Identification of N-pyrrolidino protonitazene in powders sold as heroin and associated with overdose clusters in Dublin and Cork, Ireland.

Synthetic opioids have been associated globally with adverse effects in drug users. The nitazene group of drugs is a relatively new addition to the synthetic opioid class emerging in Europe in 2019. Some nitazenes have been shown to be more potent than fentanyl.

A cross-section observational study on the seroprevalence of antibodies to COVID-19 in patients receiving opiate agonist treatment.

Introduction: The HSE National Drug Treatment Centre is an inner city drug treatment centre in Dublin which provides opiate agonist treatment (OAT) to approximately 565 patients, many of whom have complex care needs.

Objective: This study was conducted to determine seropositivity to the COVID-19 virus in patients attending NDTC, and to establish if patients tested had any clinical symptoms of this disease since March 2020.

Method: All patients attending for OAT were invited to participate and 103/565 patients agreed.

Response of tertiary addictions services to opioid dependence during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic has presented the addiction services with an unprecedented set of challenges. Opioid users are particularly vulnerable because of their high level of pre-existing health problems and lifestyle factors. In order to minimise their risks to self and to others in the current Covid-19 crisis, addiction services sought to urgently identify vulnerable individuals, and induct them into opioid substitution treatment (OST) promptly.

An audit of the cervical screening programme in the National Drug Treatment Centre (NDTC).

Background: Women diagnosed with substance use disorders (SUDs) have higher rates of major medical conditions compared to women without SUDs. Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women aged 20-39 years worldwide and women with SUDs have an increased risk of cervical cancer compared to women without SUD. The National Drug Treatment Centre (NDTC) cervical screening programme, derived from the national CervicalCheck programme, offers free cervical screening to patients attending for treatment of SUDs.

The Emergence of New Psychoactive Substance (NPS) Benzodiazepines. A Survey of their Prevalence in Opioid Substitution Patients using LC-MS.

Benzodiazepines have a wide range of clinical uses being among the most commonly prescribed medicines globally. The EU Early Warning System on new psychoactive substances (NPS) has over recent years detected new illicit benzodiazepines in Europe’s drug market1. Additional reference standards were obtained and a multi-residue LCMS method was developed to test for 31 benzodiazepines or metabolites in urine including some new benzodiazepines which have been classified as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) which comprise a range of substances, including synthetic cannabinoids, opioids, cathinones and benzodiazepines not covered by international drug controls.

The Impact of Sex Upon Needs and Quality of Life Within a Population on Methadone Treatment.

Background: Best practice models are calling for a holistic, needs-led, and sex-informed treatment approach to substance misuse treatment. To date, research into the impact of sex on needs and quality of life within methadone-treatment populations using validated research tools is limited.

Objectives: The aim of the study was to evaluate the impact of sex upon self-rated unmet need and quality of life among people on methadone treatment.