAT who had and had not been granted access to THD to explore potential inequities in access. Next, we identified all Canadian national and provincial OAT guidelines through a semi-structured grey literature search (conducted between September-October 2022) and extracted all THD 'stability' and allowances/timeline criteria to compare against characteristics identified in the literature search. Data from both review arms were synthesized and narratively presented. RESULTS A total of n = 56 guidelines and n = 7 academic studies were included. The systematic review identified a number of patient characteristics such as age, sex, race/ethnicity, marital status, housing, employment, neighborhood income, drug use, mental health, health service utilization, as well as treatment duration that were associated with differential access to THD. The Canadian OAT THD guideline synthesis identified many of these same characteristics as 'stability' criteria, underscoring the potential for Canadian OAT guidelines to result in inequitable access to THD. CONCLUSIONS This two-pronged literature review demonstrated that current guidelines likely contribute to inequitable OAT THD access due primarily to inconsistent 'stability' criteria across guidelines. More research is needed to understand differential OAT THD access with a focus on prescriber decision-making and evaluating associated treatment and safety outcomes. The development of a client-centered, equity-focused, and evidence-informed decision making framework that incorporates more clear definitions of 'stability' criteria and indications for prescriber discretion is warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cayley Russell
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada, M5S 2S1; Ontario Node, Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada, M5S 2S1; Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Room 2374, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1A8.
| | - Jenna Ashley
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada, M5S 2S1
| | - Farihah Ali
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada, M5S 2S1; Ontario Node, Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM), Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada, M5S 2S1
| | - Nikki Bozinoff
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 1R8; Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, 5th floor, Toronto, Canada, M5G1V7
| | - Kim Corace
- Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa, Roger Guindon Hall, 451 Smyth Rd #2044, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8M5; Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders Program, The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Center, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1Z 7K4; University of Ottawa Institute of Mental Health Research, The Royal Ottawa Mental Health Center, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1Z 7K4
| | - David C Marsh
- NOSM University, 935 Ramsey Lake Road, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, P3E 2C6; ICES North, 56 Walford Road, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, P3E 2H3; Health Science North Research Institute, 56 Walford Road, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, P3E 2H3
| | - Christopher Mushquash
- Department of Psychology, Lakehead University, 955 Oliver Road, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Jennifer Wyman
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Avenue, 5th floor, Toronto, Canada, M5G1V7; Women's College Hospital, 76 Grenville St, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1B2, Canada
| | - Maria Zhang
- Pharmacy Services, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M6J 1H4; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College Street, Toronto, Canada, M5S 3M2
| | - Shannon Lange
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, Canada, M5S 2S1; Institute of Medical Science, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Medical Sciences Building, 1 King's College Circle, Room 2374, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5S 1A8; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College St., Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 1R8; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th floor, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M5T 1R8
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Guerra-Alejos BC, Yan Y, Kurz M, Mudalige N, Min JE, Homayra F, Nosyk B. Prescribing practices in opioid agonist treatment and changes in compliance to clinical dosing guidelines in British Columbia, Canada. Addiction 2024. [PMID: 38584294 DOI: 10.1111/add.16491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM In British Columbia, Canada, clinical guidelines for the treatment of opioid use disorders (OUD) were updated in 2017, during a period in which the potency and composition of the illicit drug supply changed rapidly. We aimed to describe changes in opioid agonist treatment (OAT) prescribing practices at the population level in a setting in which fentanyl and its analogs have become the primary illicit opioid of use. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS This was a population-based retrospective cohort study using three linked health administrative databases in British Columbia (BC), Canada. All individuals with at least one OAT dispensation in BC between 1 January 2014 and 31 August 2021 took part. MEASUREMENTS To assess changes in OAT prescribing practices over time, we calculated initiation doses, dose titration intervals, maintenance doses and take-home dosing intervals stratified by medication [methadone, buprenorphine-naloxone and slow-release oral morphine (SROM)] according to recommended guidelines. FINDINGS A total of 265 410 OAT episodes (57.5% on methadone, 34.5% on buprenorphine-naloxone and 8.0% on SROM) were initiated during the study period. Compared with the guideline recommendation, observed initiation doses were higher among all medications from 2014 (2017 for SROM) to 2021 (buprenorphine-naloxone: 14-29%; methadone: 53-66%; SROM: 26-55%). Titration intervals were shorter for all medications, consistent with guidelines for buprenorphine-naloxone (26-49%), but shorter than recommended for methadone or SROM (28-51% and 12-41%, respectively). Higher maintenance dosing was observed for methadone (68-78%) and SROM (3-21%). Take-home allowances extending beyond the recommended guideline length increased across medications (buprenorphine-naloxone: 18-35%; methadone: 50-64%; SROM: 34-39%). Changes in prescribing patterns were similar for first-time OAT initiators. CONCLUSION In British Columbia, Canada, from 2014 to 2021, prescribers of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) appeared to initiate both new and experienced OAT clients at higher doses than guideline recommendations, titrate them more rapidly and maintain clients at higher doses. Take-home dose allowances also gradually increased.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Youwei Yan
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Megan Kurz
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nishan Mudalige
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jeong Eun Min
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Fahmida Homayra
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bohdan Nosyk
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Bowman LA, Berger O, Nesbit S, Stoller KB, Buresh M, Stewart R. Operationalizing the new DEA exception: A novel process for dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder at discharge from acute care settings. Am J Health Syst Pharm 2024; 81:204-218. [PMID: 38091380 DOI: 10.1093/ajhp/zxad288] [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] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe one strategy for dispensing of methadone at emergency department (ED) and hospital discharge implemented within 2 urban academic medical centers. SUMMARY Expanding access to medications for opioid use disorder (OUD) is a national priority. ED visits and hospitalizations offer an opportunity to initiate or continue these lifesaving medications, including methadone and buprenorphine. However, federal regulations governing methadone treatment and significant gaps in treatment availability have made continuing methadone upon ED or hospital discharge challenging. To address this issue, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) granted an exception allowing hospitals, clinics, and EDs to dispense a 72-hour supply of methadone while continued treatment is arranged. Though this exception addresses a critical unmet need, guidance for operationalizing this service is limited. To facilitate expanded patient access to methadone on ED or hospital discharge at 2 Baltimore hospitals, key stakeholders within the parent health system were identified, and a workgroup was formed. Processes were established for requesting, approving, preparing, and dispensing the methadone supply using an electronic health record order set. Multidisciplinary educational materials were created to support end users of the workflow. In the first 3 months of implementation, 42 requests were entered, of which 36 were approved, resulting in 79 dispensed methadone doses. CONCLUSION This project demonstrates feasibility of methadone dispensing at hospital and ED discharge. Further work is needed to evaluate impact on patient outcomes, such as hospital and ED utilization, length of stay, linkage to treatment, and retention in treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lindsay A Bowman
- Department of Pharmacy, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Olivia Berger
- Department of Pharmacy, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Suzanne Nesbit
- Department of Pharmacy, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Kenneth B Stoller
- Johns Hopkins Broadway Center for Addiction, Department of Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Megan Buresh
- Bayview Medical Center Addiction Consult Service, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Rosalyn Stewart
- Johns Hopkins Hospital Addiction Consult Service, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
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McGrath M, Stare M, Chua P, Ogeil R, Nehme Z, Scott D, Lubman DI. Opioid-related ambulance attendances during the first 2 years of the COVID-19 pandemic in Victoria, Australia. Addiction 2024; 119:348-355. [PMID: 37816493 DOI: 10.1111/add.16360] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS Public health measures introduced to contain the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus likely affected opioid supply and demand, as well as the patterns and contexts of opioid use. We measured opioid-related harms during the first 2 years of COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria, Australia. DESIGN We adopted an interrupted time series analysis design using interventional autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models. Opioid-related ambulance attendance data between January 2015 and March 2022 were extracted from the National Ambulance Surveillance System. SETTING Victoria, Australia. PARTICIPANTS Patients (≥15 years) attended to by an ambulance for opioid-related harms. MEASUREMENTS Monthly opioid-related ambulance attendances for three drug types: heroin, prescription opioids and opioid agonist therapy (OAT) medications. FINDINGS The monthly rate of heroin-related attendances fell by 26% immediately after the introduction of COVID-19 restrictions. A reduced rate of heroin-related attendances was observed during COVID-19 restrictions, resulting in 2578 averted heroin-related attendances. There was no change in the rate of attendances for extra-medical OAT medications or prescription opioids. CONCLUSIONS Strict COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria, Australia appear to have resulted in a substantial reduction in heroin-related ambulance attendances, perhaps because of border closures and restrictions on movement affecting supply, changing patterns of drug consumption, and efforts to improve access to OAT. Despite policy changes allowing longer OAT prescriptions and an increased number of unsupervised doses, we found no evidence of increased harms related to the extra-medical use of these medications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael McGrath
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Mark Stare
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
| | - Phyllis Chua
- Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Rowan Ogeil
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Ziad Nehme
- Ambulance Victoria, Blackburn, Australia
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of Paramedicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Debbie Scott
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Dan I Lubman
- Turning Point, Eastern Health, Richmond, Victoria, Australia
- Monash Addiction Research Centre and Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
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9
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López-Castro T, Jakubowski A, Masyukova M, Peterson M, Pierz A, Kodali S, Arnsten JH, Starrels JL, Nahvi S. Loss, liberation, and agency: Patient experiences of methadone treatment at opioid treatment programs during the COVID-19 pandemic. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2024; 157:209235. [PMID: 38061636 PMCID: PMC10932891 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209235] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Revised: 08/14/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite its safety and effectiveness, methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (OUD) remains highly stigmatized, and stringent opioid treatment program (OTP) attendance requirements create barriers to retention for many patients. The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a shift in federal regulations governing methadone, including a blanket exemption permitting increased take-home doses of methadone. We studied the impact of these changes upon established patients' experiences of OTP care. METHOD We conducted semi-structured qualitative interviews with 18 OTP patients who met our criteria of having established OTP care (i.e., enrolled at the OTP for at least 12 weeks) and were administered methadone three to six days weekly prior to the March 2020 blanket exemption. Interviews centered on how COVID-19 had affected their experiences of receiving treatment at an OTP. RESULTS We identified three interconnected themes relevant to transformation of OTP care by the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants described mourning therapeutic OTP relationships and structure (1. loss), yet feeling more satisfaction with fewer in-person OTP visits (2. liberation), and appreciating more opportunities to self-direct their OUD care (3. agency). DISCUSSION Structural changes made to OTP care early in the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in loss of community and structure. Increasing the availability of take-home methadone also improved patient experience and sense of agency. Our findings join a diverse body of converging evidence in support of policy changes allowing for more flexible dosing and individualized OTP care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa López-Castro
- Department of Psychology, Colin Powell School of Civic and Global Leadership, The City College of New York, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, NY 10031, United States.
| | - Andrea Jakubowski
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, United States
| | - Mariya Masyukova
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, United States; Project Renwal, Inc. 200 Varick Street, 9th Floor New York, NY 10014
| | - Meghan Peterson
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, United States; Department of Social Medicine, University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill School of Medicine, 321 S Columbia St, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, United States
| | - Amanda Pierz
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, United States; The City University of New York Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy, 55 W. 125(th) Street, New York, NY 10027, United States
| | - Sruthi Kodali
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, United States
| | - Julia H Arnsten
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, United States
| | - Joanna L Starrels
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, United States
| | - Shadi Nahvi
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Health System, 111 East 210th Street, Bronx, NY 10467, United States
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10
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Slaunwhite A, Min JE, Palis H, Urbanoski K, Pauly B, Barker B, Crabtree A, Bach P, Krebs E, Dale L, Meilleur L, Nosyk B. Effect of Risk Mitigation Guidance opioid and stimulant dispensations on mortality and acute care visits during dual public health emergencies: retrospective cohort study. BMJ 2024; 384:e076336. [PMID: 38199614 PMCID: PMC10777271 DOI: 10.1136/bmj-2023-076336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine the effect of opioid and stimulant Risk Mitigation Guidance (RMG) dispensations on mortality and acute care visits during the dual public health emergencies of overdose and covid-19. DESIGN Population based retrospective cohort study. SETTING British Columbia, Canada. PARTICIPANTS 5882 people with opioid or stimulant use disorder who received RMG prescriptions for opioids (n=5356) and/or stimulants (n=1061) (535 received both) from 27 March 2020 to 31 August 2021. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES All cause and overdose specific mortality and acute care visits in the week after RMG opioid or stimulant dispensation. RMG recipients were matched 1:1 with controls through use of high dimensional propensity score matching. Marginal structural models, executed on weekly time steps, were used to measure the effect of dispensations on outcomes. RESULTS RMG opioid dispensations of one day or more were associated with reduced all cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 0.39, 95% confidence interval 0.25 to 0.60) and overdose related mortality (0.45, 0.27 to 0.75) in the subsequent week. Dispensations of RMG stimulants (≥1 days) were not significantly associated with reduced all cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 0.50, 0.20 to 1.23) or overdose related mortality (0.53, 0.18 to 1.56). The protective effect of RMG opioid dispensations increased with the number of days the medications were dispensed in a given week. People who received four or more days of RMG opioid dispensations had reduced all cause mortality (adjusted hazard ratio 0.09, 0.04 to 0.21) and overdose related mortality (0.11, 0.04 to 0.32) compared with the control group. Opioid RMG dispensations did not significantly modify the odds of all cause or overdose related acute care visits. Dispensations of RMG stimulants were associated with a significant decrease in the odds of acute care visits for any cause but did not affect the odds of overdose related acute care visits. CONCLUSIONS RMG opioid dispensations were associated with reduced overdose related and all cause mortality among a sample of people with opioid use disorder. Pharmaceutical alternatives to the illegal drug supply are promising interventions to reduce mortality in people with opioid use disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Slaunwhite
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Jeong Eun Min
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Heather Palis
- BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Karen Urbanoski
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Bernie Pauly
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- Department of Nursing, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | - Brittany Barker
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- School of Public Health and Social Policy, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
- First Nations Health Authority, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Alexis Crabtree
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- BC Centre for Disease Control, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Paxton Bach
- BC Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Emmanuel Krebs
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- BC Cancer, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Laura Dale
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Bohdan Nosyk
- Centre for Advancing Health Outcomes, Vancouver, BC, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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11
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Hu T, McCormack D, Juurlink DN, Campbell TJ, Bayoumi AM, Leece P, Kent JT, Gomes T. Initiation of opioid agonist therapy after hospital visits for opioid poisonings in Ontario. CMAJ 2023; 195:E1709-E1717. [PMID: 38110219 PMCID: PMC10727793 DOI: 10.1503/cmaj.231014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/11/2023] [Indexed: 12/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency department visits and hospital admissions for opioid toxicity are opportunities to initiate opioid agonist therapy (OAT), which reduces morbidity and mortality in patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). The study objectives were to evaluate OAT initiation rates after a hospital encounter for opioid toxicity in Ontario, Canada, and determine whether publication of a 2018 Canadian OUD management guideline was associated with increased initiation. METHODS We conducted a retrospective, population-based serial cross-sectional study of hospital encounters for opioid toxicity among patients with OUD between Jan. 1, 2013, and Mar. 31, 2020, in Ontario, Canada. The primary outcome was OAT initiation (methadone, buprenorphine-naloxone, or slow-release oral morphine) within 7 days of discharge, measured quarterly. We examined the impact of the release of the OUD management guideline on OAT initiation rates using Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average models. RESULTS Among 20 702 hospital visits for opioid toxicity among patients with OUD, the median age was 35 years, and 65.1% were male. Over the study period, the percentage of visits leading to OAT initiation within 7 days rose from 1.7% or less (Q1 2013) to 5.6% (Q1 2020); however, the publication of the Canadian OUD management guideline was not associated with a significant increase in these rates (0.14% slope change, 95% confidence interval -0.11% to 0.38%; p = 0.3). INTERPRETATION Among hospital encounters for opioid toxicity, despite rising prevalence over time, only 1 in 18 patients were dispensed OAT within a week of discharge in early 2020. These findings highlight missed opportunities to initiate therapies proven to reduce mortality in patients with OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tina Hu
- Department of Family and Community Medicine (Hu, Leece), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Hu), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; ICES (McCormack, Juurlink, Kent, Gomes), Toronto, Ont.; Sunnybrook Research Institute (Juurlink); MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Campbell, Bayoumi, Gomes), Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Bayoumi, Gomes), University of Toronto; Health Promotion, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (Leece), Public Health Ontario; Department of Emergency Medicine (Kent), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Daniel McCormack
- Department of Family and Community Medicine (Hu, Leece), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Hu), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; ICES (McCormack, Juurlink, Kent, Gomes), Toronto, Ont.; Sunnybrook Research Institute (Juurlink); MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Campbell, Bayoumi, Gomes), Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Bayoumi, Gomes), University of Toronto; Health Promotion, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (Leece), Public Health Ontario; Department of Emergency Medicine (Kent), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - David N Juurlink
- Department of Family and Community Medicine (Hu, Leece), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Hu), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; ICES (McCormack, Juurlink, Kent, Gomes), Toronto, Ont.; Sunnybrook Research Institute (Juurlink); MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Campbell, Bayoumi, Gomes), Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Bayoumi, Gomes), University of Toronto; Health Promotion, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (Leece), Public Health Ontario; Department of Emergency Medicine (Kent), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Tonya J Campbell
- Department of Family and Community Medicine (Hu, Leece), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Hu), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; ICES (McCormack, Juurlink, Kent, Gomes), Toronto, Ont.; Sunnybrook Research Institute (Juurlink); MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Campbell, Bayoumi, Gomes), Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Bayoumi, Gomes), University of Toronto; Health Promotion, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (Leece), Public Health Ontario; Department of Emergency Medicine (Kent), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Ahmed M Bayoumi
- Department of Family and Community Medicine (Hu, Leece), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Hu), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; ICES (McCormack, Juurlink, Kent, Gomes), Toronto, Ont.; Sunnybrook Research Institute (Juurlink); MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Campbell, Bayoumi, Gomes), Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Bayoumi, Gomes), University of Toronto; Health Promotion, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (Leece), Public Health Ontario; Department of Emergency Medicine (Kent), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Pamela Leece
- Department of Family and Community Medicine (Hu, Leece), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Hu), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; ICES (McCormack, Juurlink, Kent, Gomes), Toronto, Ont.; Sunnybrook Research Institute (Juurlink); MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Campbell, Bayoumi, Gomes), Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Bayoumi, Gomes), University of Toronto; Health Promotion, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (Leece), Public Health Ontario; Department of Emergency Medicine (Kent), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Jessica T Kent
- Department of Family and Community Medicine (Hu, Leece), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Hu), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; ICES (McCormack, Juurlink, Kent, Gomes), Toronto, Ont.; Sunnybrook Research Institute (Juurlink); MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Campbell, Bayoumi, Gomes), Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Bayoumi, Gomes), University of Toronto; Health Promotion, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (Leece), Public Health Ontario; Department of Emergency Medicine (Kent), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont
| | - Tara Gomes
- Department of Family and Community Medicine (Hu, Leece), Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.; Department of Family Medicine (Hu), McMaster University, Hamilton, Ont.; ICES (McCormack, Juurlink, Kent, Gomes), Toronto, Ont.; Sunnybrook Research Institute (Juurlink); MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions (Campbell, Bayoumi, Gomes), Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital; Institute of Health Policy, Management and Evaluation (Bayoumi, Gomes), University of Toronto; Health Promotion, Chronic Disease and Injury Prevention (Leece), Public Health Ontario; Department of Emergency Medicine (Kent), University of Toronto, Toronto, Ont.
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12
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Mahgoub Y, Forrest LN, Luther J, Singh N, Kibler J, Noel J, Zug D, Swigart A, Kunkel E. The Impact of COVID-19 on Psychiatric Acuity in a Community Psychiatric Hospital. J Nerv Ment Dis 2023; 211:910-918. [PMID: 37983367 DOI: 10.1097/nmd.0000000000001735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT The COVID-19 pandemic has had extensive impacts on mental health care delivery. Anecdotal observations of inpatient care teams at Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute suggested increased patient acuity during the pandemic. The authors found no consensus definition for measuring psychiatric acuity in the literature. We performed an interrupted time series analysis to identify whether COVID-19 was associated with changes in several hospital parameters that might reflect our patients' access to psychiatric services and acuity. We found increases in inpatient parameters for length of stay, rates of involuntary admissions, and the incidence of restraints, seclusion, and 1:1 observation orders. Observing these increasing trends can inform mitigation efforts to improve the quality of mental health care treatment and care delivery. We suggest the use of these metrics for objective measurements of psychiatric acuity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yassir Mahgoub
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Lauren N Forrest
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Joy Luther
- Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Nirmal Singh
- Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
| | - Jason Kibler
- Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| | - Jason Noel
- Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| | - David Zug
- Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
| | - Alison Swigart
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Health, Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, Pennsylvania
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13
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Kawasaki SS, Zimmerman R, Shen C, Zgierska AE. COVID-19-related flexibility in methadone take-home doses associated with decreased attrition: Report from an opioid treatment program in central Pennsylvania. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2023; 155:209164. [PMID: 37730014 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209164] [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: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Pennsylvania saw a dramatic increase in take-home doses of methadone after the COVID-19 pandemic-related relaxation in regulations. We evaluated whether pandemic-initiated relaxation in take-home methadone dose regulations was associated with changes in attrition and urine drug test (UDT) results at one outpatient opioid treatment program (OTP) among adult patients treated with methadone for opioid use disorder (OUD). METHODS We analyzed aggregated, retrospective clinical practice data, using data abstracted from the OTP's electronic health record (EHR) on the number of patients treated with methadone, those allowed take-home doses, the number of take-home methadone doses dispensed, and the number and type of patient discharge ("attrition") from treatments for 12 months before (March 2019-February 2020; "pre-pandemic") and 12 months after (March 2020-February 2021; "pandemic") the regulatory changes took place. We also examined monthly aggregate data on the number of urine samples testing positive for amphetamines, cocaine, benzodiazepines or illicit opioids, and compared these findings between the pre-pandemic and pandemic periods. RESULTS Pre-pandemic, 229 patients were treated with methadone, compared to 278 patients during the pandemic period. They received 11,047 and 28,563 take-home daily-doses of methadone (p < 0.0001) during each assessment period, respectively. All-cause treatment attrition (discharge from the program for any reason) decreased from 27.1 % in the pre-pandemic to 15.5 % in the pandemic period (p < 0.001). Compared to pre-pandemic, during the pandemic period the urine toxicology testing showed reduced positivity rates for cocaine (26.4 % vs 18.9 %, p < 0.001), and oxycodone and morphine (1.8 % vs 1.1 %, p < 0.019), and increased for fentanyl (24.0 % vs 30.5 %, p < 0.007), without statistically significant changes for benzodiazepines or amphetamines. CONCLUSIONS The relaxation of regulations guiding take-home methadone doses accompanied reduced treatment attrition and favorable changes in urine toxicology results in one OTP. Allowing OTPs to apply flexible decisions regarding take-home methadone doses could improve treatment retention, outcomes, and, in turn, save lives.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chan Shen
- Penn State College of Medicine, Hershey, PA, United States
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14
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Jones KF, Joudrey P, Meier D, Meghani S, Merlin J. Juggling Two Full-Time Jobs - Methadone Clinic Engagement and Cancer Care. N Engl J Med 2023; 389:2024-2026. [PMID: 38009604 PMCID: PMC10875342 DOI: 10.1056/nejmp2310123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Katie F Jones
- From the New England Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (K.F.J.); the Division of General Internal Medicine (P.J.) and the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics (J.M.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (D.M.); and the New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.M.)
| | - Paul Joudrey
- From the New England Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (K.F.J.); the Division of General Internal Medicine (P.J.) and the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics (J.M.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (D.M.); and the New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.M.)
| | - Diane Meier
- From the New England Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (K.F.J.); the Division of General Internal Medicine (P.J.) and the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics (J.M.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (D.M.); and the New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.M.)
| | - Salimah Meghani
- From the New England Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (K.F.J.); the Division of General Internal Medicine (P.J.) and the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics (J.M.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (D.M.); and the New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.M.)
| | - Jessica Merlin
- From the New England Geriatric Research, Education, and Clinical Center, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston (K.F.J.); the Division of General Internal Medicine (P.J.) and the Section of Palliative Care and Medical Ethics (J.M.), University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh; the Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York (D.M.); and the New Courtland Center for Transitions and Health, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia (S.M.)
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15
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Bodnar RJ. Endogenous opiates and behavior: 2022. Peptides 2023; 169:171095. [PMID: 37704079 DOI: 10.1016/j.peptides.2023.171095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023]
Abstract
This paper is the forty-fifth consecutive installment of the annual anthological review of research concerning the endogenous opioid system, summarizing articles published during 2022 that studied the behavioral effects of molecular, pharmacological and genetic manipulation of opioid peptides and receptors as well as effects of opioid/opiate agonists and antagonists. The review is subdivided into the following specific topics: molecular-biochemical effects and neurochemical localization studies of endogenous opioids and their receptors (1), the roles of these opioid peptides and receptors in pain and analgesia in animals (2) and humans (3), opioid-sensitive and opioid-insensitive effects of nonopioid analgesics (4), opioid peptide and receptor involvement in tolerance and dependence (5), stress and social status (6), learning and memory (7), eating and drinking (8), drug abuse and alcohol (9), sexual activity and hormones, pregnancy, development and endocrinology (10), mental illness and mood (11), seizures and neurologic disorders (12), electrical-related activity and neurophysiology (13), general activity and locomotion (14), gastrointestinal, renal and hepatic functions (15), cardiovascular responses (16), respiration and thermoregulation (17), and immunological responses (18).
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Bodnar
- Department of Psychology and Neuropsychology Doctoral Sub-Program, Queens College, City University of New York, Flushing, NY 11367, USA.
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16
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Adams A, Blawatt S, Magel T, MacDonald S, Lajeunesse J, Harrison S, Byres D, Schechter MT, Oviedo-Joekes E. The impact of relaxing restrictions on take-home doses during the COVID-19 pandemic on program effectiveness and client experiences in opioid agonist treatment: a mixed methods systematic review. Subst Abuse Treat Prev Policy 2023; 18:56. [PMID: 37777766 PMCID: PMC10543348 DOI: 10.1186/s13011-023-00564-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/02/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic led to an unprecedented relaxation of restrictions on take-home doses in opioid agonist treatment (OAT). We conducted a mixed methods systematic review to explore the impact of these changes on program effectiveness and client experiences in OAT. METHODS The protocol for this review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022352310). From Aug.-Nov. 2022, we searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Web of Science, Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, and the grey literature. We included studies reporting quantitative measures of retention in treatment, illicit substance use, overdose, client health, quality of life, or treatment satisfaction or using qualitative methods to examine client experiences with take-home doses during the pandemic. We critically appraised studies using the Mixed Methods Appraisal Tool. We synthesized quantitative data using vote-counting by direction of effect and presented the results in harvest plots. Qualitative data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. We used a convergent segregated approach to integrate quantitative and qualitative findings. RESULTS Forty studies were included. Most were from North America (23/40) or the United Kingdom (9/40). The quantitative synthesis was limited by potential for confounding, but suggested an association between take-home doses and increased retention in treatment. There was no evidence of an association between take-home doses and illicit substance use or overdose. Qualitative findings indicated that take-home doses reduced clients' exposure to unregulated substances and stigma and minimized work/treatment conflicts. Though some clients reported challenges with managing their medication, the dominant narrative was one of appreciation, reduced anxiety, and a renewed sense of agency and identity. The integrated analysis suggested reduced treatment burden as an explanation for improved retention and revealed variation in individual relationships between take-home doses and illicit substance use. We identified a critical gap in quantitative measures of patient-important outcomes. CONCLUSION The relaxation of restrictions on take-home doses was associated with improved client experience and retention in OAT. We found no evidence of an association with illicit substance use or overdose, despite the expansion of take-home doses to previously ineligible groups. Including patient-important outcome measures in policy, program development, and treatment planning is essential to ensuring that decisions around take-home doses accurately reflect their value to clients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Adams
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575-1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Sarin Blawatt
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575-1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Tianna Magel
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Scott MacDonald
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BCV6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Julie Lajeunesse
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BCV6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Scott Harrison
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BCV6B 1G6, Canada
| | - David Byres
- Provincial Health Services Authority, 200-1333 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V6H 4C1, Canada
| | - Martin T Schechter
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575-1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
| | - Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575-1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
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MacDonald M, Cheng C, Wang T, McCormack D, Kolla G, Cahill TM, Gomes T. Trends in varying modes of drug use in opioid toxicity deaths in Ontario from 2017 to 2021. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023:104197. [PMID: 37741701 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104197] [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: 01/09/2023] [Revised: 07/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 09/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Preliminary data indicate a shift toward inhalation instead of injection in opioid toxicity deaths. Understanding changing modes of drug use is essential to addressing the North American drug toxicity crisis driven primarily by unregulated fentanyl. This study aims to comprehensively characterize this shift across Ontario, Canada. METHODS We conducted a population-based repeated cross-sectional study of accidental opioid toxicity deaths in Ontario from July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2021. For each quarter of the study period, the number and percent of deaths by mode of drug use (inhalation only, injection only, both or other) were reported. Descriptive characteristics were reported in the last two years of the study. RESULTS There were 6687 accidental opioid toxicity deaths in Ontario over the study period, with a 62.1 % increase in the quarterly number of deaths observed. The prevalence of deaths where inhalation was the only mode of drug use almost doubled, rising from 22.0 % to 43.5 %. There was a corresponding 64.4 % decrease in opioid toxicity deaths with indication of injection alone (29.0 % to 10.3 %). CONCLUSIONS This study reveals a shift in mode of drug use toward inhalation that is increasingly contributing to opioid toxicity deaths in Ontario. Understanding the shifts in patterns of opioid use serves to provide essential insights into more effective harm reduction and treatment approaches to address the drug toxicity crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha MacDonald
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Clare Cheng
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | | | - Gillian Kolla
- Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada
| | | | - Tara Gomes
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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18
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Panwala V, Joudrey P, Kowalski M, Bach P, Amram O. Changes to methadone maintenance therapy in the United States, Canada, and Australia during the COVID-19 pandemic: A narrative review. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2023; 152:209086. [PMID: 37270103 PMCID: PMC10232933 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209086] [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: 10/31/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 05/23/2023] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, countries across the world made adaptations to policies regulating the provision of methadone maintenance therapy (MMT) to facilitate social distancing for health care providers and people in treatment. Many countries issued guidance about increasing take-home methadone doses after the onset of the pandemic. METHODS In this review, we compare the regulation of MMT prior to the pandemic in the United States, Canada, and Australia, analyze changes to treatment policy in the context of COVID-19, and review emerging data on treatment outcomes. RESULTS The United States only permits the prescription and disbursement of methadone for MMT treatment at federally designated opioid treatment programs (OTPs). Conversely, Australia and Canada operate on a community pharmacy-based distribution model, where patients can access methadone doses either in participating pharmacies or in some methadone clinics. CONCLUSION Given reports of similar treatment outcomes and increased patient satisfaction since the pandemic-related policy changes, some changes including increased receipt of take-home doses should be considered for incorporation into post-pandemic treatment policies and regulations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Panwala
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA.
| | - Paul Joudrey
- Center for Research on Health Care, University of Pittsburgh, PA, USA
| | - Melanie Kowalski
- Mental Health and Wellbeing Division, Department of Health, Victoria, Australia
| | - Paxton Bach
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Ofer Amram
- Department of Nutrition and Exercise Physiology, Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
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Eugenia Socias M, Choi JC, Fairbairn N, Johnson C, Wilson D, Debeck K, Brar R, Hayashi K. Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on enrollment in medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in Vancouver, Canada: An interrupted time series analysis. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 118:104075. [PMID: 37271070 PMCID: PMC10201318 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2023] [Revised: 04/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In anticipation of COVID-19 related disruptions to opioid use disorder (OUD) care, new provincial and federal guidance for the management of OUD and risk mitigation guidance (RMG) for prescription of pharmaceutical opioids were introduced in British Columbia, Canada, in March 2020. This study evaluated the combined impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and counteracting OUD policies on enrollment in medications for OUD (MOUD). METHODS Using data from three cohorts of people with presumed OUD in Vancouver, we conducted an interrupted time series analysis to estimate the combined effects impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and counteracting OUD policies on the prevalence of enrollment in MOUD overall, as well as in individual MOUDs (methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone, slow-release oral morphine) between November 2018 and November 2021, controlling for pre-existing trends. In sub-analysis we considered RMG opioids together with MOUD. RESULTS We included 760 participants with presumed OUD. In the post-COVID-19 period, MOUD and slow-release oral morphine prevalence rates showed an estimated immediate increase in level (+7.6%, 95% CI: 0.6%, 14.6% and 1.8%, 95% CI: 0.3%, 3.3%, respectively), followed by a decline in the monthly trend (-0.8% per month, 95% CI: -1.4%, -0.2% and -0.2% per month, 95% CI: -0.4, -0.1, respectively). There were no significant changes in the prevalence trends of enrollment in methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone, or when RMG opioids were considered together with MOUD. CONCLUSIONS Despite immediate improvements in MOUD enrollment in the post-COVID-19 period, this beneficial trend reversed over time. RMG opioids appeared to have provided additional benefits to sustain retention in OUD care.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Eugenia Socias
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada.
| | - Jin Cheol Choi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Nadia Fairbairn
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 2775 Laurel Street, Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9, Canada
| | - Cheyenne Johnson
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; School of Nursing, University of British Columbia, T201-2211 Wesbrook Mall. Vancouver, BC V6T 2B, Canada
| | - Dean Wilson
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Kora Debeck
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Simon Fraser University Faculty of Health Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
| | - Rupinder Brar
- Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, 5950 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada; Regional Addiction Program, Vancouver Coastal Health, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Kanna Hayashi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 2A9, Canada; Simon Fraser University Faculty of Health Sciences, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada
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20
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Ledlie S, Tadrous M, McCormack D, Campbell T, Leece P, Kleinman RA, Kolla G, Besharah J, Smoke A, Sproule B, Gomes T. Assessing the impact of the slow-release oral morphine drug shortages in Ontario, Canada: A population-based time series analysis. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 118:104119. [PMID: 37429161 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104119] [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: 03/27/2023] [Revised: 06/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Slow-release oral morphine (SROM) is used to manage pain, and as opioid agonist treatment (OAT). Between 2017 and 2021 in Canada, several drug shortages occurred for Kadian© (SROM-24). The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of these shortages on people's ability to remain on this medication. METHODS We conducted a retrospective population-based time series analysis of SROM-24 dispensed between January 1, 2014, and December 31, 2021, in Ontario, Canada. Using interventional autoregressive integrated moving average models (ARIMA) models, we evaluated the association between SROM-24 drug shortages and treatment discontinuation. Analyses were also stratified by the SROM-24 indication (pain or OAT). RESULTS We identified 22,479 SROM-24 recipients, of which one-third (33.9%) were aged 65 or above and just over half (51.9%) were female. In our primary analysis of monthly SROM-24 discontinuation, we observed a significant sustained monthly increase following the shortages in November 2019 (+0.29%/month; 95% CI: 0.16%, 0.43%; p < .001) with significant sudden, temporary changes following the shortages in March 2020 (+2.00%; 95% CI: 0.95%, 3.05%; p < .001), July 2021 (+3.53%; 95% CI: 2.20%, 4.86%; p < .001), and August 2021 (+4.98%; 95% CI: 3.49%, 6.47%; p < .001). Similar results were observed in our stratified analyses, with sustained high rates of discontinuation among people accessing SROM-24 as OAT. CONCLUSIONS The SROM-24 shortages resulted in significant treatment disruptions across all recipients. These findings have important implications for those with few treatment alternatives, including people using SROM-24 as OAT who are at risk of adverse outcomes following treatment disruptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaleesa Ledlie
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mina Tadrous
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Women's College Research Institute, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Tonya Campbell
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Pamela Leece
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Public Health Ontario, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Robert A Kleinman
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Gillian Kolla
- MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Canadian Institute for Substance Use Research, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jes Besharah
- Ontario Drug Policy Research Network Lived Experience Advisory Group, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ashley Smoke
- Ontario Drug Policy Research Network Lived Experience Advisory Group, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Beth Sproule
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Tara Gomes
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, Unity Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; ICES, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; MAP Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Institute for Health Policy, Management, and Evaluation, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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21
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Nosyk B, Kurz M, Guerra-Alejos BC, Piske M, Dale L, Min JE. Incremental expenditures attributable to daily dispensation and witnessed ingestion for opioid agonist treatment in British Columbia: 2014-20. Addiction 2023; 118:1376-1380. [PMID: 36772838 PMCID: PMC11025638 DOI: 10.1111/add.16160] [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: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM While daily witnessed opioid agonist treatment (OAT) ingestion is common in British Columbia (BC), Canada, and elsewhere, sparse evidence supports this resource-intensive practice. Many settings across North America relaxed restrictions for take-home dosing during the COVID-19 pandemic and have reported consistent or improved patient outcomes. This study measured excess expenditures attributed to daily witnessed pharmacy dispensing compared with weekly or biweekly dispensation schedules. DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS This study was a population-level retrospective analysis. We included all methadone, buprenorphine/naloxone and slow-release oral morphine dispensations in BC from 1 January 2014 to 30 December 2020. A total of 24 357 107 OAT dispensations among 51 195 unique individuals with 122 793 person-years of follow-up were included during the study period. MEASUREMENTS Total expenditures for each person-week of OAT with an estimated expenditure under two scenarios are as follows: (1) a weekly dispensation scenario and (2) a biweekly dispensation scenario. FINDINGS We estimated excess expenditures attributable to current dispensing practices of between $38 million (2014) and $47.4 million (2018) compared with a hypothetical weekly dispensing schedule, and $43.9 million (2014) to $54.9 million (2018) compared with biweekly dispensing. The majority of these expenditures (58-64%) were attributed to pharmacy dispensing fees ($23 million in 2014 to $30 million in 2018 compared with weekly dispensing; $26.6 million in 2014 to $34.7 million in 2018 compared with biweekly dispensing). CONCLUSION Daily witnessed opioid agonist treatment ingestion results in more than $30 million in excess expenditures annually in the province of British Columbia, Canada compared with the costs of weekly or biweekly dispensation schedules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bohdan Nosyk
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul’s Hospital; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University; Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Megan Kurz
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul’s Hospital; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Micah Piske
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul’s Hospital; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Laura Dale
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul’s Hospital; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Jeong Eun Min
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul’s Hospital; Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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22
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Mocanu V, Bozinoff N, Wood E, Jutras-Aswad D, Le Foll B, Lim R, Cheol Choi J, Yin Mok W, Eugenia Socias M. Opioid agonist therapy switching among individuals with prescription-type opioid use disorder: Secondary analysis of a pragmatic randomized trial. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 248:109932. [PMID: 37224674 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109932] [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: 01/04/2023] [Revised: 05/10/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Engagement and retention in opioid agonist therapy (OAT) remains a challenge. This study evaluated the impact of initial randomized OAT allocation on subsequent switching among people with prescription-type opioid use disorder (POUD). METHODS Secondary analysis of a 24-week Canadian multicenter, pragmatic, randomized trial conducted between 2017 and 2020 comparing flexible take-home buprenorphine/naloxone versus supervised methadone models of care for POUD. We used Cox Proportional Hazards modeling to assess for impact of treatment assignment on time to OAT switching, adjusting for important confounders. For clinical correlates, we analyzed data from baseline questionnaires on demographic, substance use, and health factors as well as urine drug screen. RESULTS Of 272 randomized participants, 210 initiated OAT within 14 days per trial protocol, of whom 103 participants were randomized to buprenorphine/naloxone and 107 to methadone. Within 24-week follow-up, 41 (20.5%) of all participants switched OAT with 25 (24.3%, median 27 days, 88.4 per 100 person-years) and 16 participants (15.0%, median 53.5 days, 46.1 per 100 person-years) switching from buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone arms, respectively. In adjusted analysis, allocation to buprenorphine/naloxone was associated with significantly higher risk of switching (aHR = 2.31, 95% CI 1.22 - 4.38). CONCLUSIONS OAT switching was common in this sample of individuals with POUD, with individuals randomly allocated to buprenorphine/naloxone being more than twice as likely to switch versus methadone. This may reflect a stepped care approach in OUD management. More research is needed to evaluate overall retention and outcomes with the different observed risks of switching between methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Mocanu
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Nikki Bozinoff
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Evan Wood
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Didier Jutras-Aswad
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, Montréal, QC, Canada
| | - Bernard Le Foll
- Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, Medical Sciences Building, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; Acute Care Program, CAMH, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Ron Lim
- Department of Family Medicine and Psychiatry, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada
| | - Jin Cheol Choi
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Wing Yin Mok
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - M Eugenia Socias
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
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23
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Choi S, O’Grady MA, Cleland CM, Knopf E, Hong S, D’Aunno T, Bao Y, Ramsey KS, Neighbors CJ. Clinics Optimizing MEthadone Take-homes for opioid use disorder (COMET): Protocol for a stepped-wedge randomized trial to facilitate clinic level changes. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286859. [PMID: 37294821 PMCID: PMC10256218 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286859] [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: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 05/04/2023] [Indexed: 06/11/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Regulatory changes made during the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE) that relaxed criteria for take-home dosing (THD) of methadone offer an opportunity to improve quality of care with a lifesaving treatment. There is a pressing need for research to study the long-term effects of the new PHE THD rules and to test data-driven interventions to promote more effective adoption by opioid treatment programs (OTPs). We propose a two-phase project to develop and test a multidimensional intervention for OTPs that leverages information from large State administrative data. METHODS AND ANALYSIS We propose a two-phased project to develop then test a multidimensional OTP intervention to address clinical decision making, regulatory confusion, legal liability concerns, capacity for clinical practice change, and financial barriers to THD. The intervention will include OTP THD specific dashboards drawn from multiple State databases. The approach will be informed by the Health Equity Implementation Framework (HEIF). In phase 1, we will employ an explanatory sequential mixed methods design to combine analysis of large state administrative databases-Medicaid, treatment registry, THD reporting-with qualitative interviews to develop and refine the intervention. In phase 2, we will conduct a stepped-wedge trial over three years with 36 OTPs randomized to 6 cohorts of a six-month clinic-level intervention. The trial will test intervention effects on OTP-level implementation outcomes and patient outcomes (1) THD use; 2) retention in care; and 3) adverse healthcare events). We will specifically examine intervention effects for Black and Latinx clients. A concurrent triangulation mixed methods design will be used: quantitative and qualitative data collection will occur concurrently and results will be integrated after analysis of each. We will employ generalized linear mixed models (GLMMs) in the analysis of stepped-wedge trials. The primary outcome will be weekly or greater THD. The semi-structured interviews will be transcribed and analyzed with Dedoose to identify key facilitators, barriers, and experiences according to HEIF constructs using directed content analysis. DISCUSSION This multi-phase, embedded mixed methods project addresses a critical need to support long-term practice changes in methadone treatment for opioid use disorder following systemic changes emerging from the PHE-particularly for Black and Latinx individuals with opioid use disorder. By combining findings from analyses of large administrative data with lessons gleaned from qualitative interviews of OTPs that were flexible with THD and those that were not, we will build and test the intervention to coach clinics to increase flexibility with THD. The findings will inform policy at the local and national level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sugy Choi
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY, United States of America
| | - Megan A. O’Grady
- Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Connecticut School of Medicine, Farmington, CT, United States of America
| | - Charles M. Cleland
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY, United States of America
| | - Elizabeth Knopf
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY, United States of America
| | - Sueun Hong
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY, United States of America
- New York University Wagner School of Public Policy, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Thomas D’Aunno
- New York University Wagner School of Public Policy, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Yuhua Bao
- Department of Population Health Sciences, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Kelly S. Ramsey
- New York State Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS), New York, NY, United States of America
| | - Charles J. Neighbors
- Department of Population Health, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York City, NY, United States of America
- New York University Wagner School of Public Policy, New York, NY, United States of America
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24
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Conway A, Marshall AD, Crawford S, Hayllar J, Grebely J, Treloar C. Deimplementation in the provision of opioid agonist treatment to achieve equity of care for people engaged in treatment: a qualitative study. Implement Sci 2023; 18:22. [PMID: 37296448 DOI: 10.1186/s13012-023-01281-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/12/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Deimplementation, the removal or reduction of potentially hazardous approaches to care, is key to progressing social equity in health. While the benefits of opioid agonist treatment (OAT) are well-evidenced, wide variability in the provision of treatment attenuates positive outcomes. During the COVID-19 pandemic, OAT services deimplemented aspects of provision which had long been central to treatment in Australia; supervised dosing, urine drug screening, and frequent in-person attendance for review. This analysis explored how providers considered social inequity in health of patients in the deimplementation of restrictive OAT provision during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS Between August and December 2020, semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 OAT providers in Australia. Codes relating to the social determinants of client retention in OAT were clustered according to how providers considered deimplementation in relation to social inequities. Normalisation Process Theory was then used to analyse the clusters in relation to how providers understood their work during the COVID-19 pandemic as responding to systemic issues that condition OAT access. RESULTS We explored four overarching themes based on constructs from Normalisation Process Theory: adaptive execution, cognitive participation, normative restructuring, and sustainment. Accounts of adaptive execution demonstrated tensions between providers' conceptions of equity and patient autonomy. Cognitive participation and normative restructuring were integral to the workability of rapid and drastic changes within the OAT services. Key transformative actors included communities of practice and "thought leaders" who had long supported deimplementation for more humane care. At this early stage of the pandemic, providers had already begun to consider how this period could inform sustainment of deimplementation. When considering a future, post-pandemic period, several providers expressed discomfort at operating with "evidence-enough" and called for narrowly defined types of data on adverse events (e.g. overdose) and expert consensus on takeaway doses. CONCLUSIONS The possibilities for achieving social equity in health are limited by the divergent treatment goals of providers and people receiving OAT. Sustained and equitable deimplementation of obtrusive aspects of OAT provision require co-created treatment goals, patient-centred monitoring and evaluation, and access to a supportive community of practice for providers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Conway
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia.
| | - Alison D Marshall
- The Kirby Institute, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | | | - Jeremy Hayllar
- Alcohol and Drug Service, Metro North Mental Health, Metro North Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Carla Treloar
- Centre for Social Research in Health, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
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25
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Degenhardt L, Clark B, Macpherson G, Leppan O, Nielsen S, Zahra E, Larance B, Kimber J, Martino-Burke D, Hickman M, Farrell M. Buprenorphine versus methadone for the treatment of opioid dependence: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised and observational studies. Lancet Psychiatry 2023; 10:386-402. [PMID: 37167985 DOI: 10.1016/s2215-0366(23)00095-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid dependence is associated with substantial health and social burdens, and opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is highly effective in improving multiple outcomes for people who receive this treatment. Methadone and buprenorphine are common medications provided as OAT. We aimed to examine buprenorphine compared with methadone in the treatment of opioid dependence across a wide range of primary and secondary outcomes. METHODS We did a systematic review and meta-analysis in accordance with GATHER and PRISMA guidelines. We searched Embase, MEDLINE, CENTRAL, and PsycINFO from database inception to Aug 1, 2022; clinical trial registries and previous relevant Cochrane reviews were also reviewed. We included all RCTs and observational studies of adults (aged ≥18 years) with opioid dependence comparing treatment with buprenorphine or methadone. Primary outcomes were retention in treatment at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 24 months, treatment adherence (measured through doses taken as prescribed, dosing visits attended, and biological measures), or extra-medical opioid use (measured by urinalysis and self-report). Secondary outcomes were use of benzodiazepines, cannabis, cocaine, amphetamines, and alcohol; withdrawal; craving; criminal activity and engagement with the criminal justice system; overdose; mental and physical health; sleep; pain; global functioning; suicidality and self-harm; and adverse events. Single-arm cohort studies and RCTs that collected data on buprenorphine retention alone were also reviewed. Data on study, participant, and treatment characteristics were extracted. Study authors were contacted to obtain additional data when required. Comparative estimates were pooled with use of random-effects meta-analyses. The proportion of individuals retained in treatment across multiple timepoints was pooled for each drug. This study is registered with PROSPERO (CRD42020205109). FINDINGS We identified 32 eligible RCTs (N=5808 participants) and 69 observational studies (N=323 340) comparing buprenorphine and methadone, in addition to 51 RCTs (N=11 644) and 124 observational studies (N=700 035) that reported on treatment retention with buprenorphine. Overall, 61 studies were done in western Europe, 162 in North America, 14 in north Africa and the Middle East, 20 in Australasia, five in southeast Asia, seven in south Asia, two in eastern Europe, three in central Europe, one in east Asia, and one in central Asia. 1 040 827 participants were included in these primary studies; however, gender was only reported for 572 111 participants, of whom 377 991 (66·1%) were male and 194 120 (33·9%) were female. Mean age was 37·1 years (SD 6·0). At timepoints beyond 1 month, retention was better for methadone than for buprenorphine: for example, at 6 months, the pooled effect favoured methadone in RCTs (risk ratio 0·76 [95% CI 0·67-0·85]; I·=74·2%; 16 studies, N=3151) and in observational studies (0·77 [0·68-0·86]; I·=98·5%; 21 studies, N=155 111). Retention was generally higher in RCTs than observational studies. There was no evidence suggesting that adherence to treatment differed with buprenorphine compared with methadone. There was some evidence that extra-medical opioid use was lower in those receiving buprenorphine in RCTs that measured this outcome by urinalysis and reported proportion of positive urine samples (over various time frames; standardised mean difference -0·20 [-0·29 to -0·11]; I·=0·0%; three studies, N=841), but no differences were found when using other measures. Some statistically significant differences were found between buprenorphine and methadone among secondary outcomes. There was evidence of reduced cocaine use, cravings, anxiety, and cardiac dysfunction, as well as increased treatment satisfaction among people receiving buprenorphine compared with methadone; and evidence of reduced hospitalisation and alcohol use in people receiving methadone. These differences in secondary outcomes were based on small numbers of studies (maximum five), and were often not consistent across study types or different measures of the same constructs (eg, cocaine use). INTERPRETATION Evidence from trials and observational studies suggest that treatment retention is better for methadone than for sublingual buprenorphine. Comparative evidence on other outcomes examined showed few statistically significant differences and was generally based on small numbers of studies. These findings highlight the imperative for interventions to improve retention, consideration of client-centred factors (such as client preference) when selecting between methadone and buprenorphine, and harmonisation of data collection and reporting to strengthen future syntheses. FUNDING Australian National Health and Medical Research Council.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa Degenhardt
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Brodie Clark
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Georgina Macpherson
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Oscar Leppan
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Suzanne Nielsen
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Emma Zahra
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Briony Larance
- School of Psychology and Illawarra Health and Medical Research Institute, University of Wollongong, Wollongong, NSW, Australia
| | - Jo Kimber
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Daniel Martino-Burke
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Matthew Hickman
- Population Health Science, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Michael Farrell
- National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Oviedo-Joekes E, Dobischok S, Carvajal J, MacDonald S, McDermid C, Klakowicz P, Harrison S, LaJeunesse J, Chow N, Brown M, Gill S, Schechter M. Clients' experiences on North America's first take-home injectable opioid agonist treatment (iOAT) program: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:553. [PMID: 37237256 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09558-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2023] [Accepted: 05/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To support public health measures during the COVID-19 pandemic, oral opioid agonist treatment (OAT) take-home doses were expanded in Western countries with positive results. Injectable OAT (iOAT) take-home doses were previously not an eligible option, and were made available for the first time in several sites to align with public health measures. Building upon these temporary risk-mitigating guidelines, a clinic in Vancouver, BC continued to offer two of a possible three daily doses of take-home injectable medications to eligible clients. The present study explores the processes through which take-home iOAT doses impacted clients' quality of life and continuity of care in real-life settings. METHODS Three rounds of semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted over a period of seventeen months beginning in July 2021 with eleven participants receiving iOAT take-home doses at a community clinic in Vancouver, British Columbia. Interviews followed a topic guide that evolved iteratively in response to emerging lines of inquiry. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and then coded using NVivo 1.6 using an interpretive description approach. RESULTS Participants reported that take-home doses granted them the freedom away from the clinic to have daily routines, form plans, and enjoy unstructured time. Participants appreciated the greater privacy, accessibility, and ability to engage in paid work. Furthermore, participants enjoyed greater autonomy to manage their medication and level of engagement with the clinic. These factors contributed to greater quality of life and continuity of care. Participants shared that their dose was too essential to divert and that they felt safe transporting and administering their medication off-site. In the future, all participants would like more accessible treatment such as access longer take-home prescriptions (e.g., one week), the ability to pick-up at different and convenient locations (e.g., community pharmacies), and a medication delivery service. CONCLUSIONS Reducing the number of daily onsite injections from two or three to only one revealed the diversity of rich and nuanced needs that added flexibility and accessibility in iOAT can meet. Actions such as licencing diverse opioid medications/formulations, medication pick-up at community pharmacies, and a community of practice that supports clinical decisions are necessary to increase take-home iOAT accessibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575- 1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada.
| | - Sophia Dobischok
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575- 1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - José Carvajal
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575- 1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Scott MacDonald
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Cheryl McDermid
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Piotr Klakowicz
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Scott Harrison
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Julie LaJeunesse
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Nancy Chow
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Murray Brown
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Sam Gill
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC, V6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Martin Schechter
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575- 1081 Burrard St, Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada
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Adams A, Blawatt S, MacDonald S, Finnick R, Lajeunesse J, Harrison S, Byres D, Schechter MT, Oviedo-Joekes E. Provider experiences with relaxing restrictions on take-home medications for opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic: A qualitative systematic review. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2023; 117:104058. [PMID: 37182352 PMCID: PMC10165059 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2023.104058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/01/2023] [Revised: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Historical restrictions on take-home medications for opioid use disorder have generated considerable debate. The COVID-19 pandemic shifted the perceived risks and benefits of daily clinic attendance and led to widespread policy reform, creating an unprecedented opportunity to explore the impact of more flexible prescribing. We conducted a qualitative systematic review to synthesize the evidence on providers' experiences with relaxing restrictions on take-home doses of medications prescribed for opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS The protocol for this systematic review was registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022360589; https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/). From Sept.-Nov. 2022, we searched Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycInfo, Web of Science, the Cochrane Register of Controlled Trials, and the grey literature from 2020 onward. Studies were eligible for inclusion if they used qualitative methods to investigate providers' experiences with relaxed restrictions on take-home medications for opioid use disorder during the COVID-19 pandemic. We appraised study quality using the CASP qualitative checklist and used thematic synthesis and GRADE-CERQual to synthesize the results. RESULTS We retrieved 13 articles representing 11 studies. Six were conducted in the United States and most focused on changes to methadone treatment. Providers' experiences with increased flexibilities around take-homes were broadly positive, despite widespread initial concern over client safety and the potential for medication misuse. For a small number of providers, concerns about diversion were a specific manifestation of more general unease with loss of control over clients and the treatment process. Most providers appreciated increased flexibilities and described them as enabling more individualized, person-centered care. CONCLUSION Our findings support the continuation of flexibilities around take-homes and demonstrate that regulations and policies that reduce flexibility around take-homes conflict with person-centered approaches to care. Stronger guidance and support from professional regulatory agencies may help increase uptake of flexibilities around take-homes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Adams
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575-1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Sarin Blawatt
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada; Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575-1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Scott MacDonald
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BCV6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Rhys Finnick
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575-1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Julie Lajeunesse
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BCV6B 1G6, Canada
| | - Scott Harrison
- Providence Health Care, Providence Crosstown Clinic, 84 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BCV6B 1G6, Canada
| | - David Byres
- Provincial Health Services Authority, 200-1333 W Broadway, Vancouver, BC V6H 4C1, Canada
| | - Martin T Schechter
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada; Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575-1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada
| | - Eugenia Oviedo-Joekes
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 East Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z3, Canada; Centre for Health Evaluation & Outcome Sciences, Providence Health Care, St. Paul's Hospital, 575-1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC, V6Z 1Y6, Canada.
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Enns B, Krebs E, Whitehurst DGT, Jutras-Aswad D, Le Foll B, Socias ME, Nosyk B. Cost-effectiveness of flexible take-home buprenorphine-naloxone versus methadone for treatment of prescription-type opioid use disorder. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 247:109893. [PMID: 37120920 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109893] [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: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 04/19/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Our objective was to examine the cost-effectiveness of flexible take-home buprenorphine-naloxone (BNX) versus methadone alongside the OPTIMA trial in Canada. METHODS The OPTIMA study was a pragmatic, open-label, noninferiority, two-arm randomized controlled trial, to assess the comparative effectiveness of flexible take-home BNX vs. methadone in routine clinical care for individuals with prescription-type opioid use disorder. We evaluated cost-effectiveness using a semi-Markov cohort model. Probabilities of overdose were calibrated, accounting for fentanyl prevalence and other overdose risk factors such as naloxone availability. We considered health sector and societal cost perspectives, including costs (2020 CAD) for treatment, health resource use, criminal activity, and health state-specific preference weights as outcomes to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios. Six-month and lifetime (3% annual discount rate) time-horizons were explored. RESULTS Over a lifetime time horizon, individuals accumulated -0.144 [CI: -0.302, -0.025] incremental quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) in BNX compared with methadone. Incremental costs were -$2047 [CI: -$39,197, $24,250] from a societal perspective, and -$4549 [CI: -$6332, -$3001] from a health sector perspective. Over a six-month time-horizon, individuals accumulated 0.002 [credible interval (CI): -0.011, 0.016] incremental QALYs in BNX compared with methadone. Incremental costs were -$307 [CI: -$10,385, $8466] from a societal perspective and -$1111 [CI: -$1517, -$631] from a health sector perspective. BNX was dominated (costlier, less effective) in 49.7% of simulations when adopting a societal perspective over a lifetime time horizon. CONCLUSIONS Flexible take-home BNX was not cost-effective versus methadone over a lifetime time horizon, resulting from better treatment retention in methadone compared to BNX.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Enns
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Emanuel Krebs
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David G T Whitehurst
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Didier Jutras-Aswad
- Research Centre, Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CRCHUM), 900 Saint-Denis Street, Montréal, QuébecH2X 0A9, Canada; Department of Psychiatry and Addictology, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal, 2900 boul. Edouard-Montpetit, Montréal, QuébecH3T1J4, Canada
| | - Bernard Le Foll
- Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, OntarioM5S 1A8, Canada; Department of Family and Community Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, 250 College Street, 8th floor, Toronto, OntarioM5T 1R8, Canada; Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, OntarioM5T 3M7, Canada; Translational Addiction Research Laboratory, Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Center for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 33 Ursula Franklin Street, Toronto, OntarioM5S 2S1, Canada; Acute Care Program, CAMH, 33 Ursula Franklin Street, Toronto, OntarioM5S 2S1, Canada
| | - M Eugenia Socias
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, 400-1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, British ColumbiaV6Z 2A9, Canada; Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, 1045 Howe Street, Vancouver, British ColumbiaV6Z 2A9, Canada
| | - Bohdan Nosyk
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada.
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Amram O, Rosenkrantz L, DDes SA, Schuurman N, Panwala VJ, Joudrey PJ. Availability of timely methadone treatment in the United States and Canada during COVID-19: A census tract-level analysis. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 245:109801. [PMID: 36801707 PMCID: PMC9908565 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2023.109801] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES We sought to compare timely access to methadone treatment in the United States (US) and Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS We conducted a cross-sectional study of census tracts and aggregated dissemination areas (used for rural Canada) within 14 US and 3 Canadian jurisdictions in 2020. We excluded census tracts or areas with a population density of less than one person per square km. Data from a 2020 audit of timely medication access was used to determine clinics accepting new patients within 48 h. Unadjusted and adjusted linear regressions were performed to examine the relationship between area population density and sociodemographic covariates and three outcome variables: 1) driving distance to the nearest methadone clinic accepting new patients, 2) driving distance to the nearest methadone clinic accepting new patients for medication initiation within 48 h, and 3) the difference in the driving distance between the first and second outcome. RESULTS We included 17,611 census tracts and areas with a population density greater than one person per square kilometer. After adjusting for area covariates, US jurisdictions were a median of 11.6 miles (p value <0.001) further from a methadone clinic accepting new patients and 25.1 miles (p value <0.001) further from a clinic accepting new patients within 48 h than Canadian jurisdictions. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that the more flexible Canadian regulatory approach to methadone treatment is associated with a greater availability of timely methadone treatment and reduced urban-rural disparity in availability, compared to the US.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ofer Amram
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA; Paul G. Allen School for Global Animal Health, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164, USA.
| | - Leah Rosenkrantz
- Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Solmaz Amiri DDes
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Nadine Schuurman
- Department of Geography, Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Victoria J Panwala
- Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine, Washington State University, Spokane, WA, USA
| | - Paul J Joudrey
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, USA
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Durand L, Boland F, Harnedy N, Delargy Í, Scully M, Bourke M, Ebbitt W, Vázquez MO, Keenan E, Cousins G. Impact of changes to the delivery of opioid agonist treatment, introduced during the COVID-19 pandemic, on treatment access and dropout in Ireland: An interrupted time series analysis. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2023; 149:209029. [PMID: 37003538 PMCID: PMC10063453 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2022] [Revised: 10/07/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Following the emergence of COVID-19, Ireland introduces national contingency guidelines to ensure rapid and uninterrupted access to opioid agonist treatment (OAT). This study aims to assess the impact of changes introduced to the delivery of OAT on the number of people accessing treatment and treatment dropout. METHODS The study conducted interrupted time series analyses, with separate segmented regression models (March 2019-February 2020) vs (April 2020-March 2021), for (1) total number of people accessing OAT, (2) the number initiating treatment, and (3) the number dropping out of treatment, using data from the National OAT treatment register. The study examined immediate (change in level or intercept: β2) and long-term impacts (change in slope; i.e., the difference between the slope before and after the intervention: β3). We performed total and stratified analyses by gender, age group (<40/≥40 years), and OAT drug (methadone or buprenorphine). RESULTS A total of 10,251 people accessed OAT in Ireland in March 2019 (2 % buprenorphine, n = 178), increasing to 11,441 (4 % buprenorphine, n = 471) in March 2021. The study observed an immediate (β2 = 504.3, p < 0.001) and continued (β3 = 31.9, p < 0.001) increase of people accessing treatment following the introduction of the OAT contingency guidelines. In contrast, observed changes in level and slope were not significant for treatment initiation or dropout. The study did find, however, a modest reduction in dropout among those receiving buprenorphine (β3 = -0.6, p = 0.036). CONCLUSIONS Changes introduced to the delivery of OAT, under the COVID-19 contingency guidelines, are associated with increased access to OAT in Ireland, with no evidence of increase in treatment dropout. Whether these effects will be maintained over time remains to be seen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Durand
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Science, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, First Floor, Ardilaun House (Block B), 111 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 D02 VN51, Ireland.
| | - Fiona Boland
- RCSI Data Science Centre, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaux Lane House, Mercer Street Lower, Dublin 2 D02 DH60, Ireland.
| | - Norma Harnedy
- HSE Addiction Services, PO Box 486, Corporate House, Mungret Street, Limerick V94 PV34, Ireland.
| | - Íde Delargy
- Irish College of General Practitioners, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2 D02 XR68, Ireland.
| | - Mike Scully
- National Drug Treatment Centre, 30/31 Pearse street, Dublin 2 D02 NY26, Ireland.
| | - Margaret Bourke
- Addiction Services, CHO 7. 37 Castle Street, Dublin 2 D02 H773, Ireland.
| | - William Ebbitt
- National Drug Treatment Centre, 30/31 Pearse street, Dublin 2 D02 NY26, Ireland.
| | | | - Eamon Keenan
- National Social Inclusion Office, HSE Primary Care Division, Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20 D20 KH63, Ireland.
| | - Gráinne Cousins
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Science, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, First Floor, Ardilaun House (Block B), 111 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2 D02 VN51, Ireland.
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Darnton JB, Bhatraju EP, Beima-Sofie K, Michaels A, Hallgren KA, Soth S, Grekin P, Woolworth S, Tsui JI. "Sign Me Up": a qualitative study of video observed therapy (VOT) for patients receiving expedited methadone take-homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Addict Sci Clin Pract 2023; 18:21. [PMID: 36991506 PMCID: PMC10052285 DOI: 10.1186/s13722-023-00372-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Federal and state regulations require frequent direct observation of methadone ingestion at an Opioid Treatment Program (OTP)-a requirement that creates barriers to patient access. Video observed therapy (VOT) may help to address public health and safety concerns of providing take-home medications while simultaneously reducing barriers to treatment access and long-term retention. Evaluating user experiences with VOT is important for understanding the acceptability of this strategy. METHODS We conducted a qualitative evaluation of a clinical pilot program of VOT via smartphone that was rapidly implemented between April and August 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic within three opioid treatment programs. In the program, selected patients submitted video recordings of themselves ingesting methadone take-home doses, which were asynchronously reviewed by their counselor. We recruited participating patients and counselors for semi-structured, individual interviews to explore their VOT experiences after program completion. Interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. Transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify key factors influencing acceptability and the effect of VOT on the treatment experience. RESULTS We interviewed 12 of the 60 patients who participated in the clinical pilot and 3 of the 5 counselors. Overall, patients were enthusiastic about VOT, noting multiple benefits over traditional treatment experiences, including avoiding frequent travel to the clinic. Some noted how this allowed them to better meet recovery goals by avoiding a potentially triggering environment. Most appreciated having increased time to devote to other life priorities, including maintaining consistent employment. Participants described how VOT increased their autonomy, allowed them to keep treatment private, and normalized treatment to align with other medications that do not require in-person dosing. Participants did not describe major usability issues or privacy concerns with submitting videos. Some participants reported feeling disconnected from counselors while others felt more connected. Counselors felt some discomfort in their new role confirming medication ingestion but saw VOT as a useful tool for select patients. CONCLUSIONS VOT may be an acceptable tool to achieve equipoise between lowering barriers to treatment with methadone and protecting the health and safety of patients and their communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- James B Darnton
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9th Ave, 359780, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
- Evergreen Treatment Services, Seattle, WA, 98134, USA
| | - Elenore P Bhatraju
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9th Ave, 359780, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Kristin Beima-Sofie
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Alyssa Michaels
- Division of HIV, ID, and Global Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, 94110, USA
| | - Kevin A Hallgren
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | - Sean Soth
- Evergreen Treatment Services, Seattle, WA, 98134, USA
| | - Paul Grekin
- Evergreen Treatment Services, Seattle, WA, 98134, USA
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA
| | | | - Judith I Tsui
- Division of General Internal Medicine, University of Washington, 325 9th Ave, 359780, Seattle, WA, 98195, USA.
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Kleinman RA. Suggestions for Canada’s Opioid Use Disorder Management Guidelines. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ADDICTION 2023. [DOI: 10.1097/cxa.0000000000000169] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
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Kleinman RA, Sanches M. Methadone-involved overdose deaths in the United States before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Drug Alcohol Depend 2023; 242:109703. [PMID: 36516551 PMCID: PMC9674402 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 11/07/2022] [Accepted: 11/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Few studies have characterized methadone-involved overdose deaths in the US since 2014 despite changing patterns of opioid use, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and changes to take-home dose guidance in opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in March 2020. METHODS Data on monthly overdose deaths in the US from January 1, 2007 to March 31, 2021 were obtained through CDC WONDER. Interrupted time series models were used to assess for changes in series levels starting in April 2020. Analyses were stratified by involvement of synthetic opioids in overdose deaths. RESULTS An increase in methadone-involved overdoses of 105.4 deaths per month (95 % CI: 73.8-137.0) occurred starting in April 2020 compared with prior trends (p < 0.001). Trends in methadone-involved overdose deaths showed a step increase starting in April 2020 both with (54.2 deaths per month; 95 % CI: 39.4-68.9) and without (51.7 deaths per month; 95 % CI: 23.4-78.0) synthetic opioid involvement (p < 0.001 for both). Among overdose deaths without synthetic opioids, the increase in methadone-involved overdose deaths accounted for 26.5 % of the increase between the 12-month periods before and after March 2020. The relative percentage increase in methadone-involved overdose deaths, both with and without synthetic opioid co-involvement, was highest among Hispanic and non-Hispanic Black individuals. CONCLUSIONS Methadone-involved overdose deaths, both with and without other synthetic opioid co-involvement, increased during the 12-month period after March 2020, compared with prior trends. These results provide a cautionary addition to previous findings of no or limited methadone-related harms after the US regulatory changes during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Kleinman
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
| | - Marcos Sanches
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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McCuistian C, Fokuo JK, Dumoit Smith J, Sorensen JL, Arnold EA. Ethical Dilemmas Facing Substance Use Counselors During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Subst Abuse 2023; 17:11782218231158338. [PMID: 36923068 PMCID: PMC10008725 DOI: 10.1177/11782218231158338] [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: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/13/2023]
Abstract
Introduction During the COVID-19 pandemic, substance use disorder (SUD) treatment settings experienced several abrupt changes, including decreased admissions, reduction in services, and modified requirements for medication for substance use disorder. While these changes were implemented to facilitate the maintenance of important treatment options, the ethical consequences of such changes remained unknown. The current study aimed to explore ethical issues related to COVID-19-related changes reported by counselors in SUD treatment facilities. Method From May to August 2020, we conducted 60 to 90 minutes in-depth interviews with 18 front-line staff in 1 residential and 1 outpatient treatment program, exploring issues drawn from the ethical principles of the national organization representing SUD counselors. Counselors volunteered to participate via phone or email, and participation was confidential. Interviews were conducted via videoconferencing. Topics included day-to-day experiences of ethical dilemmas in the workplace, particularly during the COVID-19 era. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and checked for accuracy and a trained team of analysts then coded transcripts using thematic analysis. Results As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, SUD treatment programs quickly modified procedures to adhere to public health mandates while also continuing to offer care to clients. SUD counselors reported several ways their programs adapted new and creative procedures to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. SUD counselors also identified several novel ethical dilemmas that occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, often resulting from the counselor balancing the needs for responding to public health mandates with providing services to clients. There were several ways that COVID-19 related changes resulted in therapeutic challenges for some clients, and the SUD counselors highlighted ways that changes resulted in more flexible services for other clients. Conclusions This study highlights the quick response to COVID-19 that occurred within SUD treatment. While these changes resulted in novel ethical dilemmas, they also offered more flexible and client-centered approaches to treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caravella McCuistian
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - J Konadu Fokuo
- Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Jaime Dumoit Smith
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - James L Sorensen
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Emily A Arnold
- Department of Medicine, Center for AIDS Prevention Studies, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
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Dong H, Stringfellow EJ, Russell WA, Bearnot B, Jalali MS. Impact of Alternative Ways to Operationalize Buprenorphine Treatment Duration on Understanding Continuity of Care for Opioid Use Disorder. Int J Ment Health Addict 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s11469-022-00985-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
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Methadone and buprenorphine-related deaths among people prescribed and not prescribed Opioid Agonist Therapy during the COVID-19 pandemic in England. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 110:103877. [PMID: 36265326 PMCID: PMC9531664 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 10/01/2022] [Accepted: 10/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The coronavirus pandemic resulted in many changes which had the potential to impact mortality related to opioid agonist therapy (OAT; methadone, buprenorphine), including changes in the prescribing and dispensing of OAT and patterns of drug availability and use. We aimed to assess the impact of the first lockdown (initiated March 23rd 2020) on methadone- and buprenorphine-related deaths in England in people both prescribed and not prescribed OAT using data from the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths. METHODS This was a retrospective post-mortem toxicology study of OAT-related deaths which occurred in the 3-month period March 23rd to June 22nd in the years 2016-2020. Provisional data regarding numbers accessing treatment for opioid use disorder was provided by the National Drug Treatment Monitoring System. RESULTS We found a 64% increase in methadone-related deaths in March to June 2020 compared to March to June 2019 (2019 n = 96; 2020 projected n = 157). There were increases in the mortality rate of both in-treatment decedents (22% increase; 2019 n = 45; an exponential smoothing model of the 2016-19 trend [α=0.5] predicted 44 deaths in 2020, 55 were reported) and decedents not prescribed methadone (74% increase; 2019 n = 46; 2016-19 trend predicted 43 deaths in 2020, 80 were reported). There was no increase in buprenorphine-related deaths (2019 n = 9/529; 2020 n = 11/566). There were no changes in the numbers of deaths where other opioids or multiple substances were detected, or in methadone levels detected. Numbers of people accessing treatment for opioid use disorder in 2020 did not decrease relative to previous years (p >0.05). CONCLUSIONS Methadone-related deaths in non-prescribed individuals, but not prescribed individuals, increased considerably above the annual trend forecast for 2020 during the first COVID-19 lockdown in England. Further studies are thus needed to understand this difference.
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Livingston NA, Davenport M, Head M, Henke R, LeBeau LS, Gibson TB, Banducci AN, Sarpong A, Jayanthi S, Roth C, Camacho-Cook J, Meng F, Hyde J, Mulvaney-Day N, White M, Chen DC, Stein MD, Weisberg R. The impact of COVID-19 and rapid policy exemptions expanding on access to medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD): A nationwide Veterans Health Administration cohort study. Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 241:109678. [PMID: 36368167 PMCID: PMC9624112 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2022] [Revised: 10/16/2022] [Accepted: 10/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In March 2020, Veterans Health Administration (VHA) enacted policies to expand treatment for Veterans with opioid use disorder (OUD) during COVID-19. In this study, we evaluate whether COVID-19 and subsequent OUD treatment policies impacted receipt of therapy/counseling and medication for OUD (MOUD). METHODS Using VHA's nationwide electronic health record data, we compared outcomes between a comparison cohort derived using data from prior to COVID-19 (October 2017-December 2019) and a pandemic-exposed cohort (January 2019-March 2021). Primary outcomes included receipt of therapy/counseling or any MOUD (any/none); secondary outcomes included the number of therapy/counseling sessions attended, and the average percentage of days covered (PDC) by, and months prescribed, each MOUD in a year. RESULTS Veterans were less likely to receive therapy/counseling over time, especially post-pandemic onset, and despite substantial increases in teletherapy. The likelihood of receiving buprenorphine, methadone, and naltrexone was reduced post-pandemic onset. PDC on MOUD generally decreased over time, especially methadone PDC post-pandemic onset, whereas buprenorphine PDC was less impacted during COVID-19. The number of months prescribed methadone and buprenorphine represented relative improvements compared to prior years. We observed important disparities across Veteran demographics. CONCLUSION Receipt of treatment was negatively impacted during the pandemic. However, there was some evidence that coverage on methadone and buprenorphine may have improved among some veterans who received them. These medication effects are consistent with expected COVID-19 treatment disruptions, while improvements regarding access to therapy/counseling via telehealth, as well as coverage on MOUD during the pandemic, are consistent with the aims of MOUD policy exemptions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas A. Livingston
- National Center for PTSD, Behavioral Sciences Division, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA,US Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Correspondence to: National Center for PTSD, VA Boston Healthcare System, 150 South Huntington Ave, Boston, MA 02130, USA
| | - Michael Davenport
- Data Science Core, Boston CSPCC, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Anne N. Banducci
- US Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,National Center for PTSD, Women’s Health Sciences Division, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Clara Roth
- Boston VA Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | - Frank Meng
- Data Science Core, Boston CSPCC, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Justeen Hyde
- Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Bedford Healthcare System, US Department of Veterans Affairs, Bedford, MA, USA,General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Norah Mulvaney-Day
- Department of Psychiatry, Cambridge Health Alliance, Harvard Medical School, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | | | - Daniel C. Chen
- Data Science Core, Boston CSPCC, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA,General Internal Medicine, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Michael D. Stein
- Health Law, Policy & Management, Boston University School of Public Health, MA, USA
| | - Risa Weisberg
- US Department of Veterans Affairs, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA,Department of Family Medicine, Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, USA,BehaVR, Inc, Elizabethtown, KY, USA
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Hallgren KA, Darnton J, Soth S, Blalock KL, Michaels A, Grekin P, Saxon AJ, Woolworth S, Tsui JI. Acceptability, feasibility, and outcomes of a clinical pilot program for video observation of methadone take-home dosing during the COVID-19 pandemic. J Subst Abuse Treat 2022; 143:108896. [PMID: 36215911 PMCID: PMC9531364 DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2022.108896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 09/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Methadone is one of the most utilized treatments for opioid use disorder. However, requirements for observing methadone dosing can impose barriers to patients and increase risk for respiratory illness transmission (e.g., COVID-19). Video observation of methadone dosing at home could allow opioid treatment programs (OTPs) to offer more take-home doses while ensuring patient safety through remote observation of ingestion. METHODS Between April and August 2020, a clinical pilot program of video observation of methadone take-home dosing via smartphone was conducted within a multisite OTP agency. Participating patients completed a COVID-19 symptom screener and submitted video recordings of themselves ingesting all methadone take-home doses. Patients who followed these procedures for a two-week trial period could continue participating in the full pilot program and potentially receive more take-home doses. This retrospective observational study characterizes patient engagement and compares clinical outcomes with matched controls. RESULTS Of 44 patients who initiated the two-week trial, 33 (75 %) were successful and continued participating in the full pilot program. Twenty full pilot participants (61 %) received increased take-home doses. Full pilot participants had more days with observed dosing over a 60-day period than matched controls (mean = 53.2 vs. 16.6 days, respectively). Clinical outcomes were similar between pilot participants and matched controls. CONCLUSIONS Video observation of methadone take-home dosing implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic was feasible. This model has the potential to enhance safety by increasing rates of observed methadone dosing and reducing infection risks and barriers associated with relying solely on face-to-face observation of methadone dosing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin A. Hallgren
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA 98195, United States,Corresponding author at: Behavioral Research in Technology and Engineering Center, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Washington Medical Center, Box 356560, 1959 NE Pacific St., Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - James Darnton
- University of Washington, Division of General Internal Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, United States,Evergreen Treatment Services, Seattle, WA 98134, United States
| | - Sean Soth
- Evergreen Treatment Services, Seattle, WA 98134, United States
| | - Kendra L. Blalock
- University of Washington, Division of General Internal Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Alyssa Michaels
- University of Washington, Division of General Internal Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
| | - Paul Grekin
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA 98195, United States,Evergreen Treatment Services, Seattle, WA 98134, United States
| | - Andrew J. Saxon
- University of Washington School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Seattle, WA 98195, United States,Center of Excellence in Substance Addiction Treatment and Education (CESATE), VA Puget Sound Health Care System, Seattle, WA 98108, United States
| | - Steve Woolworth
- Evergreen Treatment Services, Seattle, WA 98134, United States
| | - Judith I. Tsui
- University of Washington, Division of General Internal Medicine, Seattle, WA 98195, United States
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Marsden J, Brown J, Clark L, Cousijn J, Hall W, Hickman M, Holmes J, Humphreys K, Jackson SE, Peacock A, Tucker J. The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on addictive disorders-an update. Addiction 2022; 117:2762-2766. [PMID: 36068188 DOI: 10.1111/add.16033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Luke Clark
- University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | | | - Wayne Hall
- University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | | | | | - Keith Humphreys
- Veterans Affairs and Stanford University Medical Centers, Palo Alto, CA, USA
| | | | - Amy Peacock
- University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert A Kleinman
- Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, ON, Canada
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Suzanne Nielsen
- Monash Addiction Research Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Roger D Weiss
- Division of Alcohol, Drugs, and Addiction, McLean Hospital, Belmont, MA, USA
- Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
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Russell C, Lange S, Kouyoumdjian F, Butler A, Ali F. Opioid agonist treatment take-home doses ('carries'): Are current guidelines resulting in low treatment coverage among high-risk populations in Canada and the USA? Harm Reduct J 2022; 19:89. [PMID: 35948961 PMCID: PMC9363267 DOI: 10.1186/s12954-022-00671-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is the primary intervention for opioid use disorder (OUD) in Canada and the USA. Yet, a number of barriers contribute to sub-optimal treatment uptake and retention, including daily-supervised medication administration. Thus, clients are eventually granted access to take-home OAT doses (i.e., ‘carries’) to reduce this burden. However, this decision is based on physician discretion and whether patients can demonstrate stability in various life domains, many of which are inextricably linked to the social determinants of health (SDOH). Current Canadian and USA OAT carry guidance documents are not standardized and do not take the SDOH into consideration, resulting in the potential for inequitable access to OAT carries, which may be the case particularly among marginalized populations such as individuals with OUD who have been released from custody. This perspective article posits that current OAT guidelines contribute to inequities in access to OAT carries, and that these inequities likely result in disproportionately low coverage for OUD treatment among some high-risk groups, including individuals on release from incarceration in particular. Relevant impacts of COVID-19 and related policy changes are considered, and suggestions and recommendations to amend current OAT guidance documents are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cayley Russell
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 33 Ursula Franklin St, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada. .,Ontario Node, Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM), 33 Ursula Franklin St, ON, M5S 2S1, Toronto, Canada.
| | - Shannon Lange
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 33 Ursula Franklin St, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada.,Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), ON, Toronto, Canada.,Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Fiona Kouyoumdjian
- Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada.,Centre for Urban Health Solutions, St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada
| | - Amanda Butler
- Department of Family Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - Farihah Ali
- Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), 33 Ursula Franklin St, Toronto, ON, M5S 2S1, Canada.,Ontario Node, Canadian Research Initiative in Substance Misuse (CRISM), 33 Ursula Franklin St, ON, M5S 2S1, Toronto, Canada
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COVID-19 and the opportunity for gender-responsive virtual and remote substance use treatment and harm reduction services. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 108:103815. [PMID: 35969920 PMCID: PMC9359504 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Revised: 07/26/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has increased the uptake of virtual and remote service delivery in the substance use field, which was previously uncommon. This swift uptake of virtual services provides an opportunity to improve service design to meet the diverse needs of women and gender-diverse people. Such services have the potential to better meet the needs of women and gender-diverse people by allowing for increased choice, control, and autonomy, enabling empowerment, facilitating greater considerations of power relations, violence, childcare responsibilities, and fostering greater inclusion of trans and non-binary people. This commentary aims to identify how virtual and remote delivery of substance use treatment and harm reduction services can be gender-responsive. We highlight the role gender transformative services play in meeting the unique needs of women and gender-diverse people who use drugs both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. By using the unique window of opportunity COVID-19 has created to develop and deliver gender-transformative programs, we can help address the detrimental gaps in service accessibility and effectiveness that have persistently been experienced by women and gender-diverse people who use drugs.
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Garg R, Kitchen SA, Men S, Campbell TJ, Bozinoff N, Tadrous M, Antoniou T, Wyman J, Werb D, Munro C, Gomes T. Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the prevalence of opioid agonist therapy discontinuation in Ontario, Canada: A population-based time series analysis. Drug Alcohol Depend 2022; 236:109459. [PMID: 35489179 PMCID: PMC9008980 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2022.109459] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2021] [Revised: 03/19/2022] [Accepted: 04/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND We assessed the impact of COVID-19, which includes the declaration of a state of emergency and subsequent release of pandemic-specific OAT guidance (March 17, 2020 to March 23, 2020) on the prevalence of OAT discontinuation. METHODS We conducted a population-based time series analysis using interventional autoregressive integrated moving average models among Ontario residents who were stable (>60 days of continuous use) and not yet stable on OAT. Specifically, we examined whether COVID-19 impacted the weekly percentage of individuals who discontinued OAT, overall and stratified by treatment type (methadone vs. buprenorphine/naloxone). Additionally, we compared demographic characteristics and patient outcomes among people stable on OAT who discontinued treatment during (March 17, 2020 to November 30, 2020) and prior (July 3, 2019 to March 16, 2020) to the pandemic. RESULTS The weekly prevalence of OAT discontinuation across the study period ranged between 0.6% and 1.1%, among those stable on treatment compared to 7.3% and 16.6%, among those not stable on treatment. Following COVID-19, there was no significant change in the percentage of Ontarians who discontinued OAT, regardless of whether they were stabilized on treatment. Among those stable on OAT, a similar proportion of patients restarted therapy and experienced opioid-related harm following an OAT discontinuation. However, mortality following OAT discontinuation must be noted, as approximately 1.4% and 0.8% of people who discontinued methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone respectively, died within 30 days of discontinuation. CONCLUSIONS Trends in the prevalence of OAT discontinuation did not significantly change during the first eight months of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ria Garg
- Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Sophie A. Kitchen
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Siyu Men
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada
| | - Tonya J. Campbell
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Nikki Bozinoff
- Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute, Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 250 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 1R8, Canada,Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Ave, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V7, Canada
| | - Mina Tadrous
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada,Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College St, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada,Women’s College Hospital, 76 Grenville St, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1B2, Canada
| | - Tony Antoniou
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada,Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada,Department of Family and Community Medicine, University of Toronto, 500 University Ave, Toronto, Ontario M5G 1V7, Canada,Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada
| | - Jennifer Wyman
- Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College St, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada,Women’s College Hospital, 76 Grenville St, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1B2, Canada
| | - Dan Werb
- Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada,Department of Family and Community Medicine, St. Michael’s Hospital, 30 Bond Street, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada,Division of Infectious Diseases & Global Public Health at the University of California San Diego, 9500 Gilman Drive, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Charlotte Munro
- Ontario Drug Policy Research Network Lived Experience Advisory Group, Canada
| | - Tara Gomes
- Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences, 2075 Bayview Ave, Toronto, Ontario M4N 3M5, Canada; Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute of St. Michael's Hospital, 30 Bond St, Toronto, Ontario M5B 1W8, Canada; Leslie Dan Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Toronto, 144 College St, Toronto, Ontario M5S 3M2, Canada; Institute of Health Policy, Management & Evaluation at the University of Toronto, 155 College St, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M6, Canada.
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Durand L, Keenan E, Boland F, Harnedy N, Delargy Í, Scully M, Mayock P, Ebbitt W, Vázquez MO, Corrigan N, Killeen N, Pate M, Byrne P, Cousins G. Consensus recommendations for opioid agonist treatment following the introduction of emergency clinical guidelines in Ireland during the COVID-19 pandemic: A national Delphi study. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 106:103768. [PMID: 35738029 PMCID: PMC9212711 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 06/13/2022] [Accepted: 06/14/2022] [Indexed: 10/30/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Emergency contingency guidelines for opioid agonist treatment (OAT) were introduced in Ireland in March 2020, to ensure rapid and uninterrupted access to treatment while mitigating COVID-19 risk. The contingency guidelines deviated, across multiple clinical domains, from pre-pandemic clinical guidelines published in 2016. The objectives of this study are to (1) identify changes introduced to OAT clinical guidelines in Ireland during the pandemic; and (2) develop consensus on whether the new recommendations should be retained beyond the pandemic, using a national Delphi consensus methodology. METHODS Clinical guidance recommendations ('statements') were generated by comparing the newly established contingency guidelines with the national 2016 Clinical Guidelines for OAT. Over two rounds of on-line Delphi testing, a panel of experts (people currently accessing OAT, psychiatrists, general practitioners, community pharmacists, a nurse, a psychologist and support/key workers) independently rated their agreement with each statement and provided comments. Statements with a median score of 4 or 5 and a lower quartile of ≥4 were classified as having reached consensus. RESULTS Forty-eight panel members were recruited, with a high participation level at Round 2 (90%, n=43). Consensus was achieved for 12 of the 19 statements at Round 1. The 7 remaining statements were revised, with 2 new statements, resulting in 9 statements at Round 2. Four statements reached consensus at Round 2. The final list includes 16 clinical guidance statements; 9 relating to assessment, 3 to OAT drug choice and dosing, 1 to take-away doses, 2 to overdose prevention and 1 to the continuation of e-prescriptions. CONCLUSIONS A wide range of stakeholders involved in the delivery and receipt of OAT agreed on 16 clinical guidance statements for inclusion in OAT clinical guidelines as we move beyond the pandemic, rather than reverting to pre-pandemic guidelines. The agreed statements relate to facilitating safe access to OAT with minimal waiting time, supporting patient-centred care to promote health and well-being, and preventing drug overdose. Notably, consensus was not achieved for OAT drug dosage and frequency of urine testing during the stabilisation and maintenance phase of care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louise Durand
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Science, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, First Floor, Ardilaun House (Block B), 111 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, D02 VN51, Ireland
| | - Eamon Keenan
- Health Service Executive, National Social Inclusion Office, Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20, D20 KH63, Ireland
| | - Fiona Boland
- RCSI Data Science Centre and Department of General practice, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, Beaux Lane House, Mercer Street Lower, Dublin 2, D02 DH60, Ireland
| | - Norma Harnedy
- HSE Addiction Services, PO Box 486, Corporate House, Mungret Street, Limerick, V94 PV34, Ireland
| | - Íde Delargy
- Irish College of General Practitioners, Lincoln Place, Dublin 2, D02 XR68, Ireland
| | - Mike Scully
- National Drug Treatment Centre, 30/31 Pearse street, Dublin 2, D02 NY26, Ireland
| | - Paula Mayock
- School of Social Work and Social Policy, 3/4 Foster place, Trinity College Dublin Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - William Ebbitt
- National Drug Treatment Centre, 30/31 Pearse street, Dublin 2, D02 NY26, Ireland
| | - María Otero Vázquez
- UISCE, National Advocacy Service for People who use Drugs in Ireland, 8 Cabra road, Dublin 7, D07 T1W2, Ireland
| | - Nicola Corrigan
- Health Service Executive, National Social Inclusion Office, Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20, D20 KH63, Ireland
| | - Nicki Killeen
- Health Service Executive, National Social Inclusion Office, Mill Lane, Palmerstown, Dublin 20, D20 KH63, Ireland
| | - Muriel Pate
- Health Service Executive, National Quality and Patient Safety Directorate, Dr. Steeven's Hospital, Dublin 8, D08 W2A8, Ireland
| | - Paula Byrne
- Merchants Quay Ireland Head Office, Merchants Court, 24 Merchants Quay, Dublin 8, D08 × 7YK, Ireland
| | - Gráinne Cousins
- School of Pharmacy and Biomolecular Science, Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, First Floor, Ardilaun House (Block B), 111 St Stephen's Green, Dublin 2, D02 VN51, Ireland.
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Lintzeris N, Jansen L, Hayes V. Response to Steele and Acheson. Drug Alcohol Rev 2022; 41:1023-1024. [PMID: 35538671 DOI: 10.1111/dar.13478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas Lintzeris
- Drug and Alcohol Services, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.,Addiction Medicine, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia.,NSW Drug and Alcohol Clinical Research and Improvement Network, Sydney, Australia
| | - Louisa Jansen
- Drug and Alcohol Services, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.,NSW Drug and Alcohol Clinical Research and Improvement Network, Sydney, Australia
| | - Victoria Hayes
- Drug and Alcohol Services, South Eastern Sydney Local Health District, Sydney, Australia.,NSW Drug and Alcohol Clinical Research and Improvement Network, Sydney, Australia
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Evaluating interventions to facilitate opioid agonist treatment access among people who inject drugs in Toronto, Ontario during COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2022; 104:103680. [PMID: 35447476 PMCID: PMC9005368 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2022.103680] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2022] [Accepted: 03/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Background In March 2020, following a provincial COVID-19 emergency declaration, modifications to opioid agonist treatment (OAT) were introduced in Ontario, Canada to promote treatment access amid the pandemic and ongoing opioid overdose crisis. Modifications included federal exemptions to facilitate OAT prescription re-fills, extensions, and deliveries and interim treatment guidance emphasizing take-home (non-observed) doses and reduced urine drug screening for OAT patients. Methods We conducted an interrupted time series study using health administrative data from September 17th, 2019–September 21st, 2020, on 359 people who inject drugs with suspected opioid use disorder in Toronto, Ontario. We used segmented regression analyses to evaluate the joint effects of the provincial COVID-19 emergency declaration, federal OAT exemptions, and interim treatment guidance—all implemented between March 17th–23rd, 2020—on the weekly proportion of participants enrolled in OAT (i.e., ≥1 day(s) covered with methadone or buprenorphine/naloxone), with an opioid-related overdose (based on emergency department visits and hospitalizations), and who died (all-cause), and the weekly proportion of OAT-enrolled participants receiving take-home doses (i.e., ≥1 day(s) covered) and undergoing urine drug screening. Results Post-implementation, the interventions were associated with immediate absolute changes in OAT enrollment (+1.95%; 95% CI=0.04%–3.85%), receipt of take-home doses (+18.3%; 95% CI=13.2%–23.4%), and urine drug screening (-22.4%; 95% CI=[-26.9%]–[-17.9%]) and a gradual absolute increase of 0.56% in urine drug screening week-to-week (95% CI=0.27%–0.86%) beyond the pre-implementation trend. At 26 weeks post-implementation, OAT enrollment and urine drug screening approached pre-implementation levels whereas the increase in take-home doses was largely sustained (+15.0%; 95% CI=4.33%–25.6%). No post-implementation increases in opioid-related overdoses were observed. Death was not modelled (low event frequency). Conclusion Changes to OAT provision following provincial COVID-19 restrictions were associated with an immediate and sustained increase in take-home dose coverage among OAT-enrolled participants, without corresponding increases in opioid-related overdoses among all participants.
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