Drug and alcohol dependence
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Aug 2016
Impact of prescription drug monitoring programs and pill mill laws on high-risk opioid prescribers: A comparative interrupted time series analysis.
Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) and pill mill laws were implemented to reduce opioid-related injuries/deaths. We evaluated their effects on high-risk prescribers in Florida. ⋯ High-risk prescribers are disproportionately responsive to state policies. However, opioids-prescribing remains highly concentrated among high-risk providers.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Aug 2016
Training law enforcement to respond to opioid overdose with naloxone: Impact on knowledge, attitudes, and interactions with community members.
Training law enforcement officers (LEOs) to administer naloxone to opioid overdose victims is increasingly part of comprehensive efforts to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Such efforts could yield positive interactions between LEOs and community members and might ultimately help lower overdose death rates. ⋯ Training LEOs in naloxone administration can increase knowledge and confidence in managing opioid overdose emergencies. Perhaps most importantly, training LEOs to respond to opioid overdose emergencies may have positive effects for LEOs and overdose victims.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Aug 2016
Decreased diversion by doctor-shopping for a reformulated extended release oxycodone product (OxyContin).
Doctor-shopping (obtaining prescriptions from multiple prescribers/pharmacies) for opioid analgesics produces a supply for diversion and abuse, and represents a major public health issue. ⋯ The rate of doctor-shopping for brand ER oxycodone decreased substantially after its reformulation, which did not occur for other prescription opioids. The largest reductions in doctor-shopping occurred with characteristics associated with higher abuse risk such as youth, cash payment and high dose, and with more specific thresholds of doctor-shopping. A higher prescriber and/or pharmacy threshold also increased the magnitude of the decrease, suggesting that it better captured the effect of the reformulation on actual doctor-shoppers.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Jul 2016
"Those edibles hit hard": Exploration of Twitter data on cannabis edibles in the U.S.
Several states in the U.S. have legalized cannabis for recreational or medical uses. In this context, cannabis edibles have drawn considerable attention after adverse effects were reported. This paper investigates Twitter users' perceptions concerning edibles and evaluates the association edibles-related tweeting activity and local cannabis legislation. ⋯ Our findings suggest that Twitter data analysis is an important tool for epidemiological monitoring of emerging drug use practices and trends. Results tend to indicate greater tweeting activity about cannabis edibles in states where medical THC and/or recreational use are legal. Although the majority of tweets conveyed positive attitudes about cannabis edibles, analysis of experiences expressed in negative tweets confirms the potential adverse effects of edibles and calls for educating edibles-naïve users, improving edibles labeling, and testing their THC content.
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Drug Alcohol Depend · Jun 2016
Randomized Controlled TrialA pilot randomized clinical trial of an intervention to reduce overdose risk behaviors among emergency department patients at risk for prescription opioid overdose.
Prescription opioid overdose is a significant public health problem. Interventions to prevent overdose risk behaviors among high-risk patients are lacking. This study examined the impact of a motivational intervention to reduce opioid misuse and overdose risk behaviors. ⋯ This study represents the first clinical trial of a behavioral intervention to reduce overdose risk. Results indicate that this single motivational enhancement session reduced prescription opioid overdose risk behaviors, including opioid misuse, among adult patients in the ED.