Purpose: There has been concern regarding the increasing use of opioids and related harm. We present data on opioid utilisation across Australia and consider sociodemographic factors that may affect utilisation rates.
Methods: IMS Health national sales data for over-the-counter (codeine) and prescription opioids (buprenorphine, codeine, dextropropoxyphene, fentanyl, hydromorphone, methadone, morphine, oxycodone, tapentadol and tramadol) were used to estimate total utilisation rates in the community during 2013, mapped to Statistical Local Areas (SLAs) and Remoteness Areas. All opioid amounts were measured in pack sales and milligrammes then converted to oral morphine equivalent milligrammes (OME mg) for comparison across opioids. Data on the demographic characteristics of SLAs were obtained from the ABS (sex and age distribution, income and levels of physical labour) and other sources (number of pharmacies in SLAs) and were included in linear regression analyses.
Results: In 2013, an estimated 10 747 kg (OME) of opioids were sold across Australia, equating to 481 OME mg per person. There was considerable geographic variation in opioid utilisation, with higher rates of use in rural and regional areas. Geographic areas that were less populated, had more men and older people, proportionally more low-income earning households and greater proportions in jobs requiring physical labour had higher utilisation rates.
Conclusions: Substantial geographic variation in opioid utilisation was identified, with areas outside of major cities having higher rates of utilisation of all types of opioids. Prescription monitoring and best practice interventions aimed at improving opioid use need to have a particular focus on areas outside of major cities. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
|---|---|
| http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pds.3931 | DOI Listing |
Publication Analysis
Top Keywords
Similar Publications
Developing a comprehensive inventory to define harm reduction housing.
Harm Reduct J
January 2025
Opioid Policy Research Collaborative, Heller School for Social Policy & Management, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, USA.
Background: The City of Boston has faced unprecedented challenges with substance use amidst changes to the illicit drug supply and increased visibility of homelessness. Among its responses, Boston developed six low threshold harm reduction housing (HRH) sites geared towards supporting the housing needs of people who use drugs (PWUD) and addressing health and safety concerns around geographically concentrated tent encampments. HRH sites are transitional supportive housing that adhere to a "housing first" approach where abstinence is not required and harm reduction services and supports are co-located.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDrug interactions in a sample of inpatients diagnosed with cannabis use disorder.
J Neural Transm (Vienna)
January 2025
Department of Psychiatry, Social Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625, Hannover, Germany.
The majority of patients with cannabis use disorder (CUD) regularly take medication. Cannabinoids influence metabolism of some commonly prescribed drugs. However, little is known about the characteristics and frequency of potential cannabis-drug (CDIs) and drug-drug interactions (DDIs) in patients with CUD.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAssessing the "Reach" of a Fire-Based Mobile Integrated Health Buprenorphine Induction Program through an Implementation Science Lens.
Prehosp Emerg Care
January 2025
Medical College of Wisconsin, Department of Emergency Medicine.
Objectives: Medication for opioid use disorder (MOUD) reduces morbidity and mortality for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). Recent administrative and legislative changes have made MOUD possible in the prehospital setting. We use an implementation science framework to outline the Reach of a fire department EMS-based Mobile Integrated Health (MIH) prehospital MOUD program.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPrescribing Psychostimulants for the Treatment of Stimulant Use Disorder: Navigating the Federal Legal Landscape.
J Addict Med
January 2025
From the Division of General Internal Medicine, San Francisco General Hospital, Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA (LWS); San Francisco Department of Public Health, San Francisco, CA (POC); Vital Strategies, New York, NY (KB, DC); Network for Public Health Law, Edina, MN (CSD); and New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY (CSD).
Stimulant use disorder (StUD) is a rapidly growing concern in the United States, with escalating rates of death attributed to amphetamines and cocaine. No medications are currently approved for StUD treatment, leaving clinicians to navigate off-label medication options. Recent studies suggest that controlled prescription psychostimulants such as dextroamphetamine, methylphenidate, and modafinil are associated with reductions in self-reported stimulant use, craving, and depressive symptoms.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: While concomitant opioid and benzodiazepine use is discouraged due to an increased risk of sedation/overdose, the extent of perioperative opioid utilization in hand surgery patients already using benzodiazepines is unknown.
Methods: Using an administrative claims database, we identified adults undergoing carpal tunnel, DeQuervain, or trigger finger release, palmar fasciectomies, ganglion/mucoid cyst removals, and hand/wrist soft tissue mass excisions from 2011 to 2021. We identified opioid-naive patients with a benzodiazepine prescription within 90 days before surgery.
Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?
Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!