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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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Kamran H, Piske M, Min JE, Pearce LA, Zhou H, Homayra F, Wang L, Small W, Nosyk B. Validation and endorsement of health system performance measures for opioid use disorder in British Columbia, Canada: A Delphi panel study. DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE REPORTS 2022; 5:100095. [PMID: 36844158 PMCID: PMC9948861 DOI: 10.1016/j.dadr.2022.100095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Revised: 08/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Background Limited data exists on the performance of the healthcare system in opioid use disorder (OUD). We evaluated the face validity and potential risks of a set of health system performance measures for OUD collaboratively with clinicians, policymakers and people with lived experience of opioid use (PWLE) in the interest of establishing an endorsed set of measures for public reporting. Methods Through a two-stage Delphi-panel approach, a panel of clinical and policy experts validated and considered 102 previously constructed OUD performance measures for endorsement using information on measurement construction, sensitivity analyses, quality of evidence, predictive validity, and feedback from local PWLE. We collected quantitative and qualitative survey responses from 49 clinicians and policymakers, and 11 PWLE. We conducted inductive and deductive thematic analysis to present qualitative responses. Results A total of 37 measures of 102 were strongly endorsed (9/13 cascade of care, 2/27 clinical guideline compliance, 17/44 healthcare integration, and 9/18 healthcare utilization measures). Thematic analysis of responses revealed several themes regarding measurement validity, unintended consequences, and key contextual considerations. Overall, measures related to the cascade of care (excluding opioid agonist treatment dose tapering) received strong endorsements. PWLE highlighted barriers to accessing treatment, undignified aspects of treatment, and lack of a full continuum of care as their concerns. Conclusion We defined 37 endorsed health system performance measures for OUD and presented a range of perspectives on their validity and use. These measures provide critical considerations for health system improvement in the care of people with OUD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hasham Kamran
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Micah Piske
- 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
| | - Lindsay A Pearce
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Haoxuan Zhou
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Fahmida Homayra
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Linwei Wang
- BC Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Will Small
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health and Addiction, SFU Faculty of Health Sciences, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Bohdan Nosyk
- Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- Centre for Health Evaluation and Outcome Sciences, St. Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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