Hudson Reddon1, Joel Ho2, Kora DeBeck3, M-J Milloy4, Yang Liu5, Huiru Dong6, Keith Ahamad7, Evan Wood4, Thomas Kerr4, Kanna Hayashi8. 1. British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, 1280 Main St W, Hamilton, ON L8N 3Z5, Canada. 2. Department of Internal Medicine, Max Rady College of Medicine, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Manitoba, GC425-820 Sherbrook Street, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada. 3. British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; School of Public Policy, Simon Fraser University, 515 W Hastings St, Vancouver, BC V6B 5K3, Canada. 4. British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; Department of Medicine, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada. 5. British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada. 6. British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; School of Population and Public Health, University of British Columbia, 2206 E Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 E Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3, Canada. 7. British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; Department of Family Practice, University of British Columbia, St. Paul's Hospital, Department of Family and Community Medicine, 1081 Burrard St., Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada. 8. British Columbia Centre on Substance Use, British Columbia Centre for Excellence in HIV/AIDS, St. Paul's Hospital, 608-1081 Burrard Street, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6, Canada; Faculty of Health Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Blusson Hall, 8888 University Drive, Burnaby, BC V5A 1S6, Canada. Electronic address: uhri-kh@cfenet.ubc.ca.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although methadone, an opioid agonist, has been an effective medication used to treat opioid use disorder for over 40years, recent studies have found that methadone was identified in more than a quarter of prescription opioid-related deaths among people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Thus, we sought to longitudinally examine the availability of diverted methadone among people who inject drugs (PWID). DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were collected from three prospective cohorts of PWID in Vancouver, Canada between December 2005 and May 2015. Multivariable generalized estimating equation logistic regression was used to identify temporal trends in the immediate availability of diverted methadone (defined as the ability to acquire illicit methadone in <10min). RESULTS: A total of 2092 participants, including 727 (34.8%) women, were included in the present study. In the multivariable analyses after adjusting for a range of potential confounders, later calendar year (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.21 per year; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-1.23) was independently and positively associated with reporting immediate availability of diverted methadone. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a significant increase in the reported availability of diverted methadone among PWID over a ten-year follow-up period. Further research is needed to identify strategies to limit methadone diversion and assess the impact of alternative medications that are equally effective but safer, such as buprenorphine/naloxone.
BACKGROUND AND AIM: Although methadone, an opioid agonist, has been an effective medication used to treat opioid use disorder for over 40years, recent studies have found that methadone was identified in more than a quarter of prescription opioid-related deaths among people who use illicit drugs in Vancouver, Canada. Thus, we sought to longitudinally examine the availability of diverted methadone among people who inject drugs (PWID). DESIGN AND METHODS: Data were collected from three prospective cohorts of PWID in Vancouver, Canada between December 2005 and May 2015. Multivariable generalized estimating equation logistic regression was used to identify temporal trends in the immediate availability of diverted methadone (defined as the ability to acquire illicit methadone in <10min). RESULTS: A total of 2092 participants, including 727 (34.8%) women, were included in the present study. In the multivariable analyses after adjusting for a range of potential confounders, later calendar year (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=1.21 per year; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.19-1.23) was independently and positively associated with reporting immediate availability of diverted methadone. CONCLUSIONS: We observed a significant increase in the reported availability of diverted methadone among PWID over a ten-year follow-up period. Further research is needed to identify strategies to limit methadone diversion and assess the impact of alternative medications that are equally effective but safer, such as buprenorphine/naloxone.
Authors: Thomas Kerr; Nadia Fairbairn; Mark Tyndall; David Marsh; Kathy Li; Julio Montaner; Evan Wood Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2006-09-07 Impact factor: 4.492
Authors: Shannon Gwin Mitchell; Sharon M Kelly; Barry S Brown; Heather Schacht Reisinger; James A Peterson; Adrienne Ruhf; Michael H Agar; Kevin E O'Grady; Robert P Schwartz Journal: Am J Addict Date: 2009 Sep-Oct
Authors: Courtney L Breen; Simon J Harris; Nicholas Lintzeris; Richard P Mattick; Lynn Hawken; James Bell; Alison J Ritter; Michael Lenné; Elizabeth Mendoza Journal: Drug Alcohol Depend Date: 2003-07-20 Impact factor: 4.492
Authors: Evan Wood; Thomas Kerr; Brandon D L Marshall; Kathy Li; Ruth Zhang; Robert S Hogg; P Richard Harrigan; Julio S G Montaner Journal: BMJ Date: 2009-04-30