Trends in Nonfatal Overdose Rates Due to Alcohol and Prescription and Illegal Substances in Colombia, 2010‒2021.

To examine drug overdoses in Colombia by type of substance, sex, age, and intent using data from a health surveillance system from 2010 to 2021. We characterized data by year, type of substance, and sociodemographic variables. We calculated age-adjusted overdose rates by substance type, sex, age groups, and intent.

Z-Drug Use and Benzodiazepine Use and Misuse Among LGB Populations: The Role of Psychological Distress.

Background: Z-drugs (hypnotics such as zolpidem, zopiclone, and zaleplon) and benzodiazepines (BZDs) are sedative medications with misuse liability. The goals of this study are to report the (1) prevalence of past-year any Z-drug use, any BZD use, and any BZD misuse by sexual identity category and psychological distress; (2) associations among these 3 categories between sexual identity and past-year psychological distress; (3) associations among these 3 categories with sexual identity by past-year psychological distress status.

Methods: Data were collected from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (years 2015-2019 [n = 210,392]), a yearly representative national household survey of the American population.

Prescription psychostimulants for the treatment of amphetamine-type stimulant use disorder: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized placebo-controlled trials.

Background And Aims: There is currently no standard of care for pharmacological treatment of amphetamine-type stimulant (ATS) use disorder (ATSUD). This systematic review with meta-analysis (PROSPERO CRD42022354492) aimed to pool results from randomized placebo-controlled trials (RCTs) to evaluate efficacy and safety of prescription psychostimulants (PPs) for ATSUD.

Methods: Major indexing sources and trial registries were searched to include records published before 29 August 2022.

Drug overdose deaths in Brazil between 2000 and 2020: an analysis of sociodemographics and intentionality.

Objectives: To examine drug overdose records in Brazil from 2000 to 2020, analyzing trends over time in overdoses and overall sociodemographic characteristics of the deceased.

Methods: Using data from the Brazilian Mortality Information System (Sistema de Informações sobre Mortalidade), we identified records from 2000-2020 in which the underlying cause-of-death was one of the following codes: X40-X45 (accidental poisoning), X60-X65 (intentional poisoning), or Y10-Y15 (undetermined intentionality poisoning). The Brazilian dataset included 21,410 deaths.

Gabapentin Use Among Individuals Initiating Buprenorphine Treatment for Opioid Use Disorder.

Importance: Gabapentin prescriptions have drastically increased in the US due to off-label prescribing in settings such as opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment to manage a range of comorbid conditions and withdrawal symptoms, despite a lack of evidence.

Objective: To assess the purpose and associated risks of off-label gabapentin use in OUD treatment.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This retrospective recurrent-event case-control study with a crossover design used administrative claims data from MarketScan Commercial and Multi-State Medicaid databases from January 1, 2006, to December 31, 2016.

Prescription amphetamines in people with opioid use disorder and co-occurring psychostimulant use disorder initiating buprenorphine: an analysis of treatment retention and overdose risk.

Background: Attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is frequently diagnosed in patients with substance use disorders (SUDs), including opioids. There remains concern about the safety and efficacy of prescription amphetamines (PAs) and their impact on effectiveness of opioid use disorder (OUD) treatment with buprenorphine.

Objectives: To assess the effect of PAs on OUD buprenorphine treatment retention and/or SUD-related emergency admission or drug-related poisonings.

Prescription psychostimulants for cocaine use disorder: A review from molecular basis to clinical approach.

Cocaine use is a public health concern in many countries worldwide, particularly in the Americas and Oceania. Overdose deaths involving stimulants, such as cocaine, have been increasing markedly in North America, especially with concurrent opioid involvement. To date, no pharmacological treatment is available to treat stimulant (including cocaine) use disorders.

Marked Increase in Amphetamine-Related Emergency Department Visits and Inpatient Admissions in Toronto, Canada, 2014-2021.

Background: We report emergency department and inpatient amphetamine-related trends focusing on co-occurring substance use and psychiatric diagnoses at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, the largest mental health teaching hospital in Canada.

Methods: We describe yearly trends in amphetamine-related Centre for Addiction and Mental Health emergency department visits and inpatient admissions out of all emergency department visits and inpatient admissions between 2014 and 2021, along with proportions of concurrent substance-related admissions and mental/psychotic disorders emergency department visits and inpatient admissions among amphetamine-related contacts; joinpoint regression analyses assessed changes in amphetamine-related emergency department visits and inpatient admissions.

Results: Amphetamine-related emergency department visits rose from 1.

Overdose deaths involving non-BZD hypnotic/sedatives in the USA: Trends analyses.

Background: There is sparse knowledge on overdose deaths resulting from non-benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids usage. We examined overdose death rate across demographics categories and the overdose death trends over time.

Methods: Using data from the National Center for Health Statistics (USA), we identified 21,167 persons that died with an overdose ICD code as the underlying cause of death and had a T42.

The COVID-19 impact and characterization on substance use-related emergency department visits for adolescents and young adults in Canada: Practical implications.

Rationale: Coronavirus (COVID-19)-related stressors precipitated the mental health crisis and increased substance use in Canada and worldwide. As the pandemic continues to evolve, monitoring and updating substance use-related ED visit trends is essential to ensure the stability and quality of ED services under the prolonged pandemic timeline.

Aims And Objectives: This study examined the trends and characterization of substance use-related ED visits during the pandemic among adolescents and young adults (aged 13-25 years) in Ontario, Canada.

Can Contingency Management Solve the Problem of Adherence to Antiretroviral Therapy in Drug-Dependent Individuals?

Drug misuse among people living with HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) is associated with higher mortality. It is a frequently observed reason for treatment abandonment, with people who misuse drugs showing a 10 to 25 times higher risk of HIV than the general population. The authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the efficacy of contingency management (CM) to improve adherence to antiretroviral therapy in people living with HIV and substance use disorder (SUD).

Patterns of use and adverse events reported among persons who regularly inject buprenorphine: a systematic review.

Background And Aims: Given the ongoing opioid crisis, novel interventions to treat severe opioid use disorder (OUD) are urgently needed. Injectable opioid agonist therapy (iOAT) with diacetylmorphine or hydromorphone is effective for the treatment of severe, treatment-refractory OUD, however barriers to implementation persist. Intravenous buprenorphine for the treatment of OUD (BUP iOAT) has several possible advantages over traditional iOAT, including a safety profile that might enable take-home dosing.