Aberrant Drug Behavior Research Articles

Management of Psychosocial Issues in Terminal Illness

Patients facing serious or life-threatening illness experience challenges to their psychological, social, and spiritual lives as well as to their physical function and comfort. Physicians may be accustomed to focusing on the biomedical aspects of illness, but they have a critical role in assessing the patient's psychosocial issues to identify sources of distress and help implement a plan for mitigating them. An appropriate psychosocial assessment requires a methodical and rigorous approach and includes assessment of any psychosocial issue affected by or affecting a patient's experience of illness. This chapter outlines a structured approach to addressing psychosocial issues by discussing (1) the doctor-patient relationship; (2) coping with illness; (3) family dynamics and caregiving; (4) ethnic and cultural issues; (5) religious, spiritual, and existential issues; (6) mental health issues, including adjustment disorder, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, aberrant drug behaviors, and major mental health issues; and (7) grief and bereavement. Tables outline psychosocial assessment questions, factors predisposing patients with serious illness to depression, risk factors for suicide in patients with terminal illness, and classes of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and sedatives. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire is provided, as well as a list of Web sites with further resources about psychosocial issues in serious illness. This review contains 1 highly rendered figure, 6 tables, and 216 references.

Management of Psychosocial Issues in Terminal Illness

Patients facing serious or life-threatening illness experience challenges to their psychological, social, and spiritual lives as well as to their physical function and comfort. Physicians may be accustomed to focusing on the biomedical aspects of illness, but they have a critical role in assessing the patient's psychosocial issues to identify sources of distress and help implement a plan for mitigating them. An appropriate psychosocial assessment requires a methodical and rigorous approach and includes assessment of any psychosocial issue affected by or affecting a patient's experience of illness. This chapter outlines a structured approach to addressing psychosocial issues by discussing (1) the doctor-patient relationship; (2) coping with illness; (3) family dynamics and caregiving; (4) ethnic and cultural issues; (5) religious, spiritual, and existential issues; (6) mental health issues, including adjustment disorder, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, aberrant drug behaviors, and major mental health issues; and (7) grief and bereavement. Tables outline psychosocial assessment questions, factors predisposing patients with serious illness to depression, risk factors for suicide in patients with terminal illness, and classes of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and sedatives. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire is provided, as well as a list of Web sites with further resources about psychosocial issues in serious illness. This chapter contains 1 highly rendered figure, 6 tables, 216 references, and 5 MCQs.

Management of Psychosocial Issues in Terminal Illness

Patients facing serious or life-threatening illness experience challenges to their psychological, social, and spiritual lives as well as to their physical function and comfort. Physicians may be accustomed to focusing on the biomedical aspects of illness, but they have a critical role in assessing the patient's psychosocial issues to identify sources of distress and help implement a plan for mitigating them. An appropriate psychosocial assessment requires a methodical and rigorous approach and includes assessment of any psychosocial issue affected by or affecting a patient's experience of illness. This chapter outlines a structured approach to addressing psychosocial issues by discussing (1) the doctor-patient relationship; (2) coping with illness; (3) family dynamics and caregiving; (4) ethnic and cultural issues; (5) religious, spiritual, and existential issues; (6) mental health issues, including adjustment disorder, depression, anxiety, personality disorders, aberrant drug behaviors, and major mental health issues; and (7) grief and bereavement. Tables outline psychosocial assessment questions, factors predisposing patients with serious illness to depression, risk factors for suicide in patients with terminal illness, and classes of antidepressants, anxiolytics, and sedatives. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test-Consumption (AUDIT-C) questionnaire is provided, as well as a list of Web sites with further resources about psychosocial issues in serious illness. This review contains 1 highly rendered figure, 6 tables, and 216 references.

Systematic review: managing aberrant drug behavior in primary care

Several strategies for preventing, identifying, and responding to aberrant opioid-related behaviors are recommended in pain management guidelines. This systematic review evaluated data in support of these strategies. Risk-reduction strategies were identified via a review of available guidelines. Systematic literature searches of PubMed were conducted (May 1, 2007 to May 21, 2012) to identify articles with evidence relevant to 9 basic strategies. Reference lists from relevant articles were reviewed for additional references of interest. Levels of evidence for articles identified were graded on a 4-point scale (strongest evidence=level 1; weakest evidence=level 4) using Oxford Centre for Evidence-based Medicine Levels of Evidence criteria. Weak to moderate evidence supported the value of thorough patient assessment, risk-screening tools, controlled-substance agreements, careful dose titration, opioid dose ceilings, compliance monitoring, and adherence to practice guidelines. Moderate to strong evidence suggests that tamper-resistant opioids may help prevent misuse but also that prescribing these formulations may have the unintended consequence of prompting a migration of users to other marketed opioids, heroin, or other substances. Similarly, there is preliminary evidence that recent regulatory and legal efforts may help reduce misuse but also impose barriers to the legitimate treatment of pain. Despite an absence of consistent, strong supporting evidence, clinicians are advised to use each of the available risk-mitigation strategies in combination as an attempt to minimize the risk of abuse in opioid treatment patients. Efforts to prevent abuse should not compromise pain management or promote other forms of substance abuse. Supported by Endo Pharmaceuticals Inc. (Chadds Ford, PA), who also funded editorial support provided by Complete Healthcare Communications, Inc. (Chadds Ford, PA).

The Appropriate Use of Opiates in Chronic Pain

Chronic pain is a common but undertreated health problem in the United States. Opioids are effective for moderate-to-severe chronic pain, but these drugs must be used with care due to the risks for overdose and addiction. When initiating opioid treatment, physicians should perform a complete patient history, physical exam, and other appropriate testing and also assess the patient's risk for substance misuse, abuse, or addiction. Patients should be monitored regularly for both improvement of function and for aberrant drug behaviors. With proper monitoring and risk management, patients with chronic pain can be treated effectively and safely with opioids.

YA-PC 101: The Who, What, and How of Young Adult Palliative Care (P4)

medications in this country rise, we are seeing an increasing number of patients with advanced illness and active or history of addiction which informs their care. In addition, as the generation that was first treated in methadone maintenance clinics ages, they are entering the population of palliative care patients in greater numbers. Caring for these patients can prove challenging as they demonstrate both psychosocial complexity and opioid tolerance. In addition, caring for the actively addicted patient provides challenges that are psychological, social, medical, and legal. Historically, pain has been under-treated in patients on opioid agonist therapy. Many barriers and misconceptions exist which lead to undertreatment of pain. In this highly interactive and multidisciplinary workshop we will address barriers to caring for patients with addiction that are both behavioral and physiologic and include concern for readdiction, aberrant drug behavior, drug-seeking behavior, as well as opioid hyperalgesia and tolerance as a result of opioid agonist therapy. We will address the benefits of treating addiction and how to use an interdisciplinary approach to manage pain in patients with a history of addiction and those currently on opioid maintenance medications (methadone and suboxone).We will use case discussions and role play in small groups to identify barriers to effective care and interdisciplinary resources, and to practice diagnosing and managing addiction and pain management. We will also use worksheets in small groups to practice dose conversions from suboxone to methadone and to other opioids, and managing acute and chronic pain in patients on suboxone and methadone.

Psychological advances in chronic pain: a concise selective review of research from 2010

It is difficult to hold an organized view of psychological research related to chronic pain. There are many different theories and variables and the volume of literature is vast. The purpose of this review is to highlight some key trends in this research in 2010. We conducted a search of the output of four prominent scientific journals in the field of chronic pain management. Five research topics from among those identified are summarized. Identified topics include psychological factors related to analgesic use, efficacy of cognitive behavioral treatments, and contextual approaches (including acceptance and mindfulness). The largest number of psychological studies categorized for this review focused on psychological factors in relation to opioid use. These studies include ones to identify risk factors for aberrant drug behavior. This result seems to reflect that the dominant approach to chronic pain remains a pharmacological one. At the same time treatment from within a broadly cognitive behavioral approach seems to have reached a level of relative maturity with questions frequently being addressed with meta-analysis. Otherwise, there are developing and promising trends, such as in new treatment models and uses of information technology.

Cross validation of the current opioid misuse measure to monitor chronic pain patients on opioid therapy.

The Current Opioid Misuse Measure (COMM) is a self-report measure of risk for aberrant medication-related behavior among persons with chronic pain who are prescribed opioids for pain. It was developed to complement predictive screeners of opioid misuse potential and improve a clinician's ability to periodically assess a patient's risk for opioid misuse. The aim of this study was to cross-validate the COMM with a sample of chronic noncancer pain patients. Two hundred and twenty-six participants prescribed opioids for pain were recruited from 5 pain management centers in the United States. Participants completed the 17-item COMM and a series of self-report measures. Patients were rated by their treating physician, had a urine toxicology screen, and were classified on the Aberrant Drug Behavior index. The reliability and predictive validity in this cross validation as measured by the area under the curve (AUC) were found to be highly significant (AUC=0.79) and not significantly different from the AUC obtained in the original validation study (AUC=0.81). Reliability (coefficient α) was 0.83, which is comparable to the 0.86 obtained in the original sample. Results of the cross validation suggest that the psychometric parameters of the COMM are not based solely on unique characteristics of the initial validation sample. The COMM seems to be a reliable and valid screening tool to help detect current aberrant drug-related behavior among chronic pain patients.

Gender differences in risk factors for aberrant prescription opioid use.

This is a longitudinal predictive study to examine gender differences in the clinical correlates of risk for opioid misuse among chronic pain patients prescribed opioids for pain. Two hundred seventy-five male and 335 female patients prescribed opioids for chronic noncancer pain were asked to complete a series of baseline questionnaires, including the revised Screener and Opioid Assessment for Pain Patients (SOAPP-R). After 5 months, the subjects were administered a structured prescription drug use interview (Prescription Drug Use Questionnaire; PDUQ) and submitted a urine sample for toxicology assessment. Their treating physicians also completed a substance misuse behavior checklist (Prescription Opioid Therapy Questionnaire; POTQ). At 5-month follow-up, women showed higher scores on the PDUQ (P < .05), whereas men had a higher incidence of physician-rated aberrant drug behavior on the POTQ (P < .05). An item analysis of the SOAPP-R, PDUQ, and POTQ showed that women tended to score higher on items relating to psychological distress, whereas the male patients tended to report having more legal and behavioral problems. These results suggest that risk factors associated with prescription opioid misuse may differ between men and women. Understanding gender differences in substance abuse risk among chronic pain patients is important for clinical assessment and treatment. This study suggests that women are at greater risk to misuse opioids because of emotional issues and affective distress, whereas men tend to misuse opioids because of legal and problematic behavioral issues.

Predictors of Resolution of Aberrant Drug Behavior in Chronic Pain Patients Treated in a Structured Opioid Risk Management Program

To identify demographic and clinical predictors of the resolution of aberrant drug-related behaviors (ADRBs) in a group of patients referred to the Opioid Renewal Clinic (ORC) by their primary care providers (PCPs). ORC is a program supporting PCPs' use of opioids for chronic pain in patients perceived as at risk for opioid abuse or those with demonstrated ADRBs. A retrospective chart review was conducted for 195 consecutive subjects referred to the ORC from January 17, 2002 to August 27, 2004, for ADRBs. Binary logistic regression was employed to identify independent predictors of aberrant behavior outcome at 1 year. Of the 195 referred, 45.6% (N = 89) resolved their ADRB at 1 year. Other outcomes, classified as nonresolution of ADRB, self-discharged or discharged by the ORC for inability to adhere to the opioid treatment agreement (N = 86, 44.1%) and acceptance of referral for addiction treatment (N = 20, 10.2%). A history of cocaine abuse increased the odds of failing the program by five times (odds ratio [OR] = 4.97, P = 0.001). Each additional pain diagnosis reduced the odds of failure by 16% (OR = 0.837, P = 0.008). When compared with singles, married individuals were 62% less likely to fail the ORC program (OR = 0.38, P = 0.028). Nearly half of the patients resolved their aberrant behavior within the ORC. Patients with cocaine abuse were at higher risk for failure, suggesting a need for further research into safe and effective ways to manage pain in this complex subset of patients. Aberrant behaviors tended to resolve in patients with multiple pain locations, possibly because of their desire for relief.

Cross-Validation of a Screener to Predict Opioid Misuse in Chronic Pain Patients (SOAPP-R)

The Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain - Revised (SOAPP-R) is a self-report questionnaire designed to predict aberrant medication-related behaviors among persons with chronic pain. This measure was developed to complement current risk assessment practices and to improve a clinician's ability to assess a patient's risk for opioid misuse. The aim of this study was to cross-validate the SOAPP-R with a new sample of chronic, non-cancer pain patients. Three hundred and two participants (N=302) prescribed opioids for pain were recruited from five pain management centers in the U.S. Subjects completed a series of self-report measures and were followed for five months. Patients were rated by their treating physician, had a urine toxicology screen, and were classified on the Aberrant Drug Behavior index. Seventy-three percent (73.2%) of the subjects (N= 221) were followed and 66 participants repeated the SOAPP-R after one week for test-retest reliability. The reliability and predictive validity, as measured by the area under the curve (AUC), were found to be highly significant (test-retest reliability = .91; coefficient alpha = .86; AUC = .74) and were sufficiently similar to values found with the initial sample. A cut-off score of 18 revealed a sensitivity of .80 and specificity of .52. Results of this cross-validation study suggest that the psychometric parameters of the SOAPP-R are not based solely on the unique characteristics of the initial validation sample. The SOAPP-R is found to be a reliable and valid screening tool for risk of aberrant drug-related behavior among chronic pain patients.

Does report of craving opioid medication predict aberrant drug behavior among chronic pain patients?

To examine the relationship between the self-report of craving prescription medication and subsequent opioid misuse among chronic pain patients prescribed opioids for pain. Six hundred thirteen patients taking opioid medication for chronic noncancer pain were asked how often they have felt a craving for their medication on a scale from 0=never to 4=very often. All participants completed a series of baseline questionnaires. After 6 months the participants were administered a structured prescription drug use interview (Prescription Drug Use Questionnaire), and submitted a urine sample for toxicology assessment. Their treating physicians also completed a substance misuse behavior checklist (Prescription Opioid Therapy Questionnaire). Three hundred thirty-seven participants (55.0%) reported that they never felt a craving for their medication, whereas 276 (45.0%) reported some degree of craving their medication (seldom to very often). Those who reported craving their medication were significantly more often male (P<0.01), unmarried (P<0.05), had lower scores on social desirability (P<0.001), and had been prescribed opioids for a longer time (P<0.05) than those who did not report craving medication. At 6-month follow-up, those who reported craving their medication showed higher scores on the Prescription Drug Use Questionnaire (P<0.001), had a higher incidence of physician-rated aberrant drug behavior on the Prescription Opioid Therapy Questionnaire (P<0.05), showed a higher frequency of abnormal urine toxicology screens (P<0.001), and more often had a positive Aberrant Drug Behavior Index (P<0.001). These results suggest that self-reported craving is a potential marker for identification of those at risk for opioid medication misuse.

Reported lifetime aberrant drug-taking behaviors are predictive of current substance use and mental health problems in primary care patients.

The aim of this report is to determine the frequency of aberrant drug behaviors and their relationship to substance abuse disorders in a large primary sample of patients receiving opioids for chronic pain. The data utilized for this report was obtained from 904 chronic pain patients receiving opioid therapy from their primary care physician. A questionnaire was developed based on 12 aberrant drug behaviors reported in the clinical literature. The diagnosis of a current substance use disorder was determined using Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-Fourth Edition(DSM-IV) criteria. The average duration of chronic pain in the sample was 16 years and for opioid therapy, 6.4 years. Of the patients, 80.5% reported one or more lifetime aberrant drug behaviors. The most frequent behaviors reported included early refills (41.7%), increase dose without physician consent (35.7%), and felt intoxicated from opioids (32.2%). Only 1.1% of subjects with 1-3 aberrant behaviors (N = 464, 51.2%) met DSM-IV criteria for current opioid dependence compared with 9.9% of patients with four or more behaviors (N = 264, 29.3%). Persons with positive urine toxicology tests for cocaine were 14 times more likely to report four or more behaviors than no behaviors (14.1% vs 1.1%). A logistic model found that subjects who reported four or more aberrant behaviors were more likely to have a current substance use disorder (odds ratio [OR] 10.14; 3.72, 27.64), a positive test for cocaine (odds ratio [OR] 3.01; 1.74, 15.4), an Addiction Severity Index (ASI) psychiatric composite score >0.5 (OR 2.38; 1.65, 3.44), male gender (OR 2.08: 1.48, 2.92), and older age (OR 0.69; 0.59, 0.81) compared with subjects with three or fewer behaviors. Pain levels, employment status, and morphine equivalent dose do not enter the model. Patients who report four or more aberrant drug behaviors are associated with a current substance use disorder and illicit drug use, whereas subjects with up to three aberrant behaviors have a very low probability of a current substance abuse disorder. Four behaviors--oversedated oneself, felt intoxicated, early refills, increase dose on own--appear useful as screening questions to predict patients at greatest risk for a current substance use disorders.

Interpreting Urine Drug Tests: Prevalence of Morphine Metabolism to Hydromorphone in Chronic Pain Patients Treated with Morphine

Pain medicine practitioners frequently use urine drug testing (UDT) to monitor adherence to opioid therapy. It can be difficult to interpret a result as normal or abnormal in relation to which opioid compounds are expected to be found in the urine. We investigated whether hydromorphone may be a metabolite of morphine normally appearing in UDT of patients prescribed morphine. This is a retrospective case-control study of urine toxicology results in pain patients taking only morphine. Inclusion criteria included urine results positive for morphine only (controls) or morphine and hydromorphone (cases). Demographic and medical history variables, and any history of aberrant drug behavior were recorded and related to the presence or absence of hydromorphone in the urine. Hydromorphone was present in 21 of 32 cases (66%), none of whom had a history of aberrant drug behavior. Positive cases occurred more frequently in women, in those taking higher daily doses of morphine, and in those with higher urine morphine concentrations (P < 0.05). Only morphine urine concentration was a significant predictor of the hydromorphone metabolite in a logistic regression model (P < 0.05). Hydromorphone is likely a minor metabolite of morphine, normally appearing in the UDT of patients taking morphine. This finding assists in determining whether a UDT result is normal or abnormal, and subsequently whether a patient is compliant with opioid therapy. This observation should be confirmed by a prospective study in a controlled environment. Variables such as gender, morphine dose, morphine urine concentration, and genetic determinants of morphine metabolism should be investigated further.

Predicting Opioid Misuse by Chronic Pain Patients

Opioids can provide relief for people with chronic pain. However, a minority may develop aberrant drug behaviors. A critical issue is identifying "at-risk" patients. To synthesize the evidence of published strategies for identifying at-risk patients to guide clinicians' decisions and practices for prescribing opioid treatment for chronic pain patients (CPP). MEDLINE database search from 1966 to March 20, 2007, searching the bibliographies from all retrieved articles, and articles available in the authors' files. Studies were limited to human studies in the English language related to screening for predictors of aberrant drug behaviors in CPP who were prescribed long-term opioids. We included studies reviewing, developing measures, or investigating outcomes related to screening for aberrant opioid behaviors in CPP. We identified 6 published articles addressing clinician-based predictors of substance misuse of opioids and 9 published studies evaluating the predictive ability of clinical interviews and self-report measures for aberrant opioid behaviors in CPP. Several attempts have been made to develop procedures to identify at-risk patients including urine toxicology screening, structured interviews, observation, and self-report questionnaires. In general, the psychometric properties of the published questionnaires and interview protocols are weak; moreover, the samples included in the studies are often small and unrepresentative. Thus, none of them can be recommended for use with any confidence. Review of the published studies reveals that no one procedure or set of predictor variables is sufficient to identify CPP at-risk for opioid misuse or abuse. There is a scarcity of evidence regarding characteristics that predict aberrant behavior before beginning long-term opioids. Several predictors have been identified. Strong predictors include a personal history of illicit drug and alcohol abuse. Demographic factors have also been reported, but the results are not consistent. Prospective studies, especially ones with CPP who have not already been started on chronic opioid therapy, are needed.

Validation of the revised Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP-R).

The original Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP) is a conceptually derived self-report questionnaire designed to predict aberrant medication-related behaviors among chronic pain patients considered for long-term opioid therapy. The purpose of this study was to develop and validate an empirically derived version of the SOAPP (SOAPP-R) that addresses some limitations of the original SOAPP. In successive steps, items were reduced from an initial pool of 142 to a 97-item beta version. The beta version was administered to 283 chronic pain patients receiving long-term opioid therapy. Items were evaluated based on data collected at follow-up, including correlation with the Aberrant Drug Behavior Index (ADBI), derived from interview data, physician ratings, and urine toxicology screens. Twenty-four items were retained and comprise the final SOAPP-R. Coefficient alpha was .88, and receiver operating characteristics curve analysis yielded an area under the curve of .81 (P < .001). A cutoff score of 18 showed adequate sensitivity (.81) and specificity (.68). The obtained psychometrics, along with the use of a predictive criterion that goes beyond self-report, suggest that the SOAPP-R is an improvement over the original version in screening risk potential for aberrant medication-related behavior among persons with chronic pain. There is a need for a screener for abuse risk in patients prescribed opioids for pain. This study presents a revised version of the SOAPP-R that is empirically derived with good reliability and validity but is less susceptible to overt deception than the original SOAPP version 1.

Substance use disorders in a primary care sample receiving daily opioid therapy.

The primary goal of this paper was to present a comprehensive picture of substance use disorders in a sample of patients receiving opioid therapy from their primary care physician. A second goal was to determine the relation of positive urine screens and aberrant drug behaviors to opioid use disorders. The study recruited 801 adults receiving daily opioid therapy from the primary care practices of 235 family physicians and internists in 6 health care systems in Wisconsin. The 6 most common pain diagnoses were degenerative arthritis, low back pain, migraine headaches, neuropathy, and fibromyalgia. The point prevalence of current (DSM-IV criteria in the past 30 days) substance abuse and/or dependence was 9.7% (n=78) and 3.8% (30) for an opioid use disorder. A logistic regression model found that current substance use disorders were associated with age between 18 and 30 (OR=6.17: 1.99 to 19.12), severity of lifetime psychiatric disorders (OR=6.17; 1.99 to 19.12), a positive toxicology test for cocaine (OR=5.92; 2.60 to 13.50) or marijuana (OR=3.52; 1.85 to 6.73), and 4 aberrant drug behaviors (OR=11.48; 6.13 to 21.48). The final model for opioid use disorders was limited to aberrant behaviors (OR=48.27; 13.63 to 171.04) as the other variables dropped out of the model. This study found that the frequency of opioid use disorders was 4 times higher in patients receiving opioid therapy compared with general population samples (3.8% vs 0.9%). The study also provides quantitative data linking aberrant drug behaviors to opioid use disorders.

Psychiatric History and Psychologic Adjustment as Risk Factors for Aberrant Drug-related Behavior Among Patients With Chronic Pain

To investigate the role of psychiatric history and psychologic adjustment on aberrant drug-related behavior among patients prescribed opioids for noncancer pain. Two hundred twenty-eight patients prescribed opioids for chronic pain were classified as either high or low on psychiatric morbidity on the basis of their responses on the psychiatric subscale of the Prescription Drug Use Questionnaire (PDUQ). They also completed the Brief Pain Inventory (BPI), Screener and Opioid Assessment for Pain Patients (SOAPP), and the Current Medication Misuse Measure (COMM). Patients were followed for 5 months and submitted a urine toxicology screen, and their treating physician completed the Prescription Opioid Therapy Questionnaire (POTQ). On the basis of the results from the SOAPP, COMM, POTQ, and urine screens, patients were classified as positive or negative on the Drug Misuse Index (DMI). One hundred and three (N=103) of the patients (45%) were classified in the low psychiatric group (Low Psych) whereas 55% (N=125) were classified in the high psychiatric morbidity group (High Psych). High Psych patients were significantly younger than Low Psych patients and had been taking opioids longer (P<0.05). The High Psych group showed significantly higher SOAPP and COMM scores than the Low Psych patients (P<0.001), had a greater frequency of abnormal urine toxicology screens (P<0.01), and significantly higher scores on the DMI (P<0.001). A consistent association was found between psychiatric morbidity and prescription opioid misuse in chronic pain patients. Psychiatric factors, such as a history of mood disorder, psychologic problems, and psychosocial stressors, may place patients at risk for misuse of prescription opioids. Future studies to elucidate the risk of medication misuse and aberrant drug behavior among this patient population are needed.

Pain medicine: Why and when to call for the addictionologist and/or psychiatrist

Substance abuse and psychopathology are frequently present in pain patients and often complicate pain treatment. Whereas the pain physician does not necessarily need to possess the tools needed to effectively treat these complicating conditions, it is incumbent on the pain physician to determine their presence and secure appropriate consultation. Aberrant drug behaviors may be present when patients manifest one or more of the following: continued use despite self harm, daily functionality deteriorates, impaired control over use (unable to take medications as prescribed), preoccupation with use of analgesics for non-analgesics purposes, inability to use non-opioid pain interventions, and/or preference for medications with high reinforcing characteristics (ie, achieve rapid plasma levels). The most common psychopathology is depression and anxiety. The clinical presentation of depression is commonly: persistent low moods (“feeling blue”/down, anhedonia), self-attitude changes (feeling of guilt, being a “bad” person), and/or changes in vital sense (changes in sleep, appetite, or energy levels). Anxiety is somewhat different and the clinical signs are: personality trait (ie, periodically becomes excessive), symptom of another disorder (eg, depression) or triggered by stressful situation (eg, chronic pain), worry out of proportion about negative results, kinesophobia, thoughts of serious illness, amplification of pain perception, muscle tension, sleep disturbances, restlessness, and/or fatigue. Depression and anxiety (most commonly Generalized Anxiety Disorder) are most effectively treated by Cognitive Behavioral Therapies in combination with pharmacologic means. Practicing in an interdisciplinary manner, with appropriate specialty consultation, is indicative of a comprehensive pain management program which is associated with the best possible patient results when dealing with patients manifesting comorbid addiction and/or psychopathology conditions.

Predicting aberrant drug behavior in patients treated for chronic pain: importance of abuse history

Physicians can encounter problems in prescribing opioids for some patients with chronic pain such as multiple unsanctioned dose escalations, episodes of lost or stolen prescriptions, and positive urine drug screenings for illicit substances. This study explored the usefulness of questions on abuse history in predicting problems with prescribing opioids for patients at a hospital-based pain management program. One hundred forty-five (145) patients who were taking long- and short-acting opioids for their pain were classified as high or low risk on the basis of their responses to interview questions about 1) substance abuse history in their family, 2) past problems with drug or alcohol abuse, and 3) history of legal problems. The treating physicians completed a questionnaire about problems that they had encountered with their patients. Problem behaviors were verified through chart review. No differences in demographic characteristics were found between those classified as high and low risk. Patients who admitted to a family history of substance abuse, a history of legal problems, and drug or alcohol abuse were prone to more aberrant drug-related behaviors, including a higher incidence of lost or stolen prescriptions and the presence of illicit substances in their urine ( P < 0.05). Patients classified as high risk also had a significantly higher frequency of reported mental health problems and motor vehicle accidents. More of these patients smoked cigarettes, tended to need a cigarette within the first hour of the day, took higher doses of opioids, and reported fewer adverse effects from the medications than did those without such a history ( P < 0.05). This study demonstrates that questions about abuse history and legal problems can be useful in predicting aberrant drug-related behavior with opioid use in persons with chronic noncancer pain.