The case for a medication first approach to the treatment of opioid use disorder

Background: The opioid addiction and overdose crisis continues to ravage communities across the U.S. Maintenance pharmacotherapy using buprenorphine or methadone is the most effective intervention for Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), yet few have immediate and sustained access to these medications. Objectives: To address lack of medication access for people with OUD, the Missouri Department of Mental Health began implementing a Medication First (Med First) treatment approach in its publicly-funded system of comprehensive substance use disorder treatment programs. Methods: This Perspective describes the four principles of Med First, which are based on evidence-based guidelines. It draws conceptual comparisons between the Housing First approach to chronic homelessness and the Med First approach to pharmacotherapy for OUD, and compares state certification standards for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment (the traditional approach) to Med First guidelines for OUD treatment. Finally, the Perspective details how Med First principles have been practically implemented. Results: Med First principles emphasize timely access to maintenance pharmacotherapy without requiring psychosocial services or discontinuation for any reason other than harm to the client. Early results regarding medication utilization and treatment retention are promising. Feedback from providers has been largely favorable, though clinical- and system-level obstacles to effective OUD treatment remain. Conclusion: Like the Housing First model, Medication First is designed to decrease human suffering and activate the strengths and capacities of people in need. It draws on decades of research and facilitates partnerships between psychosocial and medical treatment providers to offer effective and life-saving care to persons with OUD.     

Cases of buprenorphine abuse in India.

Buprenorphine was introduced as a potent analgesic with low abuse potential. Reports of buprenorphine abuse by opiate abusers have accumulated over the years, highlighting its use as a cheap alternative to heroin. The lower potency compared with heroin is being compensated by using a cocktail of buprenorphine with benzodiazepines or cyclizine. This study of 18 cases seen over 3 years broadly confirms these findings. Four cases reported haematemesis during acute withdrawal, a symptom not reported in earlier studies.     

Pharmacological options for management of opioid dependence

Methadone is currently the only opioid available for the pharmacotherapy of opioid dependence. Cross-tolerance between methadone and other opioids constitutes the pharmacological basis for substitution and attenuating the effects of illicit opioid use. However, these principles limit the utility of methadone. Potential alternative opioids include long-acting partial agonists such as buprenorphine and pure antagonists such as naltrexone. Buprenorphine is an alternative to methadone with intermediate intrinsic efficacy. It has a large margin of safety, yet displays some agonist actions similar to methadone. It has greater potential than methadone to safely and effectively block the actions of illicit opioids. Naltrexone is a safe, convenient opioid-antagonist for use following detoxification from opioid agonists. Its main use is to block the actions of other opioids, thereby attenuating or eliminating illicit use during treatment. However, it is poorly accepted by many clients, limiting its application to a sub-group who are highly motivated to detoxify. The distinct pharmacological properties of these opioids can overcome some of the drawbacks of methadone, but other limitations may emerge. Non-opioid adjuncts such as alpha2-adrenoceptor agonists can also have a role during detoxification. These drugs might be of use for specific groups of opioid users, providing therapists with the flexibility to tailor pharmacotherapy to the individual needs of clients.     

丁丙诺啡舌下含片用于中、重度癌症镇痛的扩大临床验证

目的 :进一步验证丁丙诺啡舌下含片用于中、重度癌痛患者的镇痛效果和不良反应 ,探索达到明显或完全疼痛缓解的用药剂量 ,以便更好地指导临床用药。方法 :采用多中心无对照开放试验。应用滴定法 ,调整日剂量 ,寻找 2 4h使癌痛患者无痛的给药剂量。结果 :中、重度癌症患者舌下含服丁丙诺啡 0 6 - 2 4mg·d- 1 的剂量 ,给药次数3- 4次 ,可明显或完全缓解疼痛。主要不良反应有头晕、思睡和恶心等。结论 :丁丙诺啡是一种镇痛效果较强 ,不良反应较轻 ,适用于中、重度疼痛的镇痛药 ,可用于癌痛患者第Ⅲ阶梯镇痛。     

参附脱毒胶囊联合丁丙诺啡舌下片治疗海洛因依赖的临床疗效观察

目的 :探索戒毒疗效好、不造成新的药物成瘾 ,且经济的脱毒方案。方法 :将 80例海洛因依赖者分成A、B两组 ,A组给予参附脱毒胶囊联合丁丙诺啡脱毒 ,B组单纯使用小剂量美沙酮脱毒 ,对照观察两组的脱毒疗效。结果 :在控制戒断症状方面 ,A组与B组比较差异无显著性 (P >0 0 5 ) ,但A组不良反应轻微 ,B组有 2 3例停药后有索药行为。两药合用 ,参附脱毒胶囊用量减少。结论 :参附脱毒胶囊联合丁丙诺啡临床疗效可靠 ,无成瘾性 ,不良反应少 ,经济 ,值得推广使用     

盐酸丁丙诺啡舌下含片用于乳腺癌改良根治术后镇痛

目的以安慰剂和吗啡为对照,观察丁丙诺啡舌下含片用于乳腺癌改良根治术后镇痛的有效性及安全性。方法120例乳腺癌改良根治术病人随机分为4组(每组30例),当术后出现中等程度疼痛(VSA≥4分)时,分别给予安慰剂、丁丙诺啡0.2,0.4mg舌下含片或吗啡片剂10mg。给药后8h内,记录各观察点的疼痛程度差值、疼痛缓解程度及药物不良反应。结果8例病人因未按计划用药被剔除,共有112例完成临床观察并进行分析。丁丙诺啡各组与吗啡组总的疼痛缓解程度均明显优于安慰剂组(P<0.05,P<0.01),各观测点的疼痛程度差值和疼痛缓解程度也优于安慰剂组(P<0.05)。丁丙诺啡与吗啡组的恶心及呕吐发生率高于安慰剂组,但仅丁丙诺啡0.4mg组与安慰剂组有显著性差别(P<0.05)。结论丁丙诺啡舌下含片用于术后镇痛的效应及药物不良反应发生率与吗啡接近,可作为术后镇痛的一种选择。     

Demystifying buprenorphine misuse: Has fear of diversion gotten in the way of addressing the opioid crisis?

Buprenorphine is considered one of the most effective treatments for opioid use disorder and significantly reduces risk of overdose death. However, concerns about its diversion and misuse have often taken center stage in public discourse and in the design of practices and policies regarding its use. This has been to the detriment of many vulnerable patient populations, especially those involved in the criminal justice system. Policies that restrict access to buprenorphine in criminal justice and other settings due to concerns of diversion do not accurately reflect the relative risks and safety profile associated with it, creating unnecessary barriers that drive an illicit market of this much-needed medication. Although proper regulation of all controlled medications should be a priority, in most instances the benefits of buprenorphine highly outweigh its risks. In the midst of a national crisis, efforts should be focused on expanding, and not restricting, access to this lifesaving treatment.     

Analgesic treatments in people with dementia - how safe are they? A systematic review

Introduction: People with dementia may be unable to verbally express pain and suffer from untreated pain. Use of analgesics in people with dementia has increased during the last decade, in particular opioid analgesics with high potential for adverse effects.

Areas covered: This article presents a systematic review of the current evidence for safety and tolerability of analgesic drugs from randomized controlled trials in people with dementia. Relevant trials were identified by a literature search in the EMBASE, MEDLINE, and Cochrane databases from inception to November 2018. The search included the main terms ‘dementia’ and ‘analgesic’ or their subterms, and was filtered to limit results to clinical trials.

Expert opinion: Although pain treatment is increasingly recognized as an important clinical issue in people with advanced dementia, there is currently a lack of evidence to support safety evaluations of commonly used analgesics in this group. To inform treatment decisions and enable care providers to appropriately monitor patients at risk of adverse effects, it is necessary to conduct well-designed clinical trials to investigate the relative efficacy and safety of analgesics in people with dementia, with particular emphasis on harmful effects of long-term opioid use as well as short-term use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.