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Carmona Araújo A, Guerreiro JP, Bulhosa C, Alves da Costa F, Goulão J, Martins AP. Use and misuse of psychoactive medicines: a descriptive cross-sectional study in a densely populated region of Portugal. J Pharm Policy Pract 2024; 17:2369319. [PMID: 39081707 PMCID: PMC11288207 DOI: 10.1080/20523211.2024.2369319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 06/09/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Although psychoactive medicines (PMed) are needed in several psychiatric conditions, their use and misuse bear risks. We aimed at estimating the prevalence of PMed use and misuse. Methods Data on all PMed prescribed in 2017 and dispensed in community pharmacies of the Lisbon and Tagus Valley region of Portugal (ARSLVT) were extracted from ARSLVT medicines' dispensing database. For 21 PMed among prescription opioids, benzodiazepines and z-drugs (BZDR), antidepressants (AD) and anticonvulsants (AC), we estimated the number of users of each PMed, and assessed PMed misuse by a set of proxy indicators for studying this practice: chronic use (use of ≥180 DDD during the study period) of PMed intended for short-term treatments, concomitant use of several PMed, in particular if involving long-term (≥ 30 days) opioid analgesic (OA) use, and doctor shopping (patients consulting several physicians in order to have access to a quantity higher than intended by each prescriber). Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and hypothesis testing, and multivariate logistic regression was used to explore potential factors affecting long-term concomitant treatment of chronic OA with other PMed. Results PMed use prevalence was 21.7%: 6.6% for OA, 12.7% for benzodiazepines (BZD), 5.3% for AD and 2.8% for AC. BZDR were mainly prescribed in primary care and OA in hospital outpatients. Chronic use of PMed was observed in 25%, especially with sertraline and buprenorphine for opioid use disorder (long-term treatment), and lorazepam (short-term treatment). About 56.6% of OA chronic users were long-term concurrent users with other PMed, mainly BZDR. Risk of abuse was low for BZDR, whilst four opioids had meaningful doctor shopping indicators - fentanyl, opioid use disorder buprenorphine, morphine and hydromorphone. Conclusions BZD are the main PMed used in ARSLVT, often chronically, especially lorazepam. Prevalence of OA use is low, although with higher risk of misuse than BZDR. Concomitant use of several PMed is frequent.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Carmona Araújo
- Faculty of Pharmacy, iMed.ULisboa – Research Institute for Medicines, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - José Pedro Guerreiro
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Research/Infosaúde – National Association of Pharmacies (CEFAR/IS-ANF), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Carolina Bulhosa
- Centre for Health Evaluation & Research/Infosaúde – National Association of Pharmacies (CEFAR/IS-ANF), Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Filipa Alves da Costa
- Faculty of Pharmacy, iMed.ULisboa – Research Institute for Medicines, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - João Goulão
- ICAD – Institute on Addictive Behaviours and Dependencies, P.I., Lisbon, Portugal
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Müller D, Scholz SM, Thalmann NF, Trippolini MA, Wertli MM. Increased Use and Large Variation in Strong Opioids and Metamizole (Dipyrone) for Minor and Major Musculoskeletal Injuries Between 2008 and 2018: An Analysis of a Representative Sample of Swiss Workers. JOURNAL OF OCCUPATIONAL REHABILITATION 2024; 34:157-168. [PMID: 37040000 PMCID: PMC10899285 DOI: 10.1007/s10926-023-10115-5] [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] [Accepted: 03/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Musculoskeletal (MSK) injuries are a major contributing factor for chronic pain. To date, little is known how pain medication use in MSK injuries has changed over time. We assessed pain medication prescription for MSK injuries in a representative sample of Swiss workers between 2008 and 2018. METHODS Retrospective analysis of the Swiss Accident Insurance Fund (Suva) data. We calculated annual pain medication use, treatment days, and costs associated with pain medication use in minor and major MSK injuries. RESULTS In total, 1,921,382 cases with MSK injuries with ≥ 1 pain medication were analyzed. Whereas MSK injuries with ≥ 1 pain medication increased by 9.4%, we observed a larger increase in metamizole (+ 254%), strong opioids (+ 88.4%), coxibs (+ 85.8%), and paracetamol (+ 28.1%). Strong opioids were increasingly used in minor (+ 91.4%) and major (+ 88.3%) injuries. The increase in metamizole (+ 390.6%) and coxibs (+ 115.5%) was larger in minor injuries compared to major injuries (+ 238.7% and + 80.6%, respectively). Medical expenses decreased in all medications except for strong opioids where a substantial increase was observed (+ 192.4% in minor; + 34% in major injuries). CONCLUSIONS We observed a disproportionate increase in metamizole, strong opioids, coxibs, and paracetamol prescriptions even in minor MSK injuries between 2008 and 2018. Whereas treatment costs decreased for all pain medications, there was a substantial increase in strong opioids. A more liberal prescription practice of opioids conflict with current evidence-based practice recommendations and need to be addressed by physicians and policy makers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dominic Müller
- Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 18, 3010, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Stefan M Scholz
- Department of Statistics, Suva (Swiss National Accident Insurance Fund), Lucerne, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Fabrice Thalmann
- Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 18, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Maurizio Alen Trippolini
- Bern University of Applied Sciences, School of Health Professions, Murtenstrasse 10, 3008, Bern, Switzerland
- Institute of Physiotherapy, University Hospital of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 18, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
- Evidence-Based Insurance Medicine (EbIM), Division of Clinical Research, Department of Clinical Epidemiology, University Hospital Basel, University of Basel, Totengässlein 3, 4051, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Maria M Wertli
- Department of General Internal Medicine, University Hospital of Bern, Inselspital, Freiburgstrasse 18, 3010, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Internal Medicine, Kantonsspital Baden, Im Ergel 1, 5404, Baden, Switzerland
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Perry M, LeDuc R, Stakenas S, Wozniak A, Francois A, Evans D. Adductor Canal Nerve Block versus Intra-articular Anesthetic in Knee Arthroscopy: A Single-Blinded Prospective Randomized Trial. J Knee Surg 2024; 37:220-226. [PMID: 36807102 DOI: 10.1055/a-2037-6418] [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: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
Effective perioperative pain control following knee arthroscopy allows patients to reduce narcotic intake, avoid side effects of these medications, and recover more quickly. Adductor canal nerve blockade (ACB) and intra-articular injection of local anesthetic have been described as adjuvant treatments for postoperative pain control following surgery of the knee. This study directly compares the effect of each of these treatment modalities. Patients undergoing knee arthroscopy were blinded and randomized to receive either an ACB (n = 60) or intra-articular injection of local anesthetic (IAB, n = 64). Outcome measures included patient reported visual analog scale (VAS) scores at 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 36, 48 hours and 1 week and total narcotic consumption at 12, 24, and 48 hours postoperatively. Student's t-tests were used to compare unadjusted VAS scores at each time point and use of postoperative pain medication between treatment groups. Adjusted VAS scores were estimated in a multivariable general linear model with interaction of time and treatment group and other relevant covariates. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups in terms of gender, age, body mass index, and insurance type. ACB patients had significantly higher pain scores than IAB patients at hours 1 and 2 (hour 1: 4.02 [2.99] vs. 2.59 [3.00], p = 0.009; hour 2: 3.12 [2.44] vs. 2.17 [2.62], p = 0.040). ACB patients had higher pain scores than IAB patients up to hour 16, though hours 4 to 16 were not significantly different. Adjusted covariate analyses demonstrate an additional statistically significant reduction in pain score in the IAB group at hour 4. There were no differences in narcotic consumption. Intraoperative local anesthetic and regional ACB each provides adequate pain control following knee arthroscopy, and intraoperative local anesthetic may provide enhanced pain control for up to 4 hours postoperatively. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: : Level 1 evidence, randomized control trial.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Perry
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois
| | - Ryan LeDuc
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois
| | - Steven Stakenas
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois
| | - Amy Wozniak
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois
| | - Audrice Francois
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois
| | - Douglas Evans
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitation, Loyola University Medical Center, Maywood, Illinois
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Gimenez L, Bonis D, Morel M, Palmaro A, Dassieu L, Dupouy J. Barriers and facilitators to the involvement of general practitioners in the prescription of buprenorphine. JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE AND ADDICTION TREATMENT 2024; 156:209182. [PMID: 37858793 DOI: 10.1016/j.josat.2023.209182] [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: 02/06/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION France has one of the highest opioid agonist treatment (OAT) coverage rates in the world. French general practitioners (GPs) are providing the majority of prescriptions. However, a fall in the number of GPs initiating buprenorphine has been observed over the last decade. METHODS The objective of this study was to explore the obstacles and facilitators to the involvement of GPs in the prescription of buprenorphine. A qualitative study comprising 14 individual interviews and a focus group bringing together 5 GPs was conducted among GPs based in France between June 2021 and March 2022. We performed data analysis using a grounded theory methodology. RESULTS The interviews showed a great diversity in the level of involvement of GPs, depending on their experience, their representations of patients with OUD, their mode of exercise, and their personal preferences. The negative representations of the patients associated with the feeling of physical and ethical endangerment, the feeling of powerlessness, the fear of a disruption of the practice and the feeling of incompetence appeared at the forefront of the difficulties stated. Conversely, the strengthening of initial training and the facilitation of access to self-training tools and multidisciplinarity, the consideration of opioid use disorder (OUD) as a chronic illness with the application of a patient-centered motivational approach, as well as the defining and respecting one's own limits when prescribing buprenorphine seem to be the keys to a balanced and fulfilling practice. CONCLUSION Raising awareness of the frequency of OUD appeared to be an additional lever to enhance the interest of the GPs concerned. Additional studies focusing on the evolution of professional practices would be necessary to extend these findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laëtitia Gimenez
- Département Universitaire de Médecine Générale, Université de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine, 133 route de Narbonne, 31063 Toulouse, France; MSPU La Providence, 1 avenue Louis Blériot, 31500 Toulouse, France; CERPOP, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France
| | - Délia Bonis
- Département Universitaire de Médecine Générale, Université de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine, 133 route de Narbonne, 31063 Toulouse, France
| | - Mathilde Morel
- Département Universitaire de Médecine Générale, Université de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine, 133 route de Narbonne, 31063 Toulouse, France
| | - Aurore Palmaro
- Département Universitaire de Médecine Générale, Université de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine, 133 route de Narbonne, 31063 Toulouse, France
| | - Lise Dassieu
- Centre de Recherche du Centre Hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal, 850 rue Saint Denis, Montréal, QC H2X0A9, Canada
| | - Julie Dupouy
- Département Universitaire de Médecine Générale, Université de Toulouse, Faculté de Médecine, 133 route de Narbonne, 31063 Toulouse, France; CERPOP, Université de Toulouse, Inserm, UPS, Toulouse, France; MSPU de Pins Justaret, 1 chemin de la gare, 31860 Pins Justaret, France.
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Natali I, Dewatripont M, Ginsburgh V, Goldman M, Legros P. Prescription opioids and economic hardship in France. THE EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEALTH ECONOMICS : HEPAC : HEALTH ECONOMICS IN PREVENTION AND CARE 2023; 24:1473-1504. [PMID: 36710287 PMCID: PMC9884604 DOI: 10.1007/s10198-022-01557-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
This paper studies how opioid analgesic sales are empirically related to socioeconomic disparities in France, with a focus on poverty. This analysis is made possible using the OpenHealth database, which provides retail sales data for opioid analgesics available on the French market. We exploit firm-level data for each of the 94 departments in Metropolitan France between 2008 and 2017. We show that increases in the poverty rate are associated with increases in sales: a one percentage point increase in poverty is associated with approximately a 5% increase in mild opioid sales. Our analysis further shows that opioid sales are positively related to the share of middle-aged people and individuals with basic education only, while they are negatively related to population density. The granularity and longitudinal nature of these data allow us to control for a large pool of potential confounding factors. Our results suggest that additional interventions should be more intensively addressed toward the most deprived areas. We conclude that a combination of policies aimed at improving economic prospects and strictly monitoring access to opioid medications would be beneficial for reducing opioid-related harm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilaria Natali
- Université Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F. D. Roosevelt, 50, 1050, Brussels, Belgium.
- European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation in Healthcare (I3h), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium.
- Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), Université Toulouse 1 Capitole, Toulouse, France.
| | - Mathias Dewatripont
- European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation in Healthcare (I3h), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Victor Ginsburgh
- European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation in Healthcare (I3h), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Michel Goldman
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation in Healthcare (I3h), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Patrick Legros
- European Center for Advanced Research in Economics and Statistics (ECARES), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
- Institute for Interdisciplinary Innovation in Healthcare (I3h), Université Libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Belgium
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6
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Pieters T. The Imperative of Regulation: The Co-creation of a Medical and Non-medical US Opioid Crisis. PSYCHOACTIVES 2023; 2:317-336. [PMID: 39280929 PMCID: PMC7616444 DOI: 10.3390/psychoactives2040020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/18/2024]
Abstract
The ravaging COVID-19 pandemic has almost pushed into oblivion the fact that the United States is still struggling with an immense addiction crisis. Drug overdose deaths rose from 16,849 in 1999 to nearly 110000-of which an estimated 75,000 involved opioids-in 2022. On a yearly basis, the opioid casualty rate is higher than the combined number of victims of firearm violence and car accidents. The Covid-19 epidemic might have helped to worsen the addiction crisis by stimulating drug use among adolescents and diverting national attention to yet another public health crisis. In the past decade the sharpest increase in deaths occurred among those related to fentanyl and fentanyl analogs (illicitly manufactured, synthetic opioids of greater potency). In the first opioid crisis wave (1998-2010), opioid-related deaths were mainly associated with prescription opioids such as Oxycontin (oxycodone hydrochloride). The mass prescription of these narcotic drugs did anything but control the pervasive phenomenon of 'addiction on prescription' that played such an important role in the emergence and robustness of the US opioid crisis. Using a long-term drug lifecycle analytic approach in this article I will show how opioid producing pharmaceutical companies created a medical market for opioid painkillers. They thus fueled a consumer demand for potent opioid drugs that was eagerly capitalized on by criminal entrepreneurs and their international logistic networks. I will also point out the failure of US authorities to effectively respond to this crisis due to the gap between narcotic product regulation, regulation of marketing practices and the rise of a corporate dominated health care system. Ironically, this turned the most powerful geopolitical force in the war against drugs into its greatest victim. Due to formulary availability and regulatory barriers to accessibility European countries have been relatively protected against following suit the US opioid crisis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toine Pieters
- Freudenthal Institute and Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences (UIPS), Faculty of Science, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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7
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Donahue GS, Hagemeijer NC, Johnson AH. Republication of "How Will the Foot and Ankle Orthopedic Community Respond to the Growing Opioid Epidemic?". FOOT & ANKLE ORTHOPAEDICS 2023; 8:24730114231193423. [PMID: 37566702 PMCID: PMC10411272 DOI: 10.1177/24730114231193423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
In the midst of the current opioid crisis, it has become critically important to properly manage opioid-prescribing patterns for the treatment of postoperative pain. There is currently a scarcity of literature specifying prescription and consumption patterns following orthopedic surgery and specifically foot and ankle surgery. Clinical guidelines for postoperative pain management are deficient.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Anne Holly Johnson
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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Uusküla A, Raag M, Barnes DM, Tross S, Ave T, Des Jarlais DC. Adapted "Break the Cycle for Avant Garde" intervention to reduce injection assisting and promoting behaviours in people who inject drugs in Tallinn, Estonia: A pre- post trial. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0266815. [PMID: 37256867 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0266815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In the context of established and emerging injection drug use epidemics, there is a need to prevent and avert injection drug use. We tested the hypothesis that an individual motivation and skills building counselling, adapted and enhanced from Hunt's Break the Cycle intervention targeting persons currently injecting drugs would lead to reduction in injection initiation-related behaviours among PWID in Tallinn, Estonia. For this quasi-experimental study, pre-post outcome measures included self-reported promoting behaviours (speaking positively about injecting to non-injectors, injecting in front of non-injectors, offering to give a first injection) and injection initiation behaviours (assisting with or giving a first injection) during the previous 6 months. Of 214 PWID recruited, 189 were retained (88.3%) for the follow-up at 6 months. The proportion of those who had injected in front of non-PWID significantly declined from 15.9% to 8.5%, and reporting assisting with 1st injection from 6.4% to 1.06%. Of the current injectors retained in the study, 17.5% reported not injecting drugs at the follow up. The intervention adapted for the use in the setting of high prevalence of HIV and relatively low prevalence of injection assisting, tested proved to be effective and safe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anneli Uusküla
- Department of Family medicine and Public Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Mait Raag
- Department of Family medicine and Public Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - David M Barnes
- College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Susan Tross
- HIV Center for Clinical and Behavioural Studies, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Talu Ave
- Department of Family medicine and Public Health, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Don C Des Jarlais
- College of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, New York, United States of America
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Hua Y, Shi G, Zheng X, Huang C, Xu Y, Huang G, Wang W, Lu C, Guo L. Sex differences in the associations of non-medical use of prescription drugs with depressive and anxiety symptoms among undergraduates in China. J Affect Disord 2023; 332:254-261. [PMID: 37031877 DOI: 10.1016/j.jad.2023.04.002] [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: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/03/2023] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Non-medical use of prescription drugs (NMUPD) and their association with depression and anxiety are becoming global concerns. Biological sex may introduce differential exposure to NMUPD or depressive/anxiety symptoms. However, few studies have investigated the potential sex differences in the associations of NMUPD with depressive/anxiety symptoms. METHODS Data were drawn from the 2019 School-based Chinese College Students Health Survey. A total of 30,039 undergraduates (mean age: 19.8 [SD: 1.3] years) from sixty universities/colleges in China completed standard questionnaires and were included in the study (response rate: 97.7 %). RESULTS In the final adjusted model, non-medical use of opioids (experimenters: β = 1.10, [95 % CI, 0.62 to 1.57]) or sedatives (frequent users: β = 2.98, [95 % CI, 0.70 to 5.26]) was associated with depressive symptoms, while non-medical use of opioids (frequent users: β = 1.37, [95 % CI, 0.32 to 2.42]) or sedatives (frequent users: β = 1.19, [95 % CI, 0.35 to 2.03]) was also associated with anxiety symptoms. Sex-stratified analyses indicated that lifetime opioids misuse was associated with depressive symptoms in both sexes but with anxiety symptoms only in males (β = 0.39, [95 % CI, 0.09 to 0.70]). The association of lifetime sedative misuse with depressive symptoms was greater in males, while the significant association with anxiety symptoms remained only in female (β = 0.52, [95 % CI, 0.14 to 0.91]). LIMITATIONS Causal inference cannot be made due to the cross-sectional nature of the data. CONCLUSIONS Our study suggests NMUPD is associated with depressive and anxiety symptoms among Chinese undergraduates, and the associations may differ by sex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yilin Hua
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Guangduoji Shi
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyu Zheng
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Cuihong Huang
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Yan Xu
- Center for ADR Monitoring of Guangdong, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Guoliang Huang
- Center for ADR Monitoring of Guangdong, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Wanxin Wang
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China
| | - Ciyong Lu
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
| | - Lan Guo
- Department of Medical Statistics and Epidemiology, School of Public Health, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510080, People's Republic of China.
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Medina Martí P, López-Vílchez MÁ, Hernández Julián I, Mur Sierra A. Retrospective cross-sectional study of the evolution of the use of pharmacological opioids and heroin in a population group in the Barcelona area. Med Clin (Barc) 2023; 160:289-297. [PMID: 35931570 DOI: 10.1016/j.medcli.2022.07.001] [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: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/12/2022] [Indexed: 10/16/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Opioid dependence is causing an epidemic in the US, but unlike the 1970s it seems more related to prescription opioids than heroin. OBJECTIVES The objective of this study is to assess whether this new epidemic has already reached our environment and to see if there are changes in consumption and in the characteristics of consumers. PATIENTS AND METHODS Retrospective cross-sectional study. 1,140 patients were included between 2012 and 2019, 633 of whom were first visits to Drug Addiction Care and (CAS) Monitoring Centers, 502 corresponding to emergency room visits for problems related to overdose or withdrawal of heroin or opioids with prescription, and the remaining 5 are newborns of mothers addicted to heroin. Demographic data and characteristics of the substances of abuse were analyzed, comparing between partial periods. RESULTS There was a global decrease in the first visits of patients to the CAS who reported heroin addiction (P=.001), while those addicted to pharmacy opioids have remained stable. There has been an irregular increase in total emergency visits, overdose consultations, and withdrawal consultations, both for heroin and prescription opioids (P=.062, P=.166 and P=.005, respectively). Opioid-related emergencies have been less frequent than for heroin. Non-Spanish European patients have increased compared to Spanish patients. CONCLUSION There has been no worrying increase in heroin or prescription opioid abuse in our setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pere Medina Martí
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra-Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España
| | | | - Irene Hernández Julián
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra-Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Hospital del Mar, Barcelona, España
| | - Antonio Mur Sierra
- Servicio de Pediatría, Hospital del Mar, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, España
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11
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Delorme J, Kerckhove N, Authier N, Pereira B, Bertin C, Chenaf C. Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of the Prevalence of Chronic Pain Among Patients With Opioid Use Disorder and Receiving Opioid Substitution Therapy. THE JOURNAL OF PAIN 2023; 24:192-203. [PMID: 36220483 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpain.2022.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2022] [Revised: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
To assess studies examining the prevalence of chronic pain (CP) in patients treated with Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST - buprenorphine or methadone) for Opioid Used Disorder (OUD), we conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the literature between the years 2000 and 2020. We searched EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cochrane, and MEDLINE databases and included studies assessing the prevalence of CP in OUD adults treated with OST. The studies were assessed for risk of bias and overall quality and the results were pooled using a random-effects model. Subgroup analyses and meta-regressions were used to identify possible factors associated with CP. Twenty-three studies reported data on the prevalence of CP in patients treated with OST were evaluated. The prevalence obtained was 45.3% (CI95% [38.7; 52.1]). Overall, 78.3% of the studies had a low risk of bias. Subgroup analysis estimates did not vary according to gender, OST, and CP duration. However, it appeared that the clinical settings was associated with a lower CP prevalence when assessed in primary care sites. Our study provided an estimate regarding the prevalence of CP among OST patients. These patients deserve specific attention from health professionals and health authorities. Thus, the real challenge in OST patients is the implementation of a multidisciplinary approach to manage CP. PERSPECTIVE: Our meta-analysis provided an estimate of CP prevalence, reaching almost 50% of OUD patients with OST. Thus, the urgent challenge in OST patients is to pay systematic attention to chronic pain diagnosis, along with the implementation of a multidisciplinary patient-focused approach for an appropriate management of CP. REGISTRATION: PROSPERO (CRD42021284790).
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Affiliation(s)
- Jessica Delorme
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Service de Pharmacologie médicale, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Observatoire Français des Médicaments Antalgiques (OFMA) / French monitoring centre for analgesic drugs, Université Clermont Auvergne - CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Nicolas Kerckhove
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Service de Pharmacologie médicale, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Observatoire Français des Médicaments Antalgiques (OFMA) / French monitoring centre for analgesic drugs, Université Clermont Auvergne - CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Institut Analgesia, Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - Nicolas Authier
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Service de Pharmacologie médicale, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Observatoire Français des Médicaments Antalgiques (OFMA) / French monitoring centre for analgesic drugs, Université Clermont Auvergne - CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Institut Analgesia, Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Bruno Pereira
- CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Secteur Biométrie et Médico-économie, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Célian Bertin
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Service de Pharmacologie médicale, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Observatoire Français des Médicaments Antalgiques (OFMA) / French monitoring centre for analgesic drugs, Université Clermont Auvergne - CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Institut Analgesia, Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Chouki Chenaf
- Université Clermont Auvergne, CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Service de Pharmacologie médicale, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Observatoire Français des Médicaments Antalgiques (OFMA) / French monitoring centre for analgesic drugs, Université Clermont Auvergne - CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Institut Analgesia, Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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12
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Ing Lorenzini K, Wainstein L, Spechbach H, Sarasin F, Ramlawi M, Desmeules J, Piguet V. Opioid-related adverse drug reactions in patients visiting the emergency division of a tertiary hospital. Pharmacol Res Perspect 2022; 10:e01033. [PMID: 36404650 PMCID: PMC9676686 DOI: 10.1002/prp2.1033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioid use and associated morbidity and mortality have increased in several countries during the past 20 years. We performed a study whose objective was to assess the frequency and causes of opioid-related emergency division (ED) visits in an adult tertiary Swiss University Hospital over 9 weeks in 2018. We primarily assessed opioid-related adverse drug reactions (ADR), secondary overdose, misuse, abuse, and insufficient pain relief. Current opioid use was identified in 1037 (8.3%) of the 12 470 included ED visits. In 64 opioid users, an ADR was identified as a contributing cause of the ED visit, representing 6.2% of opioid users, and 0.5% of the total ED visits. Moreover, we identified an overdose in 16 opioid users, misuse or abuse in 19 opioid users, and compatible withdrawal symptoms in 7 opioid users. After pooling all these events, we conclude that the ED visits could be related to opioid use in 10.2% of opioid users. Finally, in 201 opioid users, insufficient pain relief (pain not responding to the current pharmacological treatment) was identified as a contributing cause of ED visits. In these cases, other factors than simply pharmacological nonresponse may have been involved. In the context of an ever-increasing opioid use to better control chronic pain situations, these results should reinforce emergency network epidemiological surveillance studies at a national level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kuntheavy Ing Lorenzini
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency MedicineUniversity Hospitals of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Faculty of MedicineUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Laura Wainstein
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency MedicineUniversity Hospitals of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Hervé Spechbach
- Faculty of MedicineUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Division of Primary Care, Department of Primary Care MedicineUniversity Hospitals of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - François Sarasin
- Faculty of MedicineUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Division of Emergency Medicine, Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency MedicineUniversity Hospitals of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Majd Ramlawi
- Division of Emergency MedicineLa Tour Medical GroupMeyrinSwitzerland
| | - Jules Desmeules
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency MedicineUniversity Hospitals of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
- Faculty of MedicineUniversity of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
| | - Valérie Piguet
- Division of Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, Multidisciplinary Pain Center, Department of Anaesthesiology, Pharmacology, Intensive Care and Emergency MedicineUniversity Hospitals of GenevaGenevaSwitzerland
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13
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Hurtado I, Robles C, Peiró S, García-Sempere A, Llopis-Cardona F, Sánchez-Sáez F, Rodríguez-Bernal C, Sanfélix-Gimeno G. Real-world patterns of opioid therapy initiation in Spain, 2012-2018: A population-based, retrospective cohort study with 957,080 patients and 1,509,488 initiations. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:1025340. [PMID: 36467078 PMCID: PMC9709437 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.1025340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction: Europe has seen a steady increase in the use of prescription opioids, especially in non-cancer indications. Epidemiological data on the patterns of use of opioids is required to optimize prescription. We aim to describe the patterns of opioid therapy initiation for non-cancer pain and characteristics of patients treated in a region with five million inhabitants in the period 2012 to 2018. Methods: Population-based retrospective cohort study of all adult patients initiating opioid therapy for non-cancer pain in the region of Valencia. We described patient characteristics at baseline and the characteristics of baseline and subsequent treatment initiation. We used multinominal regression models to identify individual factors associated with initiation. Results: A total of 957,080 patients initiated 1,509,488 opioid treatments (957,080 baseline initiations, 552,408 subsequent initiations). For baseline initiations, 738,749 were with tramadol (77.19%), 157,098 with codeine (16.41%) 58,436 (6.11%) with long-acting opioids, 1,518 (0.16%) with short-acting opioids and 1,279 (0.13%) with ultrafast drugs. When compared to tramadol, patients initiating with short-acting, long-acting and ultrafast opioids were more likely to be older and had more comorbidities, whereas initiators with codeine were more prone to be healthier and younger. Treatments lasting less than 7 days accounted for 41.82% of initiations, and 11.89% lasted more than 30 days. 19.55% of initiators with ultrafast fentanyl received more than 120 daily Morphine Milligram Equivalents (MME), and 16.12% of patients initiating with long-acting opioids were prescribed more than 90 daily MME (p < 0.001). Musculoskeletal indications accounted for 65.05% of opioid use. Overlap with benzodiazepines was observed in 24.73% of initiations, overlap with gabapentinoids was present in 11.04% of initiations with long-acting opioids and 28.39% of initiators with short-acting opioids used antipsychotics concomitantly. In subsequent initiations, 55.48% of treatments included three or more prescriptions (vs. 17.60% in baseline initiations) and risk of overlap was also increased. Conclusion: Opioids are initiated for a vast array of non-oncological indications, and, despite clinical guidelines, short-acting opioids are used marginally, and a significant number of patients is exposed to potentially high-risk patterns of initiation, such as treatments lasting more than 14 days, treatments surpassing 50 daily MMEs, initiating with long-acting opioids, or hazardous overlapping with other therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel Hurtado
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Celia Robles
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Salvador Peiró
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Aníbal García-Sempere
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Fran Llopis-Cardona
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Francisco Sánchez-Sáez
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Clara Rodríguez-Bernal
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
| | - Gabriel Sanfélix-Gimeno
- Health Services Research Unit, Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of Valencia Region, Valencia, Fisabio
- Network for Research on Chronicity Primary Care and Health Promotion (RICAPPS), Valencia, Fisabio
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14
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Wolf A, Sant'Anna A, Vilhelmsson A. Using nudges to promote clinical decision making of healthcare professionals: A scoping review. Prev Med 2022; 164:107320. [PMID: 36283484 DOI: 10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.107320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2022] [Revised: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 10/18/2022] [Indexed: 10/31/2022]
Abstract
Nudging has been discussed in the context of policy and public health, but not so much within healthcare. This scoping review aimed to assess the empirical evidence on how nudging techniques can be used to affect the behavior of healthcare professionals (HCPs) in clinical settings. A systematic database search was conducted for the period January 2010-December 2020 using the PRISMA extension for Scoping Review checklist. Two reviewers independently screened each article for inclusion. Included articles were reviewed to extract key information about each intervention, including purpose, target behavior, measured outcomes, key findings, nudging strategies, intervention objectives and their theoretical underpinnings. Two independent dimensions, building on Kahneman's System 1 and System 2, were used to describe nudging strategies according to user action and timing of their implementation. Of the included 51 articles, 40 reported statistically significant results, six were not significant and two reported mixed results. Thirteen different nudging strategies were identified aimed at modifying four types of HPCs' behavior: prescriptions and orders, procedure, hand hygiene, and vaccination. The most common nudging strategy employed were defaults or pre-orders, followed by alerts or reminders, and active choice. Many interventions did not require any deliberate action from users, here termed passive interventions, such as automatically changing prescriptions to their generic equivalent unless indicated by the user. Passive nudges may be successful in changing the target outcome but may go unnoticed by the user. Future work should consider the broader ethical implications of passive nudges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Axel Wolf
- University of Gothenburg, Centre for Person-Centred Care (GPCC), Sweden; University of Gothenburg, Institute of Health and Care Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, Sweden
| | | | - Andreas Vilhelmsson
- Lund University, Department of Laboratory Medicine, Division of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Sweden.
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15
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Kriikku P, Kalso E, Ojanperä I. Post-mortem oxycodone blood concentrations of hospitalized cancer and surgery patients compared with fatal poisonings. Int J Legal Med 2022; 136:1577-1583. [PMID: 36068331 PMCID: PMC9576662 DOI: 10.1007/s00414-022-02890-2] [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] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
Oxycodone is a strong opioid drug commonly used to treat acute, cancer, and chronic non-malignant pain. In this study, all oxycodone-related medico-legal cases where death had occurred in a hospital or nursing home in Finland were investigated to determine the range of post-mortem (PM) oxycodone blood concentrations in a therapeutic setting. All toxicology cases in which oxycodone was detected in PM femoral blood during the 4-year period of 2016–2019 in Finland were retrieved from the national PM toxicology database. In this material, the 365 deceased hospital patient cases that met the study inclusion criteria were divided into four groups according to the cause and manner of death. The reference group of 121 fatal oxycodone poisoning cases comprised two groups: those with verified associated drug abuse and those without drug abuse. The median oxycodone concentration in PM blood was significantly higher in cancer patients (0.10 mg/L) than in patients with recent surgery (0.07 mg/L) or other disease (0.06 mg/L) (p < 0.05). In addition, the median oxycodone concentration was significantly lower in all hospital patient groups than in the poisoning groups, the latter displaying 0.38 mg/L (abuse) and 0.64 mg/L (no abuse) (p < 0.001). This study shows that half of the subjects in the cancer patient group had PM blood oxycodone concentrations above the typical clinical therapeutic plasma concentration range (0.005–0.10 mg/L). Appropriate medication of hospitalized surgery and cancer patients can result in concentrations of up to 0.2 and 0.6 mg/L, respectively, while higher concentrations are exceptional.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pirkko Kriikku
- Forensic Toxicology Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Eija Kalso
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.,Department of Pharmacology and SleepWell Research Programme, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilkka Ojanperä
- Forensic Toxicology Unit, Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Helsinki, Finland. .,Department of Forensic Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
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16
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Carrasco-Garrido P, Gallardo-Pino C, Jiménez-Trujillo I, Hernández-Barrera V, García-Gómez-Heras S, Lima Florencio L, Palacios-Ceña D. Nationwide Population-Based Study About Patterns of Prescription Opioid Use and Misuse Among Young Adults in Spain. Int J Public Health 2022; 67:1604755. [PMID: 36059585 PMCID: PMC9437214 DOI: 10.3389/ijph.2022.1604755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective: Prescription opioid misuse has become one of the most common ways drugs are consumed among young adults. The objective of our study was to describe the prevalence and factors associated with prescription opioid use and misuse among young adults living in Spain.Methods: A nationwide, cross-sectional epidemiological study on the use and misuse of prescription opioids in Spanish Youngers. We used individualized secondary data provided by the Household Survey on Alcohol and Drugs in Spain 2017–2018.Results: Prevalence of prescription opioid use among young adults was 4.89%. Misuse among this population reached prevalence values of 13.4%, with higher values observed among women . The variables associated with a greater probability of prescription opioid use and misuse were misuse of tranquilizers, sedatives, and sleeping pills, along with using cannabis and other illicit psychoactive drugs (aOR = 2.99; 95% CI: 1.10–8.15).Conclusion: Prescription opioid use and misuse in Youngers has important implications for the Spanish public health system, because, even though not currently comparable to the situation in other countries, this drug use could be on the verge of creating similar problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pilar Carrasco-Garrido
- Department of Medical Specialties and Public Health, Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
- *Correspondence: Pilar Carrasco-Garrido,
| | - Carmen Gallardo-Pino
- Department of Medical Specialties and Public Health, Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Isabel Jiménez-Trujillo
- Department of Medical Specialties and Public Health, Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Valentín Hernández-Barrera
- Department of Medical Specialties and Public Health, Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Soledad García-Gómez-Heras
- Department of Basic Health Sciences, Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Lidiane Lima Florencio
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
| | - Domingo Palacios-Ceña
- Department of Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Rehabilitation and Physical Medicine, Health Sciences Faculty, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Alcorcón, Spain
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17
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Ishola IO, Eneanya SU, Folarin OR, Awogbindin IO, Abosi AJ, Olopade JO, Okubadejo NU. Tramadol and Codeine Stacking/Boosting Dose Exposure Induced Neurotoxic Behaviors, Oxidative Stress, Mitochondrial Dysfunction, and Neurotoxic Genes in Adolescent Mice. Neurotox Res 2022; 40:1304-1321. [PMID: 35829998 DOI: 10.1007/s12640-022-00539-x] [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: 06/10/2022] [Revised: 06/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In spite of the increasing epidemic of pharmaceutical opioids (codeine and tramadol) misuse and abuse among the adolescents, little is known about the neurotoxic consequences of the widespread practice of tramadol and codeine abuse involving increasing multiple doses across days, referred to as stacking and boosting. Hence, in this study, we replicated stacking and boosting doses of tramadol, codeine alone, or in combination on spontaneous motor activity and cognitive function in adolescent mice and adduced a plausible mechanism of possible neurotoxicity. Ninety-six adolescent mice were randomly distributed into 4 groups (n = 24 per group) and treated thrice daily for 9 days with vehicle, tramadol (20, 40, or 80 mg/kg), codeine (40, 80, or 160 mg/kg), or their combinations. Exposure of mice to tramadol induced hyperactivity and stereotypic behavior while codeine exposure caused hypoactivity and nootropic effect but tramadol-codeine cocktail led to marked reduction in spontaneous motor activity and cognitive function. In addition, tramadol, codeine, and their cocktail caused marked induction of nitroso-oxidative stress and inhibition of mitochondrial complex I activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and midbrain (MB). Real-time PCR expression profiling of genes encoding neurotoxicity (RT) showed that tramadol exposure upregulate 57 and downregulate 16 neurotoxic genes, codeine upregulate 45 and downregulate 25 neurotoxic genes while tramadol-codeine cocktail upregulate 52 and downregulate 20 neurotoxic genes in the PFC. Findings from this study demonstrate that the exposure of adolescents mice to multiple and increasing doses of tramadol, codeine, or their cocktail lead to spontaneous motor coordination deficits indicative of neurotoxicity through induction of oxidative stress, inhibition of mitochondrial complex I activity and upregulation of neurotoxicity encoding genes in mice.
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Affiliation(s)
- I O Ishola
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria.
| | - S U Eneanya
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
| | - O R Folarin
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - I O Awogbindin
- Neuroimmunology Group, Molecular Drug Metabolism and Toxicology Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria
| | - A J Abosi
- Department of Pharmacology, Therapeutics and Toxicology, Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
| | - J O Olopade
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, University of Ibadan, Ibadan Oyo State, Nigeria
| | - N U Okubadejo
- Department of Medicine, Neurology Unit, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, Lagos State, Nigeria
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18
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Fiore JF, El-Kefraoui C, Chay MA, Nguyen-Powanda P, Do U, Olleik G, Rajabiyazdi F, Kouyoumdjian A, Derksen A, Landry T, Amar-Zifkin A, Bergeron A, Ramanakumar AV, Martel M, Lee L, Baldini G, Feldman LS. Opioid versus opioid-free analgesia after surgical discharge: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised trials. Lancet 2022; 399:2280-2293. [PMID: 35717988 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(22)00582-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 03/12/2022] [Accepted: 03/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Excessive opioid prescribing after surgery has contributed to the current opioid crisis; however, the value of prescribing opioids at surgical discharge remains uncertain. We aimed to estimate the extent to which opioid prescribing after discharge affects self-reported pain intensity and adverse events in comparison with an opioid-free analgesic regimen. METHODS In this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, Scopus, AMED, Biosis, and CINAHL from Jan 1, 1990, until July 8, 2021. We included multidose randomised controlled trials comparing opioid versus opioid-free analgesia in patients aged 15 years or older, discharged after undergoing a surgical procedure according to the Physiological and Operative Severity Score for the Enumeration of Mortality and Morbidity definition (minor, moderate, major, and major complex). We screened articles, extracted data, and assessed risk of bias (Cochrane's risk-of-bias tool for randomised trials) in duplicate. The primary outcomes of interest were self-reported pain intensity on day 1 after discharge (standardised to 0-10 cm visual analogue scale) and vomiting up to 30 days. Pain intensity at further timepoints, pain interference, other adverse events, risk of dissatisfaction, and health-care reutilisation were also assessed. We did random-effects meta-analyses and appraised evidence certainty using the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluations scoring system. The review was registered with PROSPERO (ID CRD42020153050). FINDINGS 47 trials (n=6607 patients) were included. 30 (64%) trials involved elective minor procedures (63% dental procedures) and 17 (36%) trials involved procedures of moderate extent (47% orthopaedic and 29% general surgery procedures). Compared with opioid-free analgesia, opioid prescribing did not reduce pain on the first day after discharge (weighted mean difference 0·01cm, 95% CI -0·26 to 0·27; moderate certainty) or at other postoperative timepoints (moderate-to-very-low certainty). Opioid prescribing was associated with increased risk of vomiting (relative risk 4·50, 95% CI 1·93 to 10·51; high certainty) and other adverse events, including nausea, constipation, dizziness, and drowsiness (high-to-moderate certainty). Opioids did not affect other outcomes. INTERPRETATION Findings from this meta-analysis support that opioid prescribing at surgical discharge does not reduce pain intensity but does increase adverse events. Evidence relied on trials focused on elective surgeries of minor and moderate extent, suggesting that clinicians can consider prescribing opioid-free analgesia in these surgical settings. Data were largely derived from low-quality trials, and none involved patients having major or major-complex procedures. Given these limitations, there is a great need to advance the quality and scope of research in this field. FUNDING The Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julio F Fiore
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Division of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Charbel El-Kefraoui
- Division of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Philip Nguyen-Powanda
- Division of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Uyen Do
- Division of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Ghadeer Olleik
- Division of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Fateme Rajabiyazdi
- Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Systems and Computer Engineering, Carleton University, ON, Canada
| | - Araz Kouyoumdjian
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Division of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Alexa Derksen
- Patient Representative, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Tara Landry
- Medical Libraries, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada; Bibliothèque de la Santé, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Amy Bergeron
- Medical Libraries, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Agnihotram V Ramanakumar
- Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Marc Martel
- Faculty of Dentistry, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Anaesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Lawrence Lee
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Division of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Gabriele Baldini
- Division of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Department of Anaesthesia, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Liane S Feldman
- Department of Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Division of Experimental Surgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC, Canada; Steinberg-Bernstein Centre for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Innovation, McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada; Centre for Outcomes Research and Evaluation, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada
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Guastella V, Delorme J, Chenaf C, Authier N. The Prevalence of Off-label Prescribing of Transmucosal Immediate-Release Fentanyl in France. J Pain Symptom Manage 2022; 63:980-987. [PMID: 35192879 DOI: 10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2022.02.016] [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: 11/07/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
CONTEXT The abuse of opioids and opioid-related harms, including deaths, in the United States are well documented. In the European Union, opioid use has also been increasing, particularly of fentanyl. OBJECTIVE We assessed the prevalence of off-label prescribing of transmucosal immediate-release fentanyl (TIRF), in France, in 2019. We looked at the patients' and prescribers' characteristics and compared the population of patients who received TIRF in off-label prescriptions with those taking it on-label. We also examined the differences between the patients with and without cancer in the off-label use population. METHODS This was a population-based cross-sectional study conducted in 2019, using the French national insurance claims database Système National d'Informations Inter-Régimes de l'Assurance Maladie, covering 98.8% of the French population, or 66 million people. RESULTS We selected 224,000 patients with fentanyl prescriptions. Among them, 23,209 had at least one TIRF delivered. The median age was 71 years (59-85) and most patients were female (55.8%). The prevalence of off-label prescribing of TIRF was 51.8% (n = 12,031), corresponding to 9827 patients not diagnosed with cancer. The three main pharmaceutical TIRF specialties prescribed in two groups were Abstral, Pecfent, and Instanyl. Overall, TIRF was mainly prescribed by private general practitioners (64.8%). CONCLUSION The prevalence of off-label prescribing of TIRF in France is extremely high. A field survey is now needed 1) to better understand why TIRF is used in conditions not indicated in its marketing authorization, and in what clinical situations, and 2) to determine whether the benefit/risk ratio of such use is favorable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Virginie Guastella
- Université de Clermont Auvergne (V.G.), CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Palliative Care Center, Clermont-Ferrand, France.
| | - Jessica Delorme
- Université de Clermont Auvergne (J.D., C.C., N.A.), CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Service Pharmacologie médicale, Centres d'Addictovigilance et Pharmacovigilance, Centre Evaluation et Traitement de la douleur, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Observatoire français des Médicaments Antalgiques (OFMA/French Monitoring Centre for Analgesic Drugs) (J.D., C.C., N.A.), Université Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Institut Analgésia (J.D.), Faculté de Médecine, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Chouki Chenaf
- Université de Clermont Auvergne (J.D., C.C., N.A.), CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Service Pharmacologie médicale, Centres d'Addictovigilance et Pharmacovigilance, Centre Evaluation et Traitement de la douleur, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Observatoire français des Médicaments Antalgiques (OFMA/French Monitoring Centre for Analgesic Drugs) (J.D., C.C., N.A.), Université Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Nicolas Authier
- Université de Clermont Auvergne (J.D., C.C., N.A.), CHU Clermont-Ferrand, Inserm, Neuro-Dol, Service Pharmacologie médicale, Centres d'Addictovigilance et Pharmacovigilance, Centre Evaluation et Traitement de la douleur, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Observatoire français des Médicaments Antalgiques (OFMA/French Monitoring Centre for Analgesic Drugs) (J.D., C.C., N.A.), Université Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France; Observatoire français des Médicaments Antalgiques (OFMA/French Monitoring Centre for Analgesic Drugs (N.A.), Université Clermont-Ferrand, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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20
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Chiappini S, Vickers-Smith R, Guirguis A, Corkery JM, Martinotti G, Harris DR, Schifano F. Pharmacovigilance Signals of the Opioid Epidemic over 10 Years: Data Mining Methods in the Analysis of Pharmacovigilance Datasets Collecting Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) Reported to EudraVigilance (EV) and the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS). Pharmaceuticals (Basel) 2022; 15:ph15060675. [PMID: 35745593 PMCID: PMC9231103 DOI: 10.3390/ph15060675] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
In the past twenty years, the consumption of opioid medications has reached significant proportions, leading to a rise in drug misuse and abuse and increased opioid dependence and related fatalities. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine whether there are pharmacovigilance signals of abuse, misuse, and dependence and their nature for the following prescription opioids: codeine, dihydrocodeine, fentanyl, oxycodone, pentazocine, and tramadol. Both the pharmacovigilance datasets EudraVigilance (EV) and the FDA Adverse Events Reporting System (FAERS) were analyzed to identify and describe possible misuse-/abuse-/dependence-related issues. A descriptive analysis of the selected Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) was performed, and pharmacovigilance signal measures (i.e., reporting odds ratio, proportional reporting ratio, information component, and empirical Bayesian geometric mean) were computed for preferred terms (PTs) of abuse, misuse, dependence, and withdrawal, as well as PTs eventually related to them (e.g., aggression). From 2003 to 2018, there was an increase in ADR reports for the selected opioids in both datasets. Overall, 16,506 and 130,293 individual ADRs for the selected opioids were submitted to EV and FAERS, respectively. Compared with other opioids, abuse concerns were mostly recorded in relation to fentanyl and oxycodone, while tramadol and oxycodone were more strongly associated with drug dependence and withdrawal. Benzodiazepines, antidepressants, other opioids, antihistamines, recreational drugs (e.g., cocaine and alcohol), and several new psychoactive substances, including mitragynine and cathinones, were the most commonly reported concomitant drugs. ADRs reports in pharmacovigilance databases confirmed the availability of data on the abuse and dependence of prescription opioids and should be considered a resource for monitoring and preventing such issues. Psychiatrists and clinicians prescribing opioids should be aware of their misuse and dependence liability and effects that may accompany their use, especially together with concomitant drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefania Chiappini
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire AL10 9EU, UK; (S.C.); (J.M.C.); (G.M.); (F.S.)
| | - Rachel Vickers-Smith
- Department of Epidemiology, University of Kentucky College of Public Health, 111 Washington Avenue, Lexington, KY 40536, USA
- Correspondence:
| | - Amira Guirguis
- Department of Pharmacy, Swansea University Medical School, The Grove, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales SA2 8PP, UK;
| | - John M. Corkery
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire AL10 9EU, UK; (S.C.); (J.M.C.); (G.M.); (F.S.)
| | - Giovanni Martinotti
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire AL10 9EU, UK; (S.C.); (J.M.C.); (G.M.); (F.S.)
- Department of Neurosciences, Imaging and Clinical Sciences, Università degli Studi G. D’Annunzio, 66100 Chieti-Pescara, Italy
| | - Daniel R. Harris
- Institute for Pharmaceutical Outcomes and Policy, University of Kentucky College of Pharmacy, 289 South Limestone Street, Lexington, KY 40536, USA;
- Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences, University of Kentucky, 800 Rose Street, Lexington, KY 40506, USA
| | - Fabrizio Schifano
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hertfordshire AL10 9EU, UK; (S.C.); (J.M.C.); (G.M.); (F.S.)
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21
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van den Brink W, Pierce M, van Amsterdam J. What lessons from Europe's experience could be applied in the United States in response to the opioid addiction and overdose crisis? Addiction 2022; 117:1197-1198. [PMID: 35373491 PMCID: PMC9322582 DOI: 10.1111/add.15839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Wim van den Brink
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMCUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Mimi Pierce
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMCUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamthe Netherlands
| | - Jan van Amsterdam
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMCUniversity of AmsterdamAmsterdamthe Netherlands
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22
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Cash BD. Incidence, pathophysiology, and implications of opioid-induced constipation and suggestions for patient-provider interactions. Aliment Pharmacol Ther 2022; 55 Suppl 2:S1-S7. [PMID: 35544278 DOI: 10.1111/apt.16702] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2021] [Accepted: 11/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brooks D Cash
- Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, The University of Texas, Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX, USA
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23
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Opioid prescribing in out-of-hours primary care in Flanders and the Netherlands: A retrospective cross-sectional study. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0265283. [PMID: 35390027 PMCID: PMC8989290 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0265283] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background
Increased opioid prescribing has raised concern, as the benefits of pain relief not always outweigh the risks. Acute and chronic pain is often treated in a primary care out-of-hours (OOH) setting. This setting may be a driver of opioid use but the extent to which opioids are prescribed OOH is unknown. We aimed to investigate weak and strong opioid prescribing at OOH primary care services (PCS) in Flanders (Northern, Dutch-speaking part of Belgium) and the Netherlands between 2015 and 2019.
Methods
We performed a retrospective cross sectional study using data from routine electronic health records of OOH-PCSs in Flanders and the Netherlands (2015–2019). Our primary outcome was the opioid prescribing rate per 1000 OOH-contacts per year, in total and for strong (morphine, hydromorphone, oxycodone, oxycodone and naloxone, fentanyl, tapentadol, and buprenorphine and weak opioids (codeine combinations and tramadol and combinations) and type of opioids separately.
Results
Opioids were prescriped in approximately 2.5% of OOH-contacts in both Flanders and the Netherlands. In Flanders, OOH opioid prescribing went from 2.4% in 2015 to 2.1% in 2017 and then increased to 2.3% in 2019. In the Netherlands, opioid prescribing increased from 1.9% of OOH-contacts in 2015 to 2.4% in 2017 and slightly decreased thereafter to 2.1% of OOH-contacts. In 2019, in Flanders, strong opioids were prescribed in 8% of the OOH-contacts with an opioid prescription. In the Netherlands a strong opioid was prescribed in 57% of these OOH-contacts. Two thirds of strong opioids prescriptions in Flanders OOH were issued for patients over 75, in the Netherlands one third was prescribed to this age group.
Conclusion
We observed large differences in strong opioid prescribing at OOH-PCSs between Flanders and the Netherlands that are likely to be caused by differences in accessibility of secondary care, and possibly existing opioid prescribing habits. Measures to ensure judicious and evidence-based opioid prescribing need to be tailored to the organisation of the healthcare system.
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24
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Ballester P, Muriel J, Peiró AM. CYP2D6 phenotypes and opioid metabolism: the path to personalized analgesia. Expert Opin Drug Metab Toxicol 2022; 18:261-275. [PMID: 35649041 DOI: 10.1080/17425255.2022.2085552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Opioids play a fundamental role in chronic pain, especially considering when 1 of 5 Europeans adults, even more in older females, suffer from it. However, half of them do not reach an adequate pain relief. Could pharmacogenomics help to choose the most appropriate analgesic drug? AREAS COVERED The objective of the present narrative review was to assess the influence of cytochrome P450 2D6 (CYP2D6) phenotypes on pain relief, analgesic tolerability, and potential opioid misuse. Until December 2021, a literature search was conducted through the MEDLINE, PubMed database, including papers from the last 10 years. CYP2D6 plays a major role in metabolism that directly impacts on opioid (tramadol, codeine, or oxycodone) concentration with differences between sexes, with a female trend toward poorer pain control. In fact, CYP2D6 gene variants are the most actionable to be translated into clinical practice according to regulatory drug agencies and international guidelines. EXPERT OPINION CYP2D6 genotype can influence opioids' pharmacokinetics, effectiveness, side effects, and average opioid dose. This knowledge needs to be incorporated in pain management. Environmental factors, psychological together with genetic factors, under a sex perspective, must be considered when you are selecting the most personalized pain therapy for your patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pura Ballester
- Neuropharmacology on Pain (NED) group, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL Foundation), Alicante, Spain
| | - Javier Muriel
- Neuropharmacology on Pain (NED) group, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL Foundation), Alicante, Spain
| | - Ana M Peiró
- Neuropharmacology on Pain (NED) group, Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL Foundation), Alicante, Spain.,Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Department of Health of Alicante, General Hospital, Alicante, Spain
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25
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Bettinger JJ, Amarquaye W, Fudin J, Schatman ME. Misinterpretation of the “Overdose Crisis” Continues to Fuel Misunderstanding of the Role of Prescription Opioids. J Pain Res 2022; 15:949-958. [PMID: 35414752 PMCID: PMC8994995 DOI: 10.2147/jpr.s367753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Jeffrey Fudin
- President, Remitigate Therapeutics, Delmar, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Albany College of Pharmacy & Health Sciences, Albany, NY, USA
- Department of Pharmacy Practice, Western New England University College of Pharmacy, Springfield, MA, USA
- Department of Pharmacy and Pain Management, Stratton VA Medical Center, Albany, NY, USA
| | - Michael E Schatman
- Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Population Health – Division of Medical Ethics, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA
- School of Social Work, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
- Correspondence: Michael E Schatman, Department of Anesthesiology, Perioperative Care, and Pain Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, 550 1st Ave., New York, NY, 10016, USA, Tel +425-647-4880, Email
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26
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Mayoral V. An overview of the use and misuse/abuse of opioid analgesics in different world regions and future perspectives. Pain Manag 2022; 12:535-555. [PMID: 35118876 DOI: 10.2217/pmt-2021-0094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Opioids are an important therapeutic option for severe resistant chronic pain but, in the absence of proper oversight, their use has risks. The level of prescription opioid misuse/abuse differs among countries, due to differences in healthcare systems and pain management approaches. However, evaluating the true dimension of prescription opioid misuse/abuse is complicated by statistical reporting which often does not differentiate between prescription and illicit opioid use, or between prescription opioid use by patients and nonpatients, highlighting a need for greater uniformity. Parallel efforts to educate patients and the general public about opioid risks, facilitate appropriate analgesic prescribing and identify alternative formulations or options to use instead of or with opioids, may contribute to optimizing prescription opioid use for pain management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor Mayoral
- Pain Unit, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain
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27
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Punwasi R, de Kleijn L, Rijkels-Otters JBM, Veen M, Chiarotto A, Koes B. General practitioners' attitudes towards opioids for non-cancer pain: a qualitative systematic review. BMJ Open 2022; 12:e054945. [PMID: 35105588 PMCID: PMC8808445 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054945] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Worldwide the use of opioids, both doctor-prescribed and illicit, has increased. In most countries, opioids are first prescribed by general practitioners (GPs). Identifying factors that influence GPs' opioid prescription decision-making may help reduce opioid misuse and overuse. We performed a systematic review to gain insight into GP attitudes towards opioid prescription and to identify possible solutions to promote changes in the field of primary care. DESIGN AND SETTING Systematic review of qualitative studies reporting GPs' attitudes towards opioid use in non-cancer pain management. METHODS We searched Embase, Medline, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane, PsychInfo, Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL) and Google Scholar. Two independent reviewers selected studies based on prespecified eligibility criteria. Study quality was evaluated with the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme checklist, and their results were analysed using thematic analysis. Quality of evidence was rated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation-Confidence in the Evidence from Reviews of Qualitative research approach. RESULTS We included 14 studies. Four themes were established using thematic analyses: (1) GPs caught in the middle of 'the opioid crisis'; (2) Are opioids always bad? (3) GPs' weighing scale, taking patient-related and therapeutic relationship-related factors into account; and (4) GPs' sense of powerlessness-lack of alternatives, support by specialists and lack of time in justifying non-prescriptions. CONCLUSION GP attitudes towards opioid prescribing for non-cancer pain are subject to several GP-related, patient-related and therapeutic relationship-related factors. Raising GP and patient awareness on the inefficacy of opioids in chronic non-cancer pain management and providing non-opioid alternatives to treat chronic pain might help to promote opioid reduction in primary care. More research is needed to develop practical guidelines on appropriate opioid prescribing, tapering off opioid use and adopting effective communication strategies. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER CRD42020194561.Cite Now.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rani Punwasi
- Department of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
| | - L de Kleijn
- Department of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
| | - J B M Rijkels-Otters
- Department of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
| | - M Veen
- Department of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
| | - Alessandro Chiarotto
- Department of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
| | - Bart Koes
- Department of General Practice, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, Netherlands
- Centre for Muscle and Joint Health, University of Southern Denmark, Odense, Denmark
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28
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Trends in the Prescription of Strong Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain in Primary Care in Catalonia: Opicat-Padris-Project. Pharmaceutics 2022; 14:pharmaceutics14020237. [PMID: 35213969 PMCID: PMC8876214 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics14020237] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 01/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
In chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP), evidence of the effectiveness of strong opioids (SO) is very limited. Despite this, their use is increasingly common. To examine SO prescriptions, we designed a descriptive, longitudinal, retrospective population-based study, including patients aged ≥15 years prescribed SO for ≥3 months continuously in 2013–2017 for CNCP in primary care in Catalonia. Of the 22,691 patients included, 17,509 (77.2%) were women, 10,585 (46.6%) were aged >80 years, and most had incomes of <€18,000 per year. The most common diagnoses were musculoskeletal diseases and psychiatric disorders. There was a predominance of transdermal fentanyl in the defined daily dose (DDD) per thousand inhabitants/day, with the greatest increase for tapentadol (312% increase). There was an increase of 66.89% in total DDD per thousand inhabitants/day for SO between 2013 (0.737) and 2017 (1.230). The mean daily oral morphine equivalent dose/day dispensed for all drugs was 83.09 mg. Transdermal fentanyl and immediate transmucosal release were the largest cost components. In conclusion, there was a sustained increase in the prescription of SO for CNCP, at high doses, and in mainly elderly patients, predominantly low-income women. The new SO are displacing other drugs.
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29
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SIMONSSON J, BÜLOW E, SVENSSON MALCHAU K, NYBERG F, BERG U, ROLFSON O. Worse patient-reported outcomes and higher risk of reoperation and adverse events after total hip replacement in patients with opioid use in the year before surgery: a Swedish register-based study on 80,483 patients. Acta Orthop 2022; 93:190-197. [PMID: 34984480 PMCID: PMC8788676 DOI: 10.2340/17453674.2021.1021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Background and purpose - Recent studies indicate that preoperative use of opioids could be associated with higher rates of complications and worse patient-reported outcomes (PROs) after orthopedic surgery. We investigated the prevalence of preoperative opioid use and analyzed its influence on risk of revision, adverse events (AE), and PROs in patients with total hip replacement (THR). Patients and methods - This observational study included 80,483 patients operated on in 2008-2016 with THRs due to osteoarthritis. Data was obtained from the Swedish Hip Arthroplasty Register, Statistics Sweden's sociodemographic registers, the Swedish National Patient Register, and the Prescribed Drug Register. We focused on patients with ≥ 4 opioid prescriptions filled 1 year prior to THR. To control for confounding, we used propensity scores to weight subjects in our analyses. Logistic and linear regression was used for outcome variables with adjustments for sociodemographic variables and comorbidities. Results - Patients with ≥ 4 opioid prescriptions in the year before THR (n = 14,720 [18%]) had a higher risk of revision within 2 years (1.8% vs. 1.1% OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.3-1.6) and AE within 90 days (9.4% vs. 6.4% OR 1.2, 95% CI 1.2-1.3) compared with patients without opioid treatment in the preoperative period. Patients with ≥ 4 opioid prescriptions rated 5 points worse on a 0-100 scale of Pain Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and 9 points worse on a general health (EQ) VAS 1 year postoperatively. Interpretation - Having ≥ 4 opioid prescriptions filled in the year before surgery is associated with a higher risk of revision, adverse events, and worse PROs after THR. Consequently, preoperative opioid treatment should be addressed in the clinical assessment of patients eligible for THR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan SIMONSSON
- Department of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg,Department of Surgery and Orthopaedics, Kungälvs Hospital, Kungälv
| | - Erik BÜLOW
- Department of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg,Swedish Arthroplasty Register, Gothenburg, Centre of Registers Västra Götaland, Gothenburg
| | - Karin SVENSSON MALCHAU
- Department of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg
| | - Fredrik NYBERG
- School of Public Health and Community Medicine, Institute of Medicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Urban BERG
- Department of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg,Department of Surgery and Orthopaedics, Kungälvs Hospital, Kungälv
| | - Ola ROLFSON
- Department of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg,Swedish Arthroplasty Register, Gothenburg, Centre of Registers Västra Götaland, Gothenburg
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30
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Kalkman GA, van den Brink W, Pierce M, Atsma F, Vissers KCP, Schers HJ, van Dongen RTM, Kramers C, Schellekens AFA. Monitoring Opioids in Europe: The Need for Shared Definitions and Measuring Drivers of Opioid Use and Related Harms. Eur Addict Res 2022; 28:231-240. [PMID: 35196659 DOI: 10.1159/000521996] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 01/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The past 20 years, the USA is facing a serious opioid crisis initiated by an increase in prescription opioid use. Europe has also seen an increase in prescription opioid use, but the extent of related harm is still largely unknown. Given the impact of the US opioid epidemic, it is important to closely monitor signs of emerging opioid-related problems to guarantee early warnings and timely actions. Shared and meaningful definitions for opioid use and related harms, and relevant information about specific drivers for opioid use and related problems are needed for an adequate policy response. In this commentary, we discuss these definitions, the need to know more about the specific drivers for increased opioid use, its related harm, and proposals for strategies to move forward. Policy recommendations include making a distinction between licit and illicit opioids when monitoring and reporting on opioid-related harm, and using oral morphine equivalents to quantify prescription opioid use in a clinically relevant and comparable manner. A major topic of further research is exploring unique and universal drivers of prescription opioid (mis)use across Europe, in particular the role of opioid diversion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerard A Kalkman
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Pharmacology-Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wim van den Brink
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Mimi Pierce
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, Department of Psychiatry, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Femke Atsma
- Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Scientific Center for Quality of Healthcare, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Kris C P Vissers
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Henk J Schers
- Department of Primary and Community Care, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Robert T M van Dongen
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pain and Palliative Medicine, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Pain Management and Palliative Care, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Cornelis Kramers
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Canisius-Wilhelmina Hospital, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Department of Pharmacology-Toxicology, Radboud University Medical Center, Radboud Institute for Health Sciences, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Arnt F A Schellekens
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Clinical Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Nijmegen Institute for Science Practitioners in Addiction (NISPA), Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Rautalin I, Kallio M, Korja M. In-hospital postoperative opioid use and its trends in neurosurgery between 2007 and 2018. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2022; 164:107-116. [PMID: 34664095 PMCID: PMC8761135 DOI: 10.1007/s00701-021-05021-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Background Postoperative opioid use plays an important role in the global opioid crisis, but little is known about in-hospital opioid use trends of large surgical units. We investigated whether postoperative in-hospital opioid consumption changed in a large academic neurosurgical unit between 2007 and 2018. Methods We extracted the data of consumed opioids in the neurosurgical intensive care unit and two bed wards between 2007 and 2018. Besides overall consumption, we analyzed the trends for weak (tramadol and codeine), strong, and the most commonly used opioids. The use of various opioids was standardized using the defined daily doses (DDDs) of each opioid agent. A linear regression analysis was performed to estimate annual treatment day-adjusted changes with 95% confidence intervals. Results Overall, 121 361 opioid DDDs were consumed during the 196 199 treatment days. Oxycodone was the most commonly used postoperative opioid (49% of all used opioids) in neurosurgery. In the bed wards, the use of oral oxycodone increased 375% (on average 13% (9–17%) per year), and the use of transdermal buprenorphine 930% (on average 26% (9–45%) per year) over the 12-year period. Despite the increased use of strong opioids in the bed wards (on average 3% (1–4%) per year), overall opioid use decreased 39% (on average 6% (4–7%) per year) between 2007 and 2018. Conclusions Due to the increase of strong opioid use in the surgical bed wards, we encourage other large teaching hospitals and surgical units to investigate whether their opioid use trends are similarly worrisome and whether the opioid consumption changes in the hospital setting are transferred to opioid use patterns or opioid-related harms after discharge. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00701-021-05021-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilari Rautalin
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 266, 00029, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Miia Kallio
- HUS Pharmacy, Hospital Pharmacy of Helsinki University Hospital (HUS), P.O. Box 440, 00029, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Miikka Korja
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, P.O. Box 266, 00029, Helsinki, Finland
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Eroglu TE, Barcella CA, Blom MT, Souverein PC, Mohr GH, Torp-Pedersen C, Folke F, Wissenberg M, de Boer A, Gislason GH, Tan HL. Opioid use is associated with increased out-of-hospital cardiac arrest risk among 40 000-cases across two countries. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2021; 88:2256-2266. [PMID: 34837236 PMCID: PMC9305874 DOI: 10.1111/bcp.15157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2021] [Revised: 10/13/2021] [Accepted: 11/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Aims Opioid use has substantially increased in the last decade and is associated with overdose mortality, but also with increased mortality from cardiovascular causes. This finding may partly reflect an association between opioids and out‐of‐hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA). Therefore, we aimed to investigate OHCA‐risk of opioids in the community. Methods We conducted 2 population‐based case–control studies separately in the Netherlands (2009–2018) and Denmark (2001–2015). Cases were individuals who experienced OHCA of presumed cardiac cause. Each case was matched with up to 5 non‐OHCA‐controls according to age, sex and OHCA‐date. Conditional logistic regression analysis was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results We included 5473 OHCA‐cases matched with 21 866 non‐OHCA‐controls in the Netherlands, and 35 017 OHCA‐cases matched with 175 085 non‐OHCA‐controls in Denmark. We found that use of opioids (the Netherlands: cases: 5.4%, controls: 1.8%; Denmark: cases: 11.9%, controls: 4.4%) was associated with increased OHCA‐risk in both regions (the Netherlands: OR 2.1 [95% CI 1.8–2.5]; Denmark: OR 1.8 [95% CI 1.5–2.1]). The association was observed in both sexes, and in individuals with cardiovascular disease (the Netherlands: OR 1.8 [95% CI 1.5–2.1]; Denmark: OR 1.6 [95% CI 1.5–1.7]) or without (the Netherlands: OR 3.4 [95% CI: 2.4–4.8], Pinteraction < .0001; Denmark: OR 2.3 [95% CI: 2.0–2.5], Pinteraction < .0001). Conclusion Use of opioids is associated with increased OHCA‐risk in both sexes, independently of concomitant cardiovascular disease. These findings should be considered when evaluating the harms and benefits of treatment with opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talip E Eroglu
- Department of Cardiology, Heart Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.,Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Carlo A Barcella
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Marieke T Blom
- Department of Cardiology, Heart Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Patrick C Souverein
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Grimur H Mohr
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark
| | - Christian Torp-Pedersen
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark.,Department of Cardiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.,Department of Clinical Investigation and Cardiology, Nordsjaellands Hospital, Hillerød, Denmark
| | - Fredrik Folke
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark.,Copenhagen Emergency Medical Services, Denmark
| | - Mads Wissenberg
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark.,Copenhagen Emergency Medical Services, Denmark
| | - Anthonius de Boer
- Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Clinical Pharmacology, Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
| | - Gunnar H Gislason
- Department of Cardiology, Herlev and Gentofte Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Gentofte, Denmark.,National Institute of Public Health, University of Southern Denmark, Copenhagen, Denmark.,The Danish Heart Foundation, Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - Hanno L Tan
- Department of Cardiology, Heart Center, Academic Medical Center, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.,Netherlands Heart Institute, Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE To describe opioid use after ICU admission, identify factors associated with chronic opioid use after critical care, and determine if chronic opioid use is associated with an increased risk of death. DESIGN Retrospective cohort study. SETTING Sweden including all registered ICU admissions between 2010 and 2018. PATIENTS Adults surviving the first two quarters after ICU admission were eligible for inclusion. A total of 265,496 patients were screened and 61,094 were ineligible. INTERVENTIONS Admission to intensive care. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS Among 204,402 individuals included in the cohort, 22,138 developed chronic opioid use following critical care. Mean opioid consumption peaked after admission followed by a continuous decline without returning to baseline during follow-up of 24 months. Factors associated with chronic opioid use included high age, female sex, presence of comorbidities, preadmission opioid use, and ICU length of stay greater than 2 days. Adjusted hazard ratio for death 6-18 months after admission for chronic opioid users was 1.7 (95% CI, 1.6-1.7; p < 0.001). In the subset of patients not using opioids prior to admission, similar findings were noted. CONCLUSIONS Mean opioid consumption is increased 24 months after ICU admission despite the lack of evidence for long-term opioid treatment. Given the high number of ICU entries and risk of excess mortality for chronic users, preventing opioid misuse is important when improving long-term outcomes after critical care.
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Kaboré JL, Pagé MG, Martel MO, Dassieu L, Hudspith M, Moor G, Sutton K, Roy JS, Williamson OD, Choinière M. Impact of the Opioid Epidemic and Associated Prescribing Restrictions on People Who Live With Chronic Noncancer Pain in Canada. Clin J Pain 2021; 37:607-615. [PMID: 34054062 DOI: 10.1097/ajp.0000000000000951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Little is known about the consequences of the opioid epidemic on people living with chronic noncancer pain (CNCP). This study examined this issue in people who lived in the most impacted province by opioid overdoses in Canada (British Columbia [BC]) or one of the least impacted (Quebec [QC]), and examined the factors associated with opioid use. MATERIALS AND METHODS This cross-sectional study was carried out in adults living in BC (N=304) and QC (N=1071) who reported CNCP (≥3 months) and completed an online questionnaire that was tailored to their opioid status. RESULTS Almost twice as many participants in BC as in QC were proposed to cease their opioid medication in the past year (P<0.001). The proportion who reported having hoarded opioids in fear of not being able to get more in the future was also significantly higher in BC (P<0.001) compared with QC. In addition, they were significantly more likely to have had their opioid dose decreased than those in QC (P=0.001). No significant association was found between opioid discontinuation and province of residence. Two-thirds of the BC participants felt that the media coverage of the opioid crisis was very to extremely detrimental to CNCP patients in general, this percentage being significantly higher than in QC (P<0.001). DISCUSSION The opioid epidemic and associated prescribing restrictions have had harmful effects on Canadians with CNCP. The clinical community, the general public, and the media need to be aware of these negative consequences to decrease patients' stigmatization and minimize inadequate treatment of CNCP.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jean-Luc Kaboré
- Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology
- Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (CRCHUM)
| | - M Gabrielle Pagé
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal
- Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (CRCHUM)
| | - Marc O Martel
- Department of Anesthesia, Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Dentistry
- Alan Edwards Center for Research on Pain, McGill University, Montreal
| | - Lise Dassieu
- Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (CRCHUM)
| | | | | | | | - Jean-Sébastien Roy
- Centre for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation and Social Integration (CIRRIS)
- Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Medicine, Université Laval, Quebec, QC
| | - Owen D Williamson
- JPOCSC Pain Management Clinic, Fraser Health Authority, Surrey, BC, Canada
- Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Monash University, Clayton, Vic., Australia
| | - Manon Choinière
- Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Université de Montréal
- Research Centre of the University of Montreal Hospital Centre (CRCHUM)
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Karunarathne A, Bhalla A, Sethi A, Perera U, Eddleston M. Importance of pesticides for lethal poisoning in India during 1999 to 2018: a systematic review. BMC Public Health 2021; 21:1441. [PMID: 34294076 PMCID: PMC8296580 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-021-11156-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Poisoning is a major problem in India. However, there is little systematic information on the key poisons responsible for most deaths by geographical area and over time. We aimed to review the literature to identify the poison classes causing the greatest number of deaths in India over the last 20 years. METHODS We performed a systematic literature review in Medline, Embase and Google Scholar (1999-2018), and Indian online medical journals, to find papers that reported deaths from all forms of poisoning in India, with last search 20 April 2020. We included epidemiological studies, observational studies, randomised trials, interventional studies, and case series published from 1999 to 2018 that showed the number of deaths and autopsy studies indicating the specific poisons or poison classes. Studies providing the case fatality for specific poisons or classes, which enabled calculation of the number of deaths, were also included. We excluded deaths due to animal bites and stings, ethanol or methanol poisoning, and gas inhalation as well as papers reporting a single death (case study of single patient). We grouped the papers into 5-year intervals and identified the two most common poison classes in each paper. We used descriptive statistics to summarise the findings over time based on the causative poison and the location of the study. RESULTS We identified 186 papers reporting 16,659 poisoning deaths between 1999 and 2018. The number of publications per 5-year interval showed no clear trend over the period (48, 38, 67, and 36 for consecutive periods). Half of the deaths (n = 8338, 50.0%) were reported during the first 5 years of the study (1999-2003), the number of deaths declining thereafter (to n = 1714 in 2014-2018). Deaths due to pesticide poisoning (94.5%) were dominant across the study period compared to other classes of poison [hair dye paraphenylenediamine poisoning (2.6%), medicine overdose (1.4%) or plant poisoning (1.0%)]. Among the pesticides, aluminium phosphide was the most important lethal poison during the first 10 years before declining markedly; organophosphorus insecticides were important throughout the period, becoming dominant in the last decade as aluminium phosphide cases declined. Unfortunately, few papers identified the specific organophosphorus insecticide responsible for deaths. CONCLUSION Use of the published literature to better understand the epidemiology of lethal poisoning in India has clear limitations, including secular variation in publishing practices and interest in poisoning. Unfortunately, there are no long-term detailed, combination hospital and community studies from India to provide this information. In their absence, our review indicates that pesticides are the most important poison in India, with organophosphorus insecticides replacing aluminium phosphide as the key lethal poison after government regulatory changes in 2001 reduced the latter's lethality. Plant and hair dye poisoning and medicines overdose caused few deaths. Aluminium phosphide deaths mostly occurred in northern Indian states, whereas deaths from organophosphorus insecticide poisoning occurred throughout India. Paraquat poisoning has become a clinical problem in the last 10 years. Lethal pesticide poisoning remains alarmingly common, emphasising the need for additional regulatory interventions to curtail the burden of pesticide poisoning deaths in India. More detailed reporting about the specific pesticide involved in lethal poisoning will be helpful to guide regulatory decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayanthi Karunarathne
- Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention, and Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Ashish Bhalla
- Department of Internal Medicine, Nehru Hospital, Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, India
| | - Aastha Sethi
- Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention, and Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
- Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India
| | - Uditha Perera
- Usher Institute for Population Health Sciences & Informatics, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Michael Eddleston
- Centre for Pesticide Suicide Prevention, and Pharmacology, Toxicology & Therapeutics, University/BHF Centre for Cardiovascular Science, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK.
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Pierce M, van Amsterdam J, Kalkman GA, Schellekens A, van den Brink W. Is Europe facing an opioid crisis like the United States? An analysis of opioid use and related adverse effects in 19 European countries between 2010 and 2018. Eur Psychiatry 2021; 64:e47. [PMID: 34165059 PMCID: PMC8316471 DOI: 10.1192/j.eurpsy.2021.2219] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Given the ongoing opioid crisis in the United States (US), we investigated the opioid situation in Europe. The aims of the study are to provide an overview of trends in prescription opioid (PO) use and opioid-related adversities between 2010 and 2018 for different opioids in 19 European countries and to present a comparison with similar data from the US. Methods A multisource database study with national data from 19 European countries evaluating trends between 2010 and 2018 in (a) PO consumption, (b) high-risk (HR) opioid users, (c) opioid-related hospital admissions, (d) opioid-related overdose deaths, (e) opioid use disorder treatment entries, and (f) patients in opioid substitution therapy (OST). Within and between-country comparisons and comparisons with data from the US were made. Results There was considerable variation between European countries. Most countries showed increased PO consumption with the largest increase and the highest consumption in the United Kingdom (UK) compared to the rest of Europe and the US in 2018 (UK: 58,088 defined daily doses for statistical purposes/1000 population/day). In 2018, Scotland had the highest rates (per 100,000 population) of HR opioid users (16·2), opioid-related hospital admissions (118), opioid-related deaths (22·7), opioid use disorder treatment admissions (190), and OST patients (555) of all included European countries. These rates were similar or even higher than those in the US in 2018. Other countries with high rates of opioid-related adversities were Northern Ireland (synthetic and “other” opioids), Ireland (heroin and methadone), and England (all opioids). All other countries had no or little increase in opioid-related adversities. Conclusions Apart from the British Isles and especially Scotland, there is no indication of an opioid crisis comparable to that in the US in the 19 European countries that were part of this study. More research is needed to identify drivers and develop interventions to stop the emerging opioid crisis in the UK and Ireland.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mimi Pierce
- Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jan van Amsterdam
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Gerard A Kalkman
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Clinical Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Nijmegen Institute for Scientist Practitioners in Addiction, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Arnt Schellekens
- Department of Psychiatry, Radboud University Medical Centre, Donders Institute for Clinical Neuroscience, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.,Nijmegen Institute for Scientist Practitioners in Addiction, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Wim van den Brink
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Gistelinck L, Heylens G, Schelfout S, Lemmens G. Oral and buccal abuse of transdermal opioids : an underdetected but potentially lethal practice. ACTA ANAESTHESIOLOGICA BELGICA 2021. [DOI: 10.56126/72.2.2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Objectives : Transdermal opioid patches (TOPs) are effective and well tolerated in patients with moderate to severe chronic pain syndromes. Their specific pharmacological properties, however, make them prone to abuse. The objective of this article is to describe the practice of oral and buccal abuse of TOPs and to discuss its clinical implications.
Methods : We present the case of a patient admitted to the intensive care unit after oral abuse of transdermal opioid patches. Additionally, a narrative literature review on the topic is conducted, referring to Pubmed and Embase.
Results : Oral or buccal TOP abuse is the most frequent method of TOP abuse, followed by intravenous injection, inhaling, and applying multiple patches. The main reasons for TOP abuse include drug addiction, suicidal behavior and self-medication. Oral ingestion is potentially lethal because of the high doses of fentanyl that are found in a single patch. Buccal abuse results in fast elevations of fentanyl serum concentrations, caused by transmucosal absorption of fentanyl, thus bypassing hepatic metabolism. During emergency management, naloxone should be administered in a continuous infusion, given the high risk of recurrence of symptoms. Evidence suggests that transdermal buprenorphine is safer in terms of abuse potential. This is explained by its ceiling effect for respiratory depression and its lower peak effects in supratherapeutic doses. Risk factors for abuse include history of substance use disorder, prior opioid overdose and mental illness. Patients with suspected opioid abuse should be referred to pain clinics, mental health specialists or drug addiction facilities.
Conclusion : Oral or buccal abuse is the most reported non-dermal form of TOP abuse. When ingested or chewed, TOPs pose considerable health risks. It is critical to screen patients with chronic opioid therapy regularly for opioid use disorder. When confronted with patients at risk of abuse, close monitoring and referral to specialist care is advised.
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Giorgetti A, Natanti A, Giorgetti R, Buscemi L. Long-lasting agony and failure to provide assistance in a case of mixed methadone-prescription drugs acute intoxication. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2021; 52:101911. [PMID: 34087652 DOI: 10.1016/j.legalmed.2021.101911] [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: 07/23/2020] [Revised: 05/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Methadone overdoses are usually considered "slow" and avoidable deaths. Despite being frequently witnessed, the type and duration of the agonal time are rarely documented and challenging to be reconstructed. Here we report a case in which a young male was found dead in a parked car, shortly after discharge from a compulsory psychiatric treatment. Death scene investigation, clinical records collection, analysis of video recordings from surveillance cameras and private videos, post-mortem examination, GC-MS and LC-MS/MS toxicological analyses were performed and allowed to assess an acute fatal intoxication by methadone and prescription drugs. The case here-in reported is a rare example of a witnessed and recorded prolonged agonal phase due to methadone and drug intoxication, which lasted at least 12 hours. The loss of consciousness and a worsening pattern of respiratory depression, including gasping, were reported by the friends of the victim, but no one called for help, arising the suspect of failure to provide assistance. The possibility of a long-lasting agony with respiratory gasping should be considered in the evaluation of similar intoxication cases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arianna Giorgetti
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences DIMEC, University of Bologna, Italy
| | - Alice Natanti
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Excellence SBSP, Università Politecnica delle Marche of Ancona, Italy
| | - Raffaele Giorgetti
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Excellence SBSP, Università Politecnica delle Marche of Ancona, Italy
| | - Loredana Buscemi
- Section of Legal Medicine, Department of Excellence SBSP, Università Politecnica delle Marche of Ancona, Italy.
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Häuser W, Buchser E, Finn DP, Dom G, Fors E, Heiskanen T, Jarlbaek L, Knaggs RD, Kosek E, Krcevski-Škvarč N, Pakkonen K, Perrot S, Trouvin AP, Morlion B. Is Europe also facing an opioid crisis?-A survey of European Pain Federation chapters. Eur J Pain 2021; 25:1760-1769. [PMID: 33960569 DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2020] [Revised: 01/17/2021] [Accepted: 04/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is considerable public interest in whether Europe is facing an opioid crisis comparable to the one in the United States and the contribution of opioid prescriptions for pain to a potential opioid crisis. METHODS A task force of the European Pain Federation (EFIC) conducted a survey with its national chapter representatives on trends of opioid prescriptions and of drug-related emergency departments and substance use disorder treatment admissions and of deaths as proxies of opioid-related harms over the last 20 years. RESULTS Data from 25 European countries were received. In most European countries opioid prescriptions increased from 2004 to 2016. The levels of opioid consumption and their increase differed between countries. Some Eastern European countries still have a low opioid consumption. Opioids are mainly prescribed for acute pain and chronic noncancer pain in some Western and Northern European countries. There was a parallel increase in opioid prescriptions and some proxies of opioid-related harms in France, Finland and the Netherlands, but not in Germany, Spain and Norway. In United Kingdom, opioid overdose deaths, but not opioid prescriptions increased between 2016 and 2018. There are no robust data available on whether prescribed opioids for pain patients contributed to opioid-related harms. CONCLUSIONS There are marked differences between European countries in trends of opioid prescribing and of proxies for opioid-related harms. Europe as a whole is not facing an opioid crisis. Discussions on the potential harms of opioids should not obstruct their prescription for cancer pain and palliative care. SIGNIFICANCE Europe as a whole is not facing an opioid crisis. Some Eastern European countries have limited access to opioid medicines. Discussions on the potential harms of opioid medicines for noncancer pain should not obstruct opioid therapy for cancer therapy and palliative care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winfried Häuser
- Department Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy, Technische Universität München, München, Germany
| | - Eric Buchser
- Department of Anaesthesia and Pain Management Neuromodulation Centre, Morges, Switzerland
| | - David P Finn
- Pharmacology and Therapeutic, School of Medicine, Centre for Pain Research, Galway Neuroscience Centre National University of Ireland Galway, Galway, Ireland
| | - Geerd Dom
- Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute, Antwerp University, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Egil Fors
- Department of Public Health and Nursing, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
| | - Tarja Heiskanen
- Pain Clinic, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Lene Jarlbaek
- REHPA - The Danish Knowledge Centre for Rehabilitation and Palliative Care, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark, Nyborg, Denmark
| | - Roger D Knaggs
- School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.,Pain Centre Versus Arthritis, Clinical Sciences Building, City Hospital Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Eva Kosek
- Department of Surgical Sciences, Pain Research, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Nevenka Krcevski-Škvarč
- Department of Anesthesiology, Intensive Care and Pain Treatmen, Faculty of Medicine of University Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Kaire Pakkonen
- Anaesthesiology, Operative and Intensive Care Service, Pärnu Hospital, Pärnu, Estonia
| | - Serge Perrot
- Pain Medicine Department, University Hospital Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Anne-Priscille Trouvin
- Pain Medicine Department, University Hospital Cochin, Université de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Bart Morlion
- Center for Algology & Pain Management, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
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Takahashi TT, Ornello R, Quatrosi G, Torrente A, Albanese M, Vigneri S, Guglielmetti M, Maria De Marco C, Dutordoir C, Colangeli E, Fuccaro M, Di Lenola D, Spuntarelli V, Pilati L, Di Marco S, Van Dycke A, Abdullahi RA, Maassen van den Brink A, Martelletti P. Medication overuse and drug addiction: a narrative review from addiction perspective. J Headache Pain 2021; 22:32. [PMID: 33910499 PMCID: PMC8080402 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-021-01224-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 03/12/2021] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic headache is particularly prevalent in migraineurs and it can progress to a condition known as medication overuse headache (MOH). MOH is a secondary headache caused by overuse of analgesics or other medications such as triptans to abort acute migraine attacks. The worsening of headache symptoms associated with medication overuse (MO) generally ameliorates following interruption of regular medication use, although the primary headache symptoms remain unaffected. MO patients may also develop certain behaviors such as ritualized drug administration, psychological drug attachment, and withdrawal symptoms that have been suggested to correlate with drug addiction. Although several reviews have been performed on this topic, to the authors best knowledge none of them have examined this topic from the addiction point of view. Therefore, we aimed to identify features in MO and drug addiction that may correlate. We initiate the review by introducing the classes of analgesics and medications that can cause MOH and those with high risk to produce MO. We further compare differences between sensitization resulting from MO and from drug addiction, the neuronal pathways that may be involved, and the genetic susceptibility that may overlap between the two conditions. Finally, ICHD recommendations to treat MOH will be provided herein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiane Teru Takahashi
- Headache Research, Wolfson CARD, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 20 Newcomen St, London, SE1 1YR, UK. .,Present address: Medicines Discovery Catapult, Block 35, Mereside, Alderley Park, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK.
| | - Raffaele Ornello
- Neuroscience Section, Department of Applied Clinical Sciences and Biotechnology, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio 1, Coppito, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Giuseppe Quatrosi
- Department of Health Promotion, Mother and Child Care, Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (PROMISE), University of Palermo, Piazza delle Cliniche 2, 90127, Palermo, Italy
| | - Angelo Torrente
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Diagnostic (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy
| | - Maria Albanese
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome "Tor Vergata"; Neurology Unit, "Tor Vergata" Hospital, Viale Oxford, 81, 00133, Rome, Italy
| | - Simone Vigneri
- Department of Experimental Biomedicine and Clinical Neurosciences, University of Palermo, Via del Vespro, 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy.,Pain Medicine Unit, Santa Maria Maddalena Hospital, Occhiobello, Italy
| | - Martina Guglielmetti
- Regional Headache Referral Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Via di Grottarossa 1039, 00189, Rome, Italy.,Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Piazza Università, 21, 07100, Sassari, Italy
| | - Cristiano Maria De Marco
- Regional Headache Referral Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Via di Grottarossa 1039, 00189, Rome, Italy
| | - Camille Dutordoir
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Ghent, Corneel Heymanslaan 10, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Enrico Colangeli
- Present address: Medicines Discovery Catapult, Block 35, Mereside, Alderley Park, Cheshire, SK10 4TG, UK
| | - Matteo Fuccaro
- Department of Neurology, Conegliano Hospital, Via Brigata Bisagno, 2, 31015, Conegliano, Italy
| | - Davide Di Lenola
- Department of Medico-Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, "Sapienza" University of Rome, Polo Pontino, Viale XXIV Maggio 7, 04100, Latina, Italy
| | - Valerio Spuntarelli
- Division of Pharmacology, Department of Internal Medicine, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre Rotterdam, Wytemaweg 80, 3015, CN, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Laura Pilati
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Diagnostic (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy
| | - Salvatore Di Marco
- Department of Biomedicine, Neurosciences and Diagnostic (Bi.N.D.), University of Palermo, Via del Vespro 129, 90127, Palermo, Italy
| | - Annelies Van Dycke
- Department of Neurology, AZ Sint-Jan Brugge, Ruddershove 10, 8000, Brugge, Belgium
| | - Ramla Abuukar Abdullahi
- Headache Research, Wolfson CARD, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, 20 Newcomen St, London, SE1 1YR, UK.,Headache Centre, Guy's and St Thomas NHS Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Paolo Martelletti
- Regional Headache Referral Center, Sant'Andrea Hospital, Via di Grottarossa 1039, 00189, Rome, Italy.,Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, Via di Grottarossa 1039, 00189, Rome, Italy
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41
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Consensus and Controversies Between Pain and Addiction Experts on the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Prescription Opioid Use Disorder. J Addict Med 2021; 14:1-11. [PMID: 31743124 DOI: 10.1097/adm.0000000000000577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Prescription opioid use disorder (POUD) is an established public health crisis in many countries, and current evidence indicates it is a growing problem in Europe. Many specialists play a role, including pain and addiction medicine specialists, in the diagnosis and management of POUD, but neither group can fully address these patients' needs alone. The purpose of this consensus process was to bring together experts from pain and addiction medicine to examine the positions of both specialties. METHODS In all, 13 international pain medicine, addiction medicine, and addiction psychiatry experts convened a meeting to formulate a set of consensus statements on the diagnosis and management of POUD. The statements were further refined by a wider group of 22 European expert clinicians. At a second meeting of all 35 participants, a set of controversy statements was also developed to recognize some of the key areas of divergent opinion. RESULTS/CONCLUSIONS There was a high level of agreement between pain and addiction specialists. Key themes that emerged were the need to strengthen interdisciplinary communication, a desire for greater education and training for clinicians in both specialties, and mutual acknowledgment of the importance of multidisciplinary management of POUD. The blurred line between poorly managed pain and POUD was also a subject of much discussion, reflecting the difficulties in defining and diagnosing this complex condition.
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42
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Emerson B, Haden M. A public health based vision for the management and regulation of opioids. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 91:103201. [PMID: 33785246 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Prohibition of the possession of opioids for non-medical purposes and medical/pharmaceutical commercialization of opioids are important contributors to the current opioid overdose epidemic. A new model of regulation is urgently required. Within the context of a public health framework, we explore supply control, demand reduction, health promotion, and harm reduction and describe an alternative regulatory model that includes access for medical and non-medical purposes. Oversight of this proposed new system would include a control structure with an explicit public health mandate to minimize harms and maximize benefits of opioids. Medical access would be achieved through multi-disciplinary teams who would prescribe a range of opioids for 1) pain, 2) treatment for patients who develop opioid use disorder, and 3) other medical indications. Non-medical access could be achieved through models that would allow adults to purchase and use opioids for either supervised or take-home use. We describe three possible models to support jurisdiction specific discussions around the world. The first includes education and training that could result in certification with a basic or advanced license or a purchase authorization card. The second includes mandatory training that allows general access to opioids, but excludes people with problematic opioid use. The third model has optional training and excludes people with problematic opioid use. Allowing for inclusion of people dependent on the current illegal market during transition is highlighted. With any of these models, this approach, while attending to illegal market drivers, would result in a greatly reduced illegal opioid market and its attendant toxic products, reduced violence and corruption, and at the same time, provide a sharper focus for medical use with more appropriate prescribing and indications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brian Emerson
- British Columbia Ministry of Health, PO Box 9648 Stn Prov Govt, Victoria, BC, V8W 9P1, Canada.
| | - Mark Haden
- School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 3155W 6th Ave, Vancouver, B.C., V6K 1 × 5, Canada
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43
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Fischer B, O-Keefe-Markman C, Daldegan-Bueno D, Walters C. Why comparative epidemiological indicators suggest that New Zealand is unlikely to experience a severe opioid epidemic. THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY 2021; 93:103166. [PMID: 33607479 DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2021.103166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 01/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
North America (i.e., the United States and Canada) and select other wealthy Commonwealth countries (e.g., Australia, the UK) have been experiencing marked 'opioid epidemics', consisting of elevated opioid use and related (e.g., mortality and morbidity) harms involving both prescription and, increasingly, illicit opioid substances. Multiple commentators have alerted to the possibility of New Zealand becoming home to a similar opioid crisis. In this article, we briefly examine and compare key system-level epidemiological indicators for New Zealand in regards to this situation and prospect. These data suggest that, comparatively, population-level (medical) opioid use, exposure and supply in New Zealand have been low and moderate, mostly involving restrained and lower-risk (e.g., short-duration, few long-acting/high-potency formulations, restricted settings) medical opioid availability, with limited over-time increases and absent the major oscillations in opioid dispensing observed elsewhere. Similarly, illicit opioids have been rather low in availability and use, and do not form primary substances in illicit drug scenes or markets. Correspondingly, opioid-related mortality in New Zealand has been somewhat increasing over-time albeit at comparably low levels, and principally involves methadone, morphine and codeine, i.e. the main opioids medically prescribed. Synthesizing the evidence, New Zealand has not featured the distinct characteristics or system-level drivers that have facilitated the opioid epidemics as have unfolded in other jurisdictions. It appears that New Zealand may have all along engaged in the more measured opioid use practices that other jurisdictions have attempted to revert to post-hoc (but largely when too late) while experiencing extensive adverse consequences related to opioids. On this basis, New Zealand provides for a worthwhile comparative case study towards more moderate opioid utilization and control entailing relatively limited collateral harms (e.g., opioid mortality) on public health compared to elsewhere. Details and characteristics of New Zealand's approach to and experience with opioids should be further examined for future and other jurisdictions' benefit.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedikt Fischer
- Schools of Population Health and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand; Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health & Addiction, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil.
| | - Caroline O-Keefe-Markman
- Centre for Applied Research in Mental Health & Addiction, Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada
| | - Dimitri Daldegan-Bueno
- Schools of Population Health and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Carina Walters
- Schools of Population Health and Pharmacy, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
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44
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Seyler T, Giraudon I, Noor A, Mounteney J, Griffiths P. Is Europe facing an opioid epidemic: What does European monitoring data tell us? Eur J Pain 2021; 25:1072-1080. [DOI: 10.1002/ejp.1728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Seyler
- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Lisbon Portugal
| | - Isabelle Giraudon
- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Lisbon Portugal
| | - André Noor
- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Lisbon Portugal
| | - Jane Mounteney
- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Lisbon Portugal
| | - Paul Griffiths
- European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction Lisbon Portugal
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45
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van Amsterdam J, Pierce M, van den Brink W. Is Europe Facing an Emerging Opioid Crisis Comparable to the U.S.? Ther Drug Monit 2021; 43:42-51. [PMID: 32649487 DOI: 10.1097/ftd.0000000000000789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT In the U.S., an opioid overdose crisis has emerged, attributable to over-prescription of opioid analgesics, driven by aggressive marketing by pharmaceutical companies, followed by surging heroin overdose deaths, and more recently, by the high mortality rates predominately because of illicitly manufactured fentanyl and analogs of fentanyl. In Europe, the use of prescription opioids for pain management has also increased in the last 2 decades, although it is debatable as to whether this could lead to a similar opioid overdose crisis. To address this issue, recent trends in opioid prescription rates, prevalence rates of fatal and nonfatal incidents, and addiction care treatment were used as proxies of opioid-related harm. The current overview, comparing opioid use and its negative consequences in Germany, France, the U.K., and the Netherlands, using the same indicators as in the U.S., demonstrates that there is no evidence of a current or emerging opioid crisis in these European countries. Scotland, however, is an alarming exception, with high rates of opioid-related harms. Considering that the use of prescription opioids has been declining rather than increasing in Europe, an opioid crisis is not anticipated there yet. Authorities should, however, remain vigilant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan van Amsterdam
- Department of Psychiatry, Amsterdam UMC, Location AMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the Netherlands
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46
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Alcala-González LG, Jimenez-Masip A, Relea Pérez L, Barber-Caselles C, Barba-Orozco E. Opioid-induce esophageal dysfunction, prevalence and manometric findings. REVISTA ESPANOLA DE ENFERMEDADES DIGESTIVAS 2021; 114:16-21. [PMID: 33486967 DOI: 10.17235/reed.2021.7598/2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Prescription opioids usage is on the rise. There has been an increasing recognition that chronic opioid consumption can result in esophageal motility disorders and this association has been named opioid-induced esophageal dysfunction (OIED). AIMS Analyze the prevalence of chronic opioid consumption in patients referred for esophageal motility testing in a European center and to describe the clinical characteristics and the association of opioid consumption in esophageal motility disorders. METHODS Retrospective descriptive study in patients who had HRM performed in a single center. The clinical history in the electronic medical reports was reviewed. RESULTS The prevalence of opioid prescription in patients referred to our institution was 10.1% and 4.8% patients were on active chronic opioid use. We found a 32% prevalence of OIED. Comparing chronic active opioid user (CAOU) patients with OIED and CAOU patients without OIED, there was a higher prevalence of male sex (43.8% vs 8.8% p value=0.007). Converting the different opioids medication to morphine milligram equivalent daily dose (MMED), CAOU patients with OIED had a higher MMED than CAOU patients without OIED (125.2±31.3 vs 33.4±5.7 MME p=0.041). Dysphagia was the most common indication for performing an HRM in 60.0% in CAOU patients. Furthermore, dysphagia was more frequent in CAOU patients with OIED (87.5% vs 47.0% p= 0.019). CONCLUSIONS Patients on chronic opioids with OIED complained mostly dysphagia. We found an association of male sex and a higher dose of opioids in CAOU patients with esophageal motility disorders.
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47
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Vorspan F, Marie-Claire C, Bellivier F, Bloch V. Biomarkers to predict staging and treatment response in opioid dependence: A narrative review. Drug Dev Res 2021; 82:668-677. [PMID: 33416203 DOI: 10.1002/ddr.21789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 12/17/2020] [Accepted: 12/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Opioid use disorder is a devastating disorder with a high burden in terms of overdose mortality, with an urgent need for more personalized prevention or therapeutic interventions. For this purpose, the description and validation of biological measures of staging or treatment response is a highly active research field. We conducted a narrative review on the pathophysiology of opioid use disorder to propose staging of the disease and search for research studies proposing or demonstrating the predictive value of biomarkers. We propose a IV stage description of opioid use disorder, from (I) vulnerability stage to (II) disease progression, (III) constituted opioid dependence and were several type of treatments can be applied, to the reach a (IV) modified health state. We classified biomarkers studies according to the stage of the disorder they were intended to predict, and to the three categories of methods they used: anatomical and functional aspects of the brain, genetic/transcriptomic/epigenetic studies, and lastly biomarkers of systemic modifications associated with opioid use disorder, especially regarding the immune system. Most studies predicting Stage III that we reviewed collected data from small samples sizes and were cross-sectional association studies comparing opioid dependent patients and control groups. Pharmacogenetic biomarkers are proposed to predict treatment response. Future research should now emphasize prospective studies, replication in independent samples, and predictive value calculation of each biomarker. The most promising results are multimodal evaluations to be able to measure the state of the brain reward system in living individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florence Vorspan
- Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université de Paris, INSERM UMRS 1144, Paris, France.,APHP, NORD, Département de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, Hôpital Fernand Widal, Paris, France
| | - Cynthia Marie-Claire
- APHP, NORD, Département de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, Hôpital Fernand Widal, Paris, France
| | - Frank Bellivier
- Optimisation Thérapeutique en Neuropsychopharmacologie, Université de Paris, INSERM UMRS 1144, Paris, France.,APHP, NORD, Département de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, Hôpital Fernand Widal, Paris, France
| | - Vanessa Bloch
- APHP, NORD, Département de Psychiatrie et de Médecine Addictologique, Hôpital Fernand Widal, Paris, France.,APHP, NORD, Service de Pharmacie, Hôpital Fernand Widal, Paris, France
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48
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Balsamo D, Bajardi P, Salomone A, Schifanella R. Patterns of Routes of Administration and Drug Tampering for Nonmedical Opioid Consumption: Data Mining and Content Analysis of Reddit Discussions. J Med Internet Res 2021; 23:e21212. [PMID: 33393910 PMCID: PMC7813634 DOI: 10.2196/21212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Revised: 10/15/2020] [Accepted: 10/28/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The complex unfolding of the US opioid epidemic in the last 20 years has been the subject of a large body of medical and pharmacological research, and it has sparked a multidisciplinary discussion on how to implement interventions and policies to effectively control its impact on public health. OBJECTIVE This study leverages Reddit, a social media platform, as the primary data source to investigate the opioid crisis. We aimed to find a large cohort of Reddit users interested in discussing the use of opioids, trace the temporal evolution of their interest, and extensively characterize patterns of the nonmedical consumption of opioids, with a focus on routes of administration and drug tampering. METHODS We used a semiautomatic information retrieval algorithm to identify subreddits discussing nonmedical opioid consumption and developed a methodology based on word embedding to find alternative colloquial and nonmedical terms referring to opioid substances, routes of administration, and drug-tampering methods. We modeled the preferences of adoption of substances and routes of administration, estimating their prevalence and temporal unfolding. Ultimately, through the evaluation of odds ratios based on co-mentions, we measured the strength of association between opioid substances, routes of administration, and drug tampering. RESULTS We identified 32 subreddits discussing nonmedical opioid usage from 2014 to 2018 and observed the evolution of interest among over 86,000 Reddit users potentially involved in firsthand opioid usage. We learned the language model of opioid consumption and provided alternative vocabularies for opioid substances, routes of administration, and drug tampering. A data-driven taxonomy of nonmedical routes of administration was proposed. We modeled the temporal evolution of interest in opioid consumption by ranking the popularity of the adoption of opioid substances and routes of administration, observing relevant trends, such as the surge in synthetic opioids like fentanyl and an increasing interest in rectal administration. In addition, we measured the strength of association between drug tampering, routes of administration, and substance consumption, finding evidence of understudied abusive behaviors, like chewing fentanyl patches and dissolving buprenorphine sublingually. CONCLUSIONS This work investigated some important consumption-related aspects of the opioid epidemic using Reddit data. We believe that our approach may provide a novel perspective for a more comprehensive understanding of nonmedical abuse of opioids substances and inform the prevention, treatment, and control of the public health effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duilio Balsamo
- Department of Mathematics, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | | | - Rossano Schifanella
- ISI Foundation, Turin, Italy
- Department of Computer Science, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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49
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Freynhagen R, Elling C, Radic T, Sohns M, Liedgens H, James D, McCool R, Edwards M. Safety of tapentadol compared with other opioids in chronic pain treatment: network meta-analysis of randomized controlled and withdrawal trials. Curr Med Res Opin 2021; 37:89-100. [PMID: 33032466 DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2020.1832977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To assess the relative safety of oral tapentadol PR and other opioid analgesics for moderate or severe chronic pain in adults, we conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis (NMA). METHODS A systematic review was conducted to identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and randomized withdrawal trials of tapentadol with other WHO stage II and III opioid analgesics in patients with moderate or severe chronic pain. Searches were conducted in MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, Cochrane databases and trial registries. Feasibility assessment evaluated the trials' suitability for NMA. Outcomes assessed were overall AEs, overall serious adverse events, constipation, nausea, dizziness, somnolence, headache, and discontinuation due to AEs. Randomized withdrawal trials were analyzed separately to other RCTs. RESULTS Searches conducted in April 2019 identified 16,604 records. Following screening and feasibility assessment, 29 RCTs and 19 randomized withdrawal trials were identified and included in the NMA. Consistent with existing research, evidence from RCTs suggested that tapentadol is associated with relatively lower odds of adverse events occurring than most active comparators. The withdrawal trial data were less clear, with higher uncertainty around the results, and results that appear to contradict the RCT evidence. There are a number of trial design factors that may be affecting these results. CONCLUSIONS RCT evidence suggests that tapentadol can be a useful treatment option for patients suffering from chronic pain and in need of an opioid analgesic. Opioids should be prescribed by a qualified physician only after other analgesics have been considered, taking side effects and misuse risk into account.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Freynhagen
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Critical Care Medicine, Pain Medicine & Palliative Care, Benedictus Krankenhaus Tutzing, Pain Center Lake Starnberg, Academic Teaching Hospital Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - C Elling
- Grünenthal GmbH, Aachen, Germany
| | - T Radic
- Grünenthal GmbH, Aachen, Germany
| | - M Sohns
- Grünenthal GmbH, Aachen, Germany
| | | | - D James
- Quantics Biostatistics, Edinburgh, UK
| | - R McCool
- York Health Economics Consortium, York, UK
| | - M Edwards
- York Health Economics Consortium, York, UK
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50
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Schifano F, Napoletano F, Chiappini S, Guirguis A, Corkery JM, Bonaccorso S, Ricciardi A, Scherbaum N, Vento A. New/emerging psychoactive substances and associated psychopathological consequences. Psychol Med 2021; 51:30-42. [PMID: 31327332 DOI: 10.1017/s0033291719001727] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The present paper provides an updated review of both the large number of new/novel/emerging psychoactive substances (NPS) and their associated psychopathological consequences. Focus was here given on identification of those NPS being commented in specialised online sources and the related short-/long-term psychopathological and medical ill-health effects. METHODS NPS have been identified through an innovative crawling/navigating software, called the 'NPS.Finder®', created in order to facilitate the process of early recognition of NPS online. A range of information regarding NPS, including chemical and street names; chemical formula; three-dimensional image and anecdotally reported clinical/psychoactive effects, were here made available. RESULTS Using the 'NPS.Finder®' approach, a few thousand NPS were here preliminarily identified, a number which is about 4-fold higher than those figures suggested by European and international drug agencies. NPS most commonly associated with the onset of psychopathological consequences included here synthetic cannabinoids/cannabimimetics; new synthetic opioids; ketamine-like dissociatives; novel stimulants; novel psychedelics and several prescription and over-the-counter medicines. CONCLUSIONS The ever-increasing changes in terms of recreational psychotropics' availability represent a relatively new challenge for psychiatry, as the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of many NPS have not been thoroughly understood. Health/mental health professionals should be informed about the range of NPS; their intake modalities; their psychoactive sought-after effects; the idiosyncratic psychotropics' combinations and finally, their medical and psychopathological risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Schifano
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse, and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | | | - S Chiappini
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse, and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - A Guirguis
- Swansea University Medical School, Institute of Life Sciences 2, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, Wales
| | - J M Corkery
- Psychopharmacology, Drug Misuse, and Novel Psychoactive Substances Research Unit, School of Life and Medical Sciences, University of Hertfordshire, Hatfield, UK
| | - S Bonaccorso
- Camden and Islington NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | - A Ricciardi
- Camden and Islington NHS Mental Health Foundation Trust, London, UK
- Department of Mental Health, ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy
| | - N Scherbaum
- LVR-Klinikum Essen, Klinik für Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - A Vento
- Addictions' Observatory (ODDPSS), Rome, Italy
- 'Guglielmo Marconi' University, Rome, Italy
- Department of Mental Health, ASL Roma 2, Rome, Italy
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