Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Feb 2016
Effect of a "pill mill" law on opioid prescribing and utilization: The case of Texas.
States have attempted to reduce prescription opioid abuse through strengthening the regulation of pain management clinics; however, the effect of such measures remains unclear. We quantified the impact of Texas's September 2010 "pill mill" law on opioid prescribing and utilization. ⋯ Following the implementation of Texas's 2010 pill mill law, there were clinically significant reductions in opioid dose, volume, prescriptions and pills dispensed within the state, which were limited to individuals with higher levels of baseline opioid prescribing and utilization.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Feb 2016
Comparative StudyA comparison of an opioid abuse screening tool and prescription drug monitoring data in the emergency department.
This study aimed to: (a) determine the percentage of ED patients receiving prescriptions for opioid pain medications that meet the criteria for "high-risk for abuse potential" on the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP(®)-R), (b) determine the percentage of patients with high-risk behavior on the state prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) database, (c) compare the SOAPP-R with data from the PDMP, and (d) determine psychometric properties of SOAPP-R for ED patients ⋯ In our population, about one-third of patients being considered for discharge with an opioid prescription scored "at-risk" on SOAPP-R and 15.9% met the PDMP high-risk criteria. The high negative predictive value of SOAPP-R indicates it may be a useful screening tool for the ED patient population.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Feb 2016
Development of a brief tool for monitoring aberrant behaviours among patients receiving long-term opioid therapy: The Opioid-Related Behaviours In Treatment (ORBIT) scale.
Early identification of problems is essential in minimising the unintended consequences of opioid therapy. This study aimed to develop a brief scale that identifies and quantifies recent aberrant behaviour among diverse patient populations receiving long-term opioid treatment. ⋯ The Opioid-Related Behaviours In Treatment (ORBIT) scale is brief, reliable and validated for use in diverse patient groups receiving opioids. The ORBIT has potential applications as a checklist to prompt clinical discussions and as a tool to quantify aberrant behaviour and assess change over time.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Feb 2016
Trends in registered medical marijuana participation across 13 US states and District of Columbia.
Medical marijuana (MMJ) laws and policies have evolved rapidly over the past decade in the United States. Public health concerns over the impact of these laws might be influenced by the degree of MMJ participation, but little is known about changes to this population over time. Trends in registered MMJ participation are described for 13 states in the US and District of Columbia (DC) since 2001. ⋯ Participation in MMJ programs varies considerably by state and within states over time. Trends are discussed within the context of federal and state policies, and the availability of marijuana via dispensaries.