In the growing opioid crisis in the United States, the capacity of existing treatment options is insufficient to meet demand. Therefore, people who need to rely on heroin or prescription painkillers must wait for months, sometimes even years, to make an appointment with a certified physician or find a location in a rehabilitation program. While awaiting consultation with experts, they are at risk of contracting HIV or hepatitis infections and the risk of death from overdose.
To address the risks associated with opioids in people waiting for addiction treatment, Dr. Stacey Sigmon of the University of Vermont Medical School and colleagues presented a new treatment. They have developed a temporary dose treatment that can help reduce the use of illegal opioids and injectables in alternate patients.
The interventions suggested by Sigmon can prevent patients from going to the doctor or clinic frequently. Opioid addiction treatment is against buprenorphine, a drug approved by the US Food and Drug Administration [FDA], and an electronic dispenser that provides a daily dose alone. The mechanism involves locking and alerting to ensure medical compliance and prevent tampering. It also has a phone-based automated monitoring system and random callback access for pill counting and inspection tests. This is a temporary arrangement for alternate patients seeking opioid therapy, allowing them to start taking medication as soon as they wait for a comprehensive community-based plan.
The 12-week trial focused on determining the effects of the intervention and showed positive results. The study found that temporary buprenorphine-assisted participants who waited for opioid dependence could quit the use of illicit drugs. The researchers recommend temporary treatment as an effective way to help patients prevent the potentially fatal danger of illegal use of opioids while waiting for an intensive care program.
American opioid crisis
The prevalence of opioids has been affecting millions of people in the country. The 2016 National Drug Use and Health Survey [NSDUH] showed that 11.8 million Americans aged 12 or older abused opioids that year. The country reported the highest rate of abuse of opioids among young people aged 18 to 25, with an annual incidence of 7.3% in the past year. The prevalence of opioids kills thousands of lives every year. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], the abuse of opioids - heroin, fentanyl and prescription drugs - caused 33,091 deaths in 2015. In addition, non-fatal unintentional opioid poisoning resulted in approximately 53,000 hospitalizations and 92,262 emergency department [ED] visits across the country.
In particular, heroin has ravaged in the past few years. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that the number of heroin use among young people aged 18 to 25 has tripled in the past decade. As the use of drugs increases, the number of deaths associated with heroin has also increased significantly, a fourfold increase since 2010. The excess mortality associated with heroin increased by 20.6% between 2014 and 2015, with approximately 13,000 deaths in 2015 alone.
Handling heroin abuse
The researchers point out that there has been a close relationship between the abuse of prescription opioids in the past and the initiation of heroin use. In addition, official data show that more than 90% of people who use heroin also report the use of at least one other drug. Increasing availability and relatively low prices [compared to prescription opioids] are some of the common factors that contribute to increased use of heroin. Serious actions against drug traffickers and educating people about the dangerous consequences of using heroin can help solve problems.
Orignal From: Opioid addiction: new ways to bring hope to patients waiting for treatment
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