Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2018
Multicenter Study Observational StudyDuration of opioid prescriptions predicts incident nonmedical use of prescription opioids among U.S. veterans receiving medical care.
Although nonmedical use of prescription opioids (NMUPO) is a public health problem, few studies have examined the new-onset NMUPO in clinical populations. We estimated NMUPO incidence among veterans in medical care who had received prescription opioid medication and examined correlates of new-onset NMUPO. ⋯ Duration of prescription opioid receipt is a risk factor for incident NMUPO among veterans receiving medical care. Providers who prescribe opioids should monitor for NMUPO, especially among those with a longer duration of opioid therapy.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2018
Randomized Controlled TrialEffect of electronic screening and brief intervention on hazardous or harmful drinking among adults in the hospital outpatient setting: A randomized, double-blind, controlled trial.
Most trials of electronic alcohol screening and brief intervention (e-SBI) have been conducted in young people. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of e-SBI in adults with hazardous or harmful drinking. ⋯ These results do not support the implementation of an e-SBI program comprising personalized feedback and normative feedback for adults with hazardous or harmful drinking in the hospital outpatient setting.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2018
Improved treatment-retention for patients receiving methadone dosing within the clinic providing physician and other health services (onsite) versus dosing at community (offsite) pharmacies.
Opioid-use disorder has been declared a public health crisis across North America. One of the most common treatments for opioid-use disorder is opioid agonist therapy, including MMT. This study examined the impact of methadone dispensing in clinic (onsite) pharmacies versus community (offsite) pharmacies on treatment retention for patients initiating MMT. ⋯ The results of this study suggest that clinic (onsite) pharmacy methadone dosing results in a greater likelihood of retention in MMT compared to community (offsite) pharmacy dosing. The study highlights the importance of coordinating delivery of care across patient, physician, and pharmacist in delivery of treatment services.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2018
The association between physical pain and cannabis use in daily life: An experience sampling method.
Previous research shows that between individuals there is a positive association between medically motivated use and cannabis use frequency and quantity. While between-subjects' analyses are useful for understanding shared vulnerabilities, research has so far not examined within-subjects' relationships which are closer to evaluating functional relationships (i.e., do individuals tend to use cannabis more heavily subsequent to elevations in pain experiences?). To better understand the association between experiences of pain and cannabis use, the current paper examines whether there is a functional within-subjects association between experiences of pain and heavy cannabis use. ⋯ Experiences of pain are not associated with decisions about whether or not to use cannabis. Once cannabis users are in cannabis-using situations, they tend to use larger amounts when they are experiencing elevated levels of pain. This may have implications for cannabis abuse treatment as pain may make it more difficult for users to reduce their consumption.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Oct 2018
Comparing the contribution of prescribed opioids to opioid-related hospitalizations across Canada: A multi-jurisdictional cross-sectional study.
The Canadian opioid crisis is a complex, multifaceted problem involving prescribed, diverted and illicitly manufactured opioids. This study sought to characterize the contribution of prescribed opioids to opioid-related hospitalizations in Canada. ⋯ There remains an important ongoing contribution of prescribed opioids to overdoses across Canada, but non-prescribed opioids play a growing role, particularly in BC. These findings underscore the importance of more judicious opioid prescribing, harm reduction programs, and improved access to addiction care for people with an opioid use disorder.