Rates Of Opioid Use Disorder Research Articles

58 Prevalence, Trend, and Predictors of Opioid Abuse Among Patients With Chronic Pancreatitis

INTRODUCTION: Opioids are a mainstay of chronic pain management however their continued use has become a public-health crisis with potential for abuse and associated adverse outcomes. Patients with Chronic Pancreatitis (CP) suffer from recurrent debilitating pain and are thus susceptible to opioid abuse. We aimed to determine the prevalence, trends and determinants of Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) among hospitalized patients with CP. METHODS: Patients with OUD were identified in the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project – Nationwide Inpatient Sample (HCUP-NIS), 2007–2014 and the temporal trend of OUD was analyzed and compared among patients with and without CP. We then extracted patients with a discharge diagnosis of CP from HCUP-NIS 2012–2014 and identified the characteristics of OUD in these patients. Predictors of OUD was evaluated using multivariate logistic regression models (SAS 9.4). RESULTS: 87,068 patients with a primary diagnosis of CP were identified, of which 3,008 (3.45%) had concomitant OUD. With an average annual increase of 29.4 cases per 10,000 hospitalizations vs. 10.6 cases per 10,000 hospitalizations, the rate of OUD in CP patients is increasing at a steeper rate than patients without CP. Predictors of OUD were young age, females, Medicare or Medicaid insurance, mental health disorders, non-opioid substance abuse and comorbid conditions such as arthritis, back pain and headache. The northeast region, urban and large bed size hospitals also have higher odds of OUD. CONCLUSION: OUD affects a significant proportion of patients with CP and occurs at an increasing rate; almost 3 times the rate of those without CP. A better recognition of predisposing pre-existing demographic and clinical variables among at-risk individuals may help guide the utilization of opioids in this patient group, slowing and potentially reversing the rates of OUD.

State Strategies to Address Opioid Use Disorder Among Pregnant and Postpartum Women and Infants Prenatally Exposed to Substances, Including Infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome.

Since 1999, the rate of opioid use disorder (OUD) has more than quadrupled, from 1.5 per 1,000 delivery hospitalizations to 6.5 (1), with similar increases in incidence of neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) observed for infants (from 2.8 per 1,000 live births to 14.4) among Medicaid-insured deliveries (2). CDC's response to the opioid crisis involves strategies to prevent opioid overdoses and related harms by building state capacity and supporting providers, health systems, and payers.* Recognizing systems gaps in provision of perinatal care and services, CDC partnered with the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) to launch the Opioid Use Disorder, Maternal Outcomes, and Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome Initiative Learning Community (OMNI LC). OMNI LC supports systems change and capacity building in 12 states.† Qualitative data from participating states were analyzed to identify strategies, barriers, and facilitators for capacity building in state-defined focus areas. Most states focused on strategies to expand access to and coordination of quality services (10 of 12) or increase provider awareness and training (nine of 12). Fewer states focused on data, monitoring, and evaluation (four of 12); financing and coverage (three of 12); or ethical, legal, and social considerations (two of 12). By building capacity to strengthen health systems, state-identified strategies across all focus areas might improve the health trajectory of mothers, infants, and families affected by the U.S. opioid crisis.

Innovative approaches to reduce unintended pregnancy and improve access to contraception among women who use opioids

Dramatic increases in the rate of opioid use disorder (OUD) during pregnancy have been paralleled by substantial increases in the number of neonates diagnosed with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS). Women with OUD have reliably reported high rates of unintended pregnancy and a number of studies also indicate they desire easier access to contraception. Recent statements from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics/American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have drawn increased attention to efforts to prevent unintended pregnancy and improve access to contraception among women with OUD. We briefly review a number of innovative clinical approaches in these areas, including efforts to integrate family planning services into substance use disorder (SUD) treatment and other settings that serve people with OUD and interventions that aim to make family planning a higher priority among women with OUD. Results suggest many of these approaches have led to increases in contraceptive use and may aid in efforts to reduce unintended pregnancy and improve access to contraception among women with OUD now and in the future.

An Analysis of Primary Care Clinician Communication About Risk, Benefits, and Goals Related to Chronic Opioid Therapy.

Background. Safe opioid prescribing and effective pain care are particularly important issues in the United States, where decades of widespread opioid prescribing have contributed to high rates of opioid use disorder. Because of the importance of clinician-patient communication in effective pain care and recent initiatives to curb rising opioid overdose deaths, this study sought to understand how clinicians and patients communicate about the risks, benefits, and goals of opioid therapy during primary care visits. Methods. We recruited clinicians and patients from six primary care clinics across three health systems in the Midwest United States. We audio-recorded 30 unique patients currently receiving opioids for chronic noncancer pain from 12 clinicians. We systematically analyzed transcribed, clinic visits to identify emergent themes. Results. Twenty of the 30 patient participants were females. Several patients had multiple pain diagnoses, with the most common diagnoses being osteoarthritis (n = 10), spondylosis (n = 6), and low back pain (n = 5). We identified five themes: 1) communication about individual-level and population-level risks, 2) communication about policies or clinical guidelines related to opioids, 3) communication about the limited effectiveness of opioids for chronic pain conditions, 4) communication about nonopioid therapies for chronic pain, and 5) communication about the goal of the opioid tapering. Conclusions. Clinicians discuss opioid-related risks in varying ways during patient visits, which may differentially affect patient experiences. Our findings may inform the development and use of more standardized approaches to discussing opioids during primary care visits.

Trends of Opioid Use Disorder Among Hospitalized Patients With Chronic Pain.

Patients with chronic pain treated with opioids are at an increased risk for opioid misuse or opioid use disorder (OUD). Recent years have seen a stark increase in abuse, misuse, and diversion of prescription opioid medications. The aim of this study was to investigate trends in changing rates of opioid use disorder among patients with chronic pain. The National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database identified chronic pain admissions with OUD from 2011 to 2015. Patients were identified from the NIS database using International Classification of Diseases (9th and 10th revisions) diagnosis codes for chronic pain and OUD. Annual estimates and trends were determined for OUD, patient characteristics, OUD among subgroups of chronic pain conditions, and discharge diagnosis. We identified 10.3 million patients with chronic pain. Of these, 680,631 patients were diagnosed with OUD. The number of patients with OUD increased from 109,222 in 2011 to 172,680 in 2015 (P<0.001). Similarly, there were upward trends of OUD among females (53.2% to 54.5%; P=0.09), patients 65 to 84years of age (11.8% to 17%; P<0.001), Medicare-insured patients (39.5% to 46.0%; P<0.01), patients with low annual household incomes (27.8% to 33.3%; P<0.001), and patients with cannabinoid use disorder (7.2% to 8.3%; P=0.01). The prevalence of OUD increased from 2011 to 2015 in patients with chronic regional pain syndrome (5.53% to 7.46%; P=0.01) and spondylosis (1.32% to 1.81%; P<0.001). These findings suggest that the prevalence of OUD increased substantially from 2011 to 2015. Disparities of OUD with increasing opioid use among vulnerable populations including women, those with Medicare insurance, tobacco use disorder, and low annual income should be explored further.

Substance use disorders in pregnancy: clinical, ethical, and research imperatives of the opioid epidemic: a report of a joint workshop of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Society of Addiction Medicine

Substance use disorders in pregnancy: clinical, ethical, and research imperatives of the opioid epidemic: a report of a joint workshop of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and American Society of Addiction Medicine

Systemic Complications and Radiographic Findings of Opioid Use and Misuse: An Overview for Orthopedic Surgeons.

Amid growing concern about the misuse of prescribed opioids, the rising rates of opioid use disorder, and the use of illicit opioids, clinicians in ambulatory, inpatient, and operative environments are encountering opioid-related complications in their patients. These complications can affect multiple organ systems including cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, and neurologic and are related to excess opioid levels in the body or contamination from non-sterile injection. It is important for the orthopedic surgeon to have a general understanding of the pathologies associated with opioid use disorder and their appearance on diagnostic imaging. This article reviews image findings of several complications, organized in a systems-based approach, for the orthopedic surgeon.

Comparison of opioid use disorder among male veterans and non-veterans: Disorder rates, socio-demographics, co-morbidities, and quality of life.

Amidst a surging national crisis of opioid use, concern has been expressed about its impact on veterans, but no study has presented a population-based comparison of opioid use disorder (OUD) among veterans and non-veterans. We analyzed national epidemiologic data to compare rates, correlates and impacts of the opioid crisis on male veterans and non-veterans. Restricted data from 2012 to 2013 National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions-III (NESARC-III) were used to compare veteran and non-veteran men on rates of OUD, as well as correlates of OUD including socio-demographic characteristics, psychiatric and substance use co-morbidities, and reductions in health-related quality of life (HRQOL). About 2.0% of veterans and 2.7% of non-veterans, estimated at 418,000 and 2.5 million men, respectively, met criteria for life-time OUD. In both groups, OUD was associated with younger age, lower income levels, and fewer years of education. OUD was associated minority race among veterans, but with non-Hispanic white race among non-veterans. Both veteran and non-veteran adults with OUD were at least five times more likely than their peers to have both psychiatric and substance use co-morbidities (p < .001) and they experienced strongly reduced HRQOL scores (Cohen's d = -.50 to -.93). Veterans and non-veterans experience similar risk of OUD, similar correlates and adverse HRQOL impacts suggesting that similar treatment approaches may be effective for both groups. Our findings highlight comparable vulnerability of veterans to non-veterans in both the risk of OUD and adverse effects on HRQOL. (Am J Addict 2018;XX:1-9).

Only One In Twenty Justice-Referred Adults In Specialty Treatment For Opioid Use Receive Methadone Or Buprenorphine.

People in the US criminal justice system experience high rates of opioid use disorder, overdose, and other adverse outcomes. Expanding treatment is a key strategy for addressing the opioid epidemic, but little is known about whether the criminal justice system refers people to the highest standard of treatment: the use of the opioid agonist therapies methadone or buprenorphine. We used 2014 data from the national Treatment Episode Data Set to examine the use of agonist treatment among justice-involved people referred to specialty treatment for opioid use disorder. Only 4.6percent of justice-referred clients received agonist treatment, compared to 40.9percent of those referred by other sources. Of all criminal justice sources, courts and diversionary programs were least likely to refer people to agonist treatment. Our findings suggest that an opportunity is being missed to promote effective, evidence-based care for justice-involved people who seek treatment for opioid use disorder.

A Quality Improvement Project to Improve Education Provided by Nurses to ED Patients Prescribed Opioid Analgesics at Discharge

BackgroundThe opioid crisis continues to take an unprecedented number of lives and is the top cause of injury death in the United States. The emergency department is a setting where patients with pain seek care and may be prescribed an opioid, yet many patients do not receive evidence-based education about taking their opioid safely. Like many communities across the country, Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, has experienced an increased rate of opioid overdoses; from 2015–2016, the number of opioid–related overdose deaths in the county increased by 44%. MethodsThis quality improvement project is the implementation of a nurse-delivered, evidence-based education initiative for patients prescribed an opioid in an emergency department. Nurses were briefly trained on opioid safety and patient education, then over 12 weeks, delivered the dual-modal (verbal and written) education with a patient teach-back to verify comprehension. ResultsNurses who completed the project training on opioid safety and patient education had a statistically significant improvement in their knowledge. Patient satisfaction surveys showed 100% of patients reported clear understanding of how to take their pain medication, and out of the patients receiving the opioid pain education for the first time, 88.2% learned something new about how to safely take, store, or dispose of their pain medication. Implications for PracticeImproving the delivery of opioid prescription education at emergency department discharge will enhance patient knowledge and promote safety, which may help mitigate the opioid crisis by reducing the rate of opioid use disorder and accidental overdoses.Image 1

Age of initiation, psychopathology, and other substance use are associated with time to use disorder diagnosis in persons using opioids nonmedically

ABSTRACTBackground: Nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO) is an ongoing public health challenge, as NMUPO is associated with psychopathology, other drug use, and fatal overdose. These concomitant risks are greatest in those with opioid use disorder (OUD), but the development of NMUPO-related use disorder is poorly understood. The primary aim of this study was to establish factors associated with the development of and time to OUD among persons engaged in NMUPO. Methods: Data were from wave 1 of the National Epidemiologic Study on Alcohol and Related Conditions, with 1755 participants endorsing lifetime NMUPO. Analyses used sequential design-based logistic regression for DSM-IV (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition) opioid dependence correlates, followed by Cox regression of proportional hazards for correlates (e.g., sociodemographics, age of NMUPO initiation, and psychopathology) of time to dependence in those who developed DSM-IV dependence. Results: Earlier age of NMUPO initiation increased OUD odds (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.95, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.94–0.96) but slowed OUD development (adjusted hazard ratio [AHR] = 1.05, 95% CI = 1.04–1.06) in those who developed OUD (n = 118), after controlling for sociodemographics, psychopathology, and ages of other drug use initiation. Psychopathology and earlier other drug use initiation were associated with higher OUD odds, but only having an alcohol use disorder was associated with shorter time to OUD. Conclusions: Earlier NMUPO initiation is associated with increased odds of OUD, although those with early initiation had a slower progression to OUD. Programs that prevent early NMUPO initiation, which might lower rates of OUD, and/or identify the later initiators at highest risk for rapid OUD development could have great public health benefits.

A police-led addiction treatment referral program in Gloucester, MA: Implementation and participants' experiences

BackgroundThe increasing rates of opioid use disorder and resulting overdose deaths are a public health emergency, yet only a fraction of individuals in need receive treatment. ObjectiveTo describe the implementation of and participants' experiences with a novel police-led addiction treatment referral program. MethodsFollow-up telephone calls to participants in the Gloucester Police Department's Angel Program from June 2015–May 2016. Open-ended survey questionnaires assessed experiences of program participants and their close contacts, confirmed police-reported placement, and queried self-reported substance use and treatment outcomes. ResultsSurveys were completed by 198 of 367 individuals (54% response rate) who participated 214 times. Reasons for participation included: the program was a highly-visible entry point to the treatment system, belief that placement would be obtained, poor prior treatment system experiences, and external pressure to seek treatment. Most participants reported positive experiences citing the welcoming, non-judgmental services. In 75% (160/214) of the encounters, entry into referral placement was confirmed. Participants expressed frustration when they did not meet program entry requirements and had difficulty finding sustained treatment following initial program placement. At a mean follow-up time of 6.7months, 37% of participants reported abstinence since participation, with no differences between participants who entered referral placement versus those who did not. ConclusionsA police-led referral program was feasible to implement and acceptable to participants. The program was effective in finding initial access to treatment, primarily through short-term detoxification services. However, the program was not able to overcome a fragmented treatment system focused on acute episodic care which remains a barrier to long-term recovery.

Trends in Receipt of Buprenorphine and Naltrexone for Opioid Use Disorder Among Adolescents and Young Adults, 2001-2014

Opioid use disorder (OUD) frequently begins in adolescence and young adulthood. Intervening early with pharmacotherapy is recommended by major professional organizations. No prior national studies have examined the extent to which adolescents and young adults (collectively termed youth) with OUD receive pharmacotherapy. To identify time trends and disparities in receipt of buprenorphine and naltrexone among youth with OUD in the United States. A retrospective cohort study was conducted using deidentified data from a national commercial insurance database. Enrollment and complete health insurance claims of 9.7 million youth, aged 13 to 25 years were analyzed, identifying individuals who received a diagnosis of OUD between January 1, 2001, and June 30, 2014, with final follow-up date December 31, 2014. Analysis was conducted from April 25 to December 31, 2016. Time trends were identified and multivariable logistic regression was used to determine sociodemographic factors associated with medication receipt. Sex, age, race/ethnicity, neighborhood education and poverty levels, geographic region, census region, and year of diagnosis. Dispensing of a medication (buprenorphine or naltrexone) within 6 months of first receiving an OUD diagnosis. Among 20 822 youth diagnosed with OUD (0.2% of the 9.7 million sample), 13 698 (65.8%) were male and 17 119 (82.2%) were non-Hispanic white. Mean (SD) age was 21.0 (2.5) years at the first observed diagnosis. The diagnosis rate of OUD increased nearly 6-fold from 2001 to 2014 (from 0.26 per 100 000 person-years to 1.51 per 100 000 person-years). Overall, 5580 (26.8%) youth were dispensed a medication within 6 months of diagnosis, with 4976 (89.2%) of medication-treated youth receiving buprenorphine and 604 (10.8%) receiving naltrexone. Medication receipt increased more than 10-fold, from 3.0% in 2002 (when buprenorphine was introduced) to 31.8% in 2009, but declined in subsequent years (27.5% in 2014). In multivariable analyses, younger individuals were less likely to receive medications, with adjusted probability for age 13 to 15 years, 1.4% (95% CI, 0.4%-2.3%); 16 to 17 years, 9.7% (95% CI, 8.4%-11.1%); 18 to 20 years, 22.0% (95% CI, 21.0%-23.0%); and 21 to 25 years, 30.5% (95% CI, 30.0%-31.5%) (P < .001 for difference). Females (7124 [20.3%]) were less likely than males (13 698 [24.4%]) to receive medications (P < .001), as were non-Hispanic black (105 [14.8%]) and Hispanic (1165 [20.0%]) youth compared with non-Hispanic white (17 119 [23.1%]) youth (P < .001). In this first national study of buprenorphine and naltrexone receipt among youth, dispensing increased over time. Nonetheless, only 1 in 4 commercially insured youth with OUD received pharmacotherapy, and disparities based on sex, age, and race/ethnicity were observed.

Geographic Disparities in Availability of Opioid Use Disorder Treatment for Medicaid Enrollees.

To examine county-level geographic variation in treatment admissions among opioid treatment programs (OTPs) that accept Medicaid in the continental United States. Data come from the 2012 National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services. We used local measures of spatial autocorrelation (LISA) analysis to identify (1) clusters of counties with higher and lower than average rates of opioid use disorders and (2) clusters of counties with higher and lower than average treatment admissions among OTPs that accept Medicaid, adjusting for county population size. Our results reveal several clusters of counties with higher than average rates of opioid use disorder (OUD) and lower than average treatment admissions among OTPs that accept Medicaid. These clusters are highly concentrated in the Southeast region of the country and include Arkansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. Medicaid enrollees in areas in the Southeast have the largest gaps between county-level OUD rates and estimated county-level capacity for treatment, as measured by county-level total treatment admissions among OTPs that accept Medicaid. Policy makers should consider strategies to increase the availability of OTPs with the capacity to serve Medicaid enrollees.

Geographic and specialty distribution of US physicians trained to treat opioid use disorder.

The United States is experiencing an epidemic of opioid-related deaths driven by excessive prescribing of opioids, misuse of prescription drugs, and increased use of heroin. Buprenorphine-naloxone is an effective treatment for opioid use disorder and can be provided in office-based settings, but this treatment is unavailable to many patients who could benefit. We sought to describe the geographic distribution and specialties of physicians obtaining waivers from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to prescribe buprenorphine-naloxone to treat opioid use disorder and to identify potential shortages of physicians. We linked physicians authorized to prescribe buprenorphine on the July 2012 DEA Drug Addiction Treatment Act (DATA) Waived Physician List to the American Medical Association Physician Masterfile to determine their age, specialty, rural-urban status, and location. We then mapped the location of these physicians and determined their supply for all US counties. Sixteen percent of psychiatrists had received a DEA DATA waiver (41.6% of all physicians with waivers) but practiced primarily in urban areas. Only 3.0% of primary care physicians, the largest group of physicians in rural America, had received waivers. Most US counties therefore had no physicians who had obtained waivers to prescribe buprenorphine-naloxone, resulting in more than 30 million persons who were living in counties without access to buprenorphine treatment. In the United States opioid use and related unintentional lethal overdoses continue to rise, particularly in rural areas. Increasing access to office-based treatment of opioid use disorder--particularly in rural America--is a promising strategy to address rising rates of opioid use disorder and unintentional lethal overdoses.