Kristin Klemmetsby Solli1,2,3, Nikolaj Kunoe4, Zill-E-Huma Latif5, Kamni Sharma-Haase6, Arild Opheim7,8, Peter Krajci9, Zhanna Gaulen7,8, Jūratė Šaltytė Benth10,11, Lars Tanum5,12. 1. Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway, k.k.solli@medisin.uio.no. 2. Department of R&D in Mental Health, Akershus University Hospital, Loerenskog, Norway, k.k.solli@medisin.uio.no. 3. Vestfold Hospital Trust, Toensberg, Norway, k.k.solli@medisin.uio.no. 4. Norwegian Centre for Addiction Research, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 5. Department of R&D in Mental Health, Akershus University Hospital, Loerenskog, Norway. 6. Vestfold Hospital Trust, Toensberg, Norway. 7. Department of Addiction Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway. 8. The University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway. 9. Department of Addiction Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway. 10. Institute of Clinical Medicine, Campus Ahus, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway. 11. Health Services Research Unit, Akershus University Hospital, Loerenskog, Norway. 12. Oslo Metropolitan University, Oslo, Norway.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE:Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) is highly available in Norway, but only 50% of opioid-dependent individuals are enrolled in such programs. This study was aimed at examining if availability of extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) could attract individuals who for different reasons were not enrolled in an OMT program. METHODS:In a Norwegian clinical study, n = 117 opioid-dependent adults volunteered to receiveXR-NTX in a 9-month period, as an extension of a previous randomized clinical trial. RESULTS:Before study inclusion, 40.2% (n = 47) of the study participants were not enrolled in OMT while the remainder were recruited from OMT. Participants not enrolled in OMT displayed more ongoing severe addiction-related problems such as heroin use (p = 0.002), but displayed a higher retention in treatment in the 9-month extension study (p = 0.048 for log-rank test) than participants enrolled in OMT. CONCLUSION: Availability of XR-NTX attracted opioid-dependent individuals not previously enrolled in OMT. While OMT may be perceived as a burden with regard to daily intake and control measures, one-monthly injections with XR-NTX may be perceived favourable, offering more freedom to the patients, not having addictive properties, and potentially reducing heroin craving. We suggest that an introduction of XR-NTX in Europe may increase the number of opioid-dependent individuals in treatment.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Opioid maintenance treatment (OMT) is highly available in Norway, but only 50% of opioid-dependent individuals are enrolled in such programs. This study was aimed at examining if availability of extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) could attract individuals who for different reasons were not enrolled in an OMT program. METHODS: In a Norwegian clinical study, n = 117 opioid-dependent adults volunteered to receive XR-NTX in a 9-month period, as an extension of a previous randomized clinical trial. RESULTS: Before study inclusion, 40.2% (n = 47) of the study participants were not enrolled in OMT while the remainder were recruited from OMT. Participants not enrolled in OMT displayed more ongoing severe addiction-related problems such as heroin use (p = 0.002), but displayed a higher retention in treatment in the 9-month extension study (p = 0.048 for log-rank test) than participants enrolled in OMT. CONCLUSION: Availability of XR-NTX attracted opioid-dependent individuals not previously enrolled in OMT. While OMT may be perceived as a burden with regard to daily intake and control measures, one-monthly injections with XR-NTX may be perceived favourable, offering more freedom to the patients, not having addictive properties, and potentially reducing heroin craving. We suggest that an introduction of XR-NTX in Europe may increase the number of opioid-dependent individuals in treatment.
Authors: P Todd Korthuis; Ryan R Cook; Paula J Lum; Elizabeth Needham Waddell; Hansel Tookes; Pamela Vergara-Rodriguez; Lynn E Kunkel; Gregory M Lucas; Allan E Rodriguez; Sarann Bielavitz; Laura C Fanucchi; Kim A Hoffman; Ken Bachrach; Elizabeth H Payne; Julia A Collins; Abigail Matthews; Neal Oden; Petra Jacobs; Eve Jelstrom; James L Sorensen; Dennis McCarty Journal: Addiction Date: 2022-03-02 Impact factor: 7.256
Authors: Ann Tarja Karlsson; John-Kåre Vederhus; Thomas Clausen; Bente Weimand; Kristin Klemmetsby Solli; Lars Tanum Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2022-09-11 Impact factor: 4.614