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Drug and Alcohol Review Jun 2024Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is an effective treatment for opioid dependence syndrome in adults. However, studies on effectiveness of OAT in adolescents are limited;...
INTRODUCTION
Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) is an effective treatment for opioid dependence syndrome in adults. However, studies on effectiveness of OAT in adolescents are limited; existing studies show varying retention rates. The present study aimed to assess OAT retention rates in adolescent patients with opioid dependence syndrome registered in a community drug treatment clinic in Delhi, India, and to analyse factors associated with retention at 1 year.
METHODS
Retrospective cohort study. All adolescents (n = 130) aged 10-19 years, started on OAT from January 2020 to July 2022 were included. Baseline and follow-up data was extracted from online record system maintained at the clinic. OAT retention rates at different timepoints were assessed. Multivariable logistic regression was used to discern factors associated with one-year retention.
RESULTS
The participants' mean age was 16.9 (SD 1.4) years. Mean age of starting opioids was 14.9 (SD 2.2) years; 29.5% (n = 38) injected opioids. The 6-, 12-, 18- and 24-month retention rate on OAT was 64.4%, 45.6%, 38.7% and 29% respectively. The retention rates with buprenorphine and methadone were comparable. Multivariate logistic regression showed retention for less than 12 months to be significantly associated with younger age of starting heroin, involvement in illegal activities, absenteeism from school and substance use in family.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
The 12-month retention rates on OAT in adolescents is comparable to retention rates in adults. Various factors associated with early age of onset of opioid use are also associated with lower retention rates on OAT.
PubMed: 38884374
DOI: 10.1111/dar.13890 -
International Journal of Biological... Jun 2024Morphine addiction poses a significant challenge to global healthcare. Current opioid substitution therapies, such as buprenorphine, naloxone and methadone are effective...
Morphine addiction poses a significant challenge to global healthcare. Current opioid substitution therapies, such as buprenorphine, naloxone and methadone are effective but often lead to dependence. Thus, exploring alternative treatments for opioid addiction is crucial. We have developed a novel vaccine that presents morphine and Pam3Cys (a TLR-2 agonist) on the surface of Acr1 nanoparticles. This vaccine has self-adjuvant properties and targets TLR-2 receptors on antigen-presenting cells, particularly dendritic cells. Our vaccination strategy promotes the proliferation and differentiation of morphine-specific B-cells and Acr1-reactive CD4 T-cells. Additionally, the vaccine elicited the production of high-affinity anti-morphine antibodies, effectively eliminating morphine from the bloodstream and brain in mice. It also reduced the expression of addiction-associated μ-opioid receptor and dopamine genes. The significant increase in memory CD4 T-cells and B-cells indicates the vaccine's ability to induce long-lasting immunity against morphine. This vaccine holds promise as a prophylactic measure against morphine addiction.
PubMed: 38880456
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133188 -
The International Journal on Drug Policy Jun 2024Despite being among the most effective treatments for opioid use disorder, methadone is largely unavailable in the United States, due primarily to federal and other...
Despite being among the most effective treatments for opioid use disorder, methadone is largely unavailable in the United States, due primarily to federal and other policies that limit its availability and regulate clinical decisions about doses, visit frequency, and drug testing. There is unprecedented momentum to change decades-old US methadone policies. Yet uncertainty remains as to whether reforms will be adopted and how policies will be implemented. France has among the best methadone access and lowest overdose death rates worldwide. 87 % of French people with opioid use disorder receive methadone or buprenorphine, versus an estimated 13-20 % in the US. France's opioid-related overdose rates are far lower than the US. This article compares French and US systems, including current and proposed US policies, and underscores potential implications for US policymakers. In France, methadone can be initiated in specialty addiction settings and hospitals, with subsequent handoff to primary care. Methadone can be dispensed in community pharmacies and filled like other opioids, without requirements for supervised dosing. Decisions about visit frequency, medication doses, and drug testing are governed by clinical best practices and patient-clinician shared decision-making. In the US, methadone for opioid use disorder is regulated unlike any other medication (including methadone for pain) and is governed by strict federal controls, including from law enforcement and healthcare. With few exceptions, methadone for opioid use disorder is only available in Opioid Treatment Programs. US clinicians cannot prescribe methadone for opioid use disorder. Federal rules determine minimum visit frequency, initial dose limits, and other conditions of treatment, which states may further limit. Policies assert strong influence on patient experience, treatment access, and health outcomes. Despite being less restrictive than the US, the French model includes limits designed to avoid or minimize potential harms. French policies have important implications for potential US reforms.
PubMed: 38878588
DOI: 10.1016/j.drugpo.2024.104487 -
The American Journal on Addictions Jun 2024Although concurrent stimulant use is common among people with opioid use disorder (OUD), there is little evidence on its impacts on opioid agonist therapy (OAT)...
Impact of baseline methamphetamine/amphetamine use on discontinuation of methadone and buprenorphine/naloxone among people with prescription-type opioid use disorder in Canada.
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Although concurrent stimulant use is common among people with opioid use disorder (OUD), there is little evidence on its impacts on opioid agonist therapy (OAT) outcomes. This study sought to determine the impact of baseline methamphetamine/amphetamine use on discontinuation of OAT among individuals with prescription-type OUD (POUD) initiating methadone or buprenorphine/naloxone as part of a pragmatic randomized trial in Canada.
METHODS
Secondary analysis of a pan-Canadian pragmatic trial conducted between 2017 and 2020 comparing supervised methadone versus flexible take-home dosing buprenorphine/naloxone models of care. Cox proportional hazard models were used to evaluate the effect of baseline methamphetamine/amphetamine use (measured by urine drug test [UDT]) on two discontinuation outcomes (i.e., assigned OAT discontinuation, any OAT discontinuation).
RESULTS
Two hundred nine (n = 209) participants initiated OAT, of which 96 (45.9%) had positive baseline methamphetamine/amphetamine UDT. Baseline methamphetamine/amphetamine use was associated with shorter median times in assigned OAT (21 vs. 168 days, hazard ratio [aHR] = 2.45, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.60-3.76) and any OAT (25 days vs. 168 days, aHR = 2.06, CI = 1.32-3.24). No interaction between methamphetamine/amphetamine and assigned OAT was observed for either outcome (p > .05).
CONCLUSION AND SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE
This study offers novel insights on the impact of methamphetamine/amphetamine use on OAT outcomes among people with POUD. Methamphetamine/amphetamine use was common and was associated with increased risk of OAT discontinuation. Supplementary interventions, including treatment for stimulant use, are needed to improve retention in OAT and optimize treatment outcomes in this population.
PubMed: 38877969
DOI: 10.1111/ajad.13619 -
Journal of Cardiothoracic and Vascular... May 2024To explore the association between intraoperative methadone use, postoperative pain, and opioid consumption after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery.
OBJECTIVE
To explore the association between intraoperative methadone use, postoperative pain, and opioid consumption after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery.
DESIGN
Retrospective cohort study.
SETTING
Single academic medical center.
PARTICIPANTS
Patients undergoing isolated CABG over a 5-year period.
INTERVENTIONS
None.
MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Demographic data, comorbidities, and intraoperative anesthetic medications were recorded. Primary study outcomes were average and maximum pain scores and morphine milligram equivalent consumption on the first 2 postoperative days (PODs). Linear mixed-effects regression models were used to examine the effect of intraoperative methadone use on study outcomes. Among 1,338 patients, 78.6% received intraoperative methadone (0.2 mg/kg). Patients who did not receive methadone had higher average (estimated [Est], 0.48; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.22-0.73; p < 0.001) and maximum postoperative (Est, 0.49; 95% CI, 0.23-0.75; p < 0.001) pain scores over PODs 0 to 2. For postoperative opioid consumption, there was a significant intraoperative methadone use-time interaction effect on postoperative opioid use (odds ratio [OR], 2.21; 95% CI, 1.74-2.80; p < 0.001). Across PODs 0 to 2, patients who received intraoperative methadone had a faster decline in postoperative opioid use than those who did not receive intraoperative methadone. Patients who did not receive intraoperative methadone were extubated slightly faster (OR, 0.82; 95% CI, 0.72-0.93; p < 0.01).
CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that the use of intraoperative methadone is safe, reduces postoperative pain, and expedites weaning from postoperative opioids after CABG surgery.
PubMed: 38876810
DOI: 10.1053/j.jvca.2024.05.012 -
Canadian Journal of Psychiatry. Revue... Jun 2024Capacity to consent to treatment of substance use disorders at Ontario's Consent and Capacity Board: A review of past reported decisions.
Capacity to consent to treatment of substance use disorders at Ontario's Consent and Capacity Board: A review of past reported decisions.
PubMed: 38872386
DOI: 10.1177/07067437241261488 -
The Journal of Rural Health : Official... Jun 2024The opioid overdose crisis requires strengthening treatment systems with innovative technologies. How people use telehealth for opioid use disorder (OUD) is evolving and...
A multilevel analysis of changing telehealth availability in opioid use disorder treatment settings: Conditional effects of rurality, the number and types of medication for opioid use disorder available, and time, US, 2016-2023.
PURPOSE
The opioid overdose crisis requires strengthening treatment systems with innovative technologies. How people use telehealth for opioid use disorder (OUD) is evolving and differs in rural versus urban areas, as telehealth is emerging as a local resource and complementary option to in-person treatment. We assessed changing trends in telehealth and medication for OUD (MOUD) and pinpoint locations of low telehealth and MOUD access.
METHODS
We used national data from the Mental health and Addiction Treatment Tracking Repository (2016-2023) to identify specialty outpatient SUD treatment facilities in the United States (N = 83,988). We modeled the availability of telehealth using multilevel multivariable logistic regression, adjusting for covariates. We included a 3-way interaction to test for conditional effects of rurality, the number of MOUD medication types dispensed, and year. We included two random effects to account for clustering within counties and states.
FINDINGS
We identified 495 facilities that offered both telehealth and all three MOUD medication types (methadone, buprenorphine, naltrexone) in 2023, clustered in the eastern United States. We identified a statistically significant 3-way interaction (p < 0.0001), indicating that telehealth in facilities that did not offer MOUD shifted from more telehealth in rural facilities in earlier years to more telehealth in urban facilities in later years.
CONCLUSIONS
Treatment facilities that offer both telehealth and all three MOUD medication types may improve access for hard-to-reach populations. We stress the importance of continued health system strengthening and technological resources in vulnerable rural communities, while acknowledging a changing landscape of increased OUD incidence and MOUD demand in urban communities.
PubMed: 38867390
DOI: 10.1111/jrh.12854 -
Journal of Medical Internet Research Jun 2024Telemedicine has the potential to remove geographic and temporal obstacles to health care access. Whether and how telemedicine can increase health care access for...
BACKGROUND
Telemedicine has the potential to remove geographic and temporal obstacles to health care access. Whether and how telemedicine can increase health care access for underserved populations remains an open question. To address this issue, we integrated facilitated telemedicine encounters for the management of hepatitis C virus (HCV), a highly prevalent condition among people with opioid use disorder (OUD), into opioid treatment programs (OTPs). In New York State, OTPs are methadone-dispensing centers that provide patient-centered, evidence-based treatment for OUD. We investigated the integration and impact of facilitated telemedicine into OTP workflows in these settings.
OBJECTIVE
This study aims to understand OTP staff experiences with integrating facilitated telemedicine for HCV treatment into OTPs, including best practices and lessons learned.
METHODS
We conducted semistructured interviews with 45 OTP staff members (13 clinical, 12 administrative, 6 physicians, and 14 support staff members) at least one year after the implementation of facilitated telemedicine for HCV management. We used hermeneutic phenomenological analysis to understand OTP staff experiences.
RESULTS
We identified 4 overarching themes illustrating the successful integration of facilitated telemedicine for HCV care into OTPs. First, integration requires an understanding of the challenges, goals, and values of the OTP. As OTP staff learned about new, highly effective HCV therapies, they valued an HCV cure as a "win" for their patients and were excited about the potential to eliminate a highly prevalent infectious disease. Second, the integration of facilitated telemedicine into OTPs fosters social support and reinforces relationships between patients and OTP staff. OTP staff appreciated the ability to have "eyes on" patients during telemedicine encounters to assess body language, a necessary component of OUD management. Third, participants described high levels of interprofessional collaboration as a care team that included the blurring of lines between disciplines working toward a common goal of improving patient care. Study case managers were integrated into OTP workflows and established communication channels to improve patient outcomes. Fourth, administrators endorsed the sustained and future expansion of facilitated telemedicine to address comorbidities.
CONCLUSIONS
OTP staff were highly enthusiastic about facilitated telemedicine for an underserved population. They described high levels of collaboration and integration comparable to relevant integrative frameworks. When situated within OTPs, facilitated telemedicine is a high-value application of telemedicine that provides support for underserved populations necessary for high-quality health care. These experiences support sustaining and scaling facilitated telemedicine in comparable settings and evaluating its ability to address other comorbidities.
TRIAL REGISTRATION
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02933970; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT02933970.
Topics: Humans; Telemedicine; Hepatitis C; Qualitative Research; Female; Male; Opioid-Related Disorders; Adult; New York; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Middle Aged
PubMed: 38865703
DOI: 10.2196/53049 -
The Journal of Pediatric Pharmacology... Jun 2024To compare median Sophia Observation withdrawal Symptoms scale (SOS) scores between -intravenous methadone dosing scheduled every 6 hours or every 8 hours for iatrogenic...
OBJECTIVE
To compare median Sophia Observation withdrawal Symptoms scale (SOS) scores between -intravenous methadone dosing scheduled every 6 hours or every 8 hours for iatrogenic withdrawal -syndrome (IWS).
METHODS
This single-center, retrospective chart review evaluated patients aged 4 weeks through 18 years treated with intravenous methadone for IWS. Children admitted to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) of a tertiary care children's hospital between August 2017 and July 2021 and treated for IWS for at least 48 hours were eligible for inclusion. Methadone dosing schedules were compared, with a primary outcome of median Sophia Observation withdrawal Symptoms (SOS) score during the first 24 hours after cessation of continuous fentanyl infusion. Secondary outcomes included PICU and general pediatric unit lengths of stay, extubation failure rates, and mortality.
RESULTS
Twenty patients met inclusion criteria, with 9 in the 6-hour dosing group. There was no difference in median SOS score, extubation failure, length of stay, or mortality between the 2 groups.
CONCLUSIONS
During the first 24 hours after cessation of continuous fentanyl, there appears to be no -difference in IWS severity, as determined by bedside nurse scoring, between patients treated with -intravenous methadone every 6 hours compared with every 8 hours.
PubMed: 38863852
DOI: 10.5863/1551-6776-29.3.266