Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Tara Gomes, Tonya J. Campbell, Sophie A. Kitchen, Ria Garg, Nikki Bozinoff, Siyu Men, Mina Tadrous, Charlotte Munro, Tony Antoniou, Dan Werb, Jennifer Wyman
Summary: A retrospective cohort study in Ontario, Canada during the COVID-19 pandemic found that providing increased take-home doses of opioid agonist therapy was associated with lower risks of treatment interruption and discontinuation. The study did not show a significant increase in opioid-related overdoses over 6 months of follow-up.
JAMA-JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
(2022)
Article
Oncology
Katie Fitzgerald Jones, Dmitry Khodyakov, Robert Arnold, Hailey Bulls, Emily Dao, Jennifer Kapo, Diane Meier, Judith Paice, Jane Liebschutz, Christine Ritchie, Jessica Merlin
Summary: This qualitative study aims to establish consensus among palliative care and addiction specialists on the appropriateness of various opioid management strategies in individuals with advanced cancer-related pain and opioid misuse or OUD. The findings provide urgently needed guidance for clinicians and highlight critical research and policy gaps.
Article
Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
Narjes Shojaati, Nathaniel D. Osgood
Summary: Modified opioid agonist therapy (OAT) guidelines during the COVID-19 pandemic allowed increased take-home doses for social distancing. Evaluating the impact on treatment retention and opioid-related harms is crucial for post-pandemic recommendations.
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Jessica J. Wyse, Kathleen A. McGinnis, E. Jennifer Edelman, Adam J. Gordon, Ajay Manhapra, David A. Fiellin, Brent A. Moore, P. Todd Korthuis, Amy J. Kennedy, Benjamin J. Oldfield, Julie R. Gaither, Kirsha S. Gordon, Melissa Skanderson, Declan T. Barry, Kendall Bryant, Stephen Crystal, Amy C. Justice, Kevin L. Kraemer
Summary: The study used data from the Veterans Aging Cohort Study to examine factors related to retention in opioid agonist therapy (OAT) among patients with opioid use disorder. Results showed that factors such as receiving specific medications, hepatitis C diagnosis, and history of homelessness were associated with improved likelihood of retention. Differences in predictors of retention were noted between patients with and without HIV, highlighting the need for further research and initiatives to enhance OAT retention.
Article
Substance Abuse
Adam J. Gordon, Andrew J. Saxon, Stefan Kertesz, Jessica J. Wyse, Ajay Manhapra, Lewei A. Lin, Wei Chen, Jared Hansen, Derek Pinnell, Tina Huynh, Jacob D. Baylis, Francesca E. Cunningham, Udi E. Ghitza, Gavin Bart, Hong Yu, Brian C. Sauer
Summary: In this retrospective study using clinical data from the Veterans Health Administration, it was found that patients receiving buprenorphine medication treatment for opioid use disorder (B-MOUD) were typically younger, of white race, and had more comorbidities compared to patients without B-MOUD. The length of treatment courses varied based on patient demographics.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2023)
Article
Emergency Medicine
Lexis R. Galarneau, Frank X. Scheuermeyer, Jesse Hilburt, Zoe R. O'Neill, Skye Barbic, Jessica Moe, Jane A. Buxton, Aaron M. Orkin, Janusz Kaczorowski, Kathryn Dong, Dianne Tobin, Isabelle Miles, Misty Bath, Sherry Grier, Emma Garrod, Andrew Kestler
Summary: The study aims to explore the experiences and preferences of individuals with opioid use disorder accessing emergency department (ED) services, as well as their opinions on ED care and interventions. Interviews with 19 participants revealed that patients felt discriminated against for their drug use, leading to avoidance of ED care. However, they were comfortable discussing their substance use with ED staff and expressed the need for increased patient involvement and access to various opioid use disorder-related treatments.
ANNALS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Louise Geddes, Jenny Iversen, Handan Wand, Lisa Maher
Summary: The study found that people who inject drugs attending needle-syringe programs in Australia are significantly more likely to discontinue opioid agonist treatment if they were prescribed buprenorphine or buprenorphine-naloxone compared with methadone, are male or report injection risk behaviors and recent incarceration.
Article
Substance Abuse
Lauren A. Paul, Ahmed M. Bayoumi, Cynthia Chen, Elena Kocovska, Brendan T. Smith, Janet M. Raboud, Tara Gomes, Claire Kendall, Laura C. Rosella, Lisa Bitonti-Bengert, Brian Rush, Melissa Yu, Sheryl Spithoff, Frank Crichlow, Amy Wright, Jase Watford, Jes Besharah, Charlotte Munro, Sheena Taha, Bohdan Nosyk, Carol Strike, Heather Manson, Meldon Kahan, Pamela Leece
Summary: This study examines the factors affecting engagement and retention in treatment with opioid agonist therapy in Ontario's health system, including age, sex, neighbourhood income, as well as mental health diagnoses or residing in rural regions.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Andrew A. Herring, Mariah Kalmin, Melissa Speener, David Goodman-Meza, Hannah Snyder, Arianna Campbell, Aimee Moulin, Steve Shoptaw
Summary: The California Bridge Program aims to expand medications for opioid use disorder in emergency departments and hospital inpatient units across the state, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to a significant decrease in OUD treatment and attention to OUD patients.
JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT
(2021)
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
Suzanne Nielsen, Wai Chung Tse, Briony Larance
Summary: The use of maintenance agonist pharmacotherapy for pharmaceutical opioid dependence has varying levels of evidence supporting its effectiveness. Methadone and buprenorphine showed similar effects on some outcomes, but methadone was favored for retention and self-reported substance use. Buprenorphine maintenance treatment appeared to be more effective compared to non-opioid treatments.
COCHRANE DATABASE OF SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Substance Abuse
Kenneth Lee, Yue Zhao, Tazmin Merali, Christopher Fraser, Jan-Marie Kozicky, Marie-Christine Mormont, Brian Conway
Summary: This study describes the demographics and clinical characteristics of patients receiving different opioid agonist therapy regimens in a real-world setting and evaluates the difference in nonfatal overdose events between treatment cohorts.
JOURNAL OF ADDICTION MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Katarina Jones, Dana Bernson, Katherine T. Fillo, Amy L. Bettano
Summary: This study aims to create a new framework for emergency medical service (EMS) opioid-related incidents (ORIs) to accurately describe the opioid epidemic in Massachusetts. By categorizing the data, the study reveals new trend details and strains on the EMS system. Over half of the ORIs were acute overdose, followed by intoxication, other ORIs, withdrawal, and dead on arrival. The study also found differences in naloxone administration between the categories. Overall, the findings improve dataset linkage and interstate rate comparisons.
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Kevin Y. Xu, Carrie M. Mintz, Ned Presnall, Laura J. Bierut, Richard A. Grucza
Summary: This study found that bupropion and opioid use disorder (OUD) medication, including buprenorphine, naltrexone, and methadone, are associated with fewer stimulant-related emergency department visits and hospital admissions in patients with OUD. This suggests that bupropion may have potential as an adjunctive therapy to reduce the risk of stimulant-specific poisoning.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PSYCHIATRY
(2022)
Article
Substance Abuse
D. Aldabergenov, L. Reynolds, J. Scott, M. J. Kelleher, J. Strang, C. S. Copeland, N. J. Kalk
Summary: During the COVID-19 lockdown in England, there was a significant increase in methadone-related deaths among non-prescribed individuals, while there was no change in deaths among prescribed individuals. Further research is needed to understand this difference.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DRUG POLICY
(2022)
Article
Substance Abuse
Victor Mocanu, Nikki Bozinoff, Evan Wood, Didier Jutras-Aswad, Bernard Le Foll, Ron Lim, Jin Cheol Choi, Wing Yin Mok, M. Eugenia Socias
Summary: This study examined the impact of initial randomized opioid agonist therapy (OAT) allocation on subsequent treatment switching among individuals with prescription-type opioid use disorder (POUD). The findings showed that individuals assigned to buprenorphine/naloxone were more likely to switch treatments compared to those assigned to methadone.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2023)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Chukwuemeka N. Okafor, Mark Brennan-Ing, Deanna Ware, Sabina Haberlen, James E. Egan, Andre L. Brown, Steven Meanley, Valentina Stosor, Steven Shoptaw, M. Reuel Friedman, Michael Plankey
Summary: The study validated the Grit-O Scale among older SMM and found that consistency of interest and perseverance of effort were associated with psychological distress symptoms.
AGING & MENTAL HEALTH
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Darren L. Whitfield, LaRon E. Nelson, Arnost Komarek, DeAnne Turner, Zhao Ni, Donte T. Boyd, Tamara Taggart, S. Raquel Ramos, Leo Wilton, Geetha G. Beauchamp, Lisa Hightow-Weidman, Steven J. Shoptaw, Manya Magnus, Kenneth H. Mayer, Sheldon D. Fields, Darrell P. Wheeler
Summary: Care coordination has the potential to improve PrEP use and adherence among Black MSM.
JOURNAL OF RACIAL AND ETHNIC HEALTH DISPARITIES
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
Gabriel G. Edwards, Ayako Miyashita-Ochoa, Enrico G. Castillo, David Goodman-Meza, Ippolytos Kalofonos, Raphael J. Landovitz, Arleen A. Leibowitz, Craig Pulsipher, Ed El Sayed, Steven Shoptaw, Chelsea L. Shover, Michelle Tabajonda, Yvonne S. Yang, Nina T. Harawa
Summary: Long-acting injectable antiretroviral medications present both benefits and challenges for people with HIV. This commentary discusses the issues surrounding equitable implementation and uptake of these medications by drawing lessons from the fields of HIV, substance use treatment, and mental health.
Review
Substance Abuse
Michael J. J. Li, Steven J. J. Shoptaw
Summary: This review examines the evidence on biomedical and behavioral treatments for psychostimulant withdrawal symptoms, particularly for methamphetamine (MA) and cocaine. The findings suggest inconsistent effectiveness of these treatments on MA and cocaine withdrawal.
Article
Emergency Medicine
Erik S. Anderson, Evan Rusoja, Joshua Luftig, Monish Ullal, Ranjana Shardha, Henry Schwimmer, Alexandra Friedman, Christian Hailozian, Andrew A. Herring
Summary: This study implemented a whole person care-informed intervention delivered by substance use navigators (SUN) for emergency department patients with substance use disorders. The results showed that the SUN intervention was strongly associated with higher engagement rates in addiction treatment after discharge, especially for patients with alcohol, opioid, and cocaine-related diagnoses.
ANNALS OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE
(2023)
Review
Substance Abuse
Thuong Nong, Dominic Hodgkin, Nguyen Thu Trang, Steven J. Shoptaw, Michael J. Li, Hoang Thi Hai Van, Giang Le
Summary: This study aims to fill the gap and review factors associated with retention and adherence in methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) in Vietnam. Results showed that patients in mountainous provinces had lower adherence and retention rates than those in big cities. Factors associated with adherence and retention can be classified into three groups: individual, community, and institutional factors.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2023)
Article
Immunology
Michael J. Li, Brendon Chau, Wendy H. Garland, Sona Oksuzyan, Robert E. Weiss, Sae Takada, Uyen Kao, Sung-Jae Lee, Steven J. Shoptaw
Summary: This study found that intersections of race/ethnicity, gender, and psychosocial issues have an impact on HIV viral suppression in the Los Angeles County Medical Care Coordination Program. Despite accounting for psychosocial acuity score, some racial/ethnic and gender disparities persisted.
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Alex Dubov, Douglas S. Krakower, Nicholas Rockwood, Susanne Montgomery, Steven Shoptaw
Summary: This study examined how biases held by primary care providers can affect their clinical decisions regarding HIV prevention among people who inject drugs (PWIDs). The results showed that most providers had implicit biases that resulted in underutilization of HIV prevention medication for PWIDs. The study highlights the need to develop and test interventions to decrease biases against PWIDs in primary care settings.
JOURNAL OF GENERAL INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Public, Environmental & Occupational Health
David A. Wiss, Michael L. Prelip, Dawn M. Upchurch, Ondine S. von Ehrenstein, A. Janet Tomiyama, Pamina M. Gorbach, Steven J. Shoptaw
Summary: Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are linked to poor mental health outcomes in adulthood, particularly among low-income, mostly Black and Latino men who have sex with men (MSM). Childhood maltreatment, including sexual abuse, predicts depressive and anxiety symptoms among adult urban MSM. Cumulative ACEs increase the odds of reporting depressive and anxiety symptoms, with a higher risk for those with five or more ACEs. Childhood sexual abuse is a significant predictor of depressive symptoms even after adjusting for other ACEs. Mitigating the impact of childhood maltreatment requires understanding the unique social distress faced by MSM throughout their lives.
JOURNAL OF URBAN HEALTH-BULLETIN OF THE NEW YORK ACADEMY OF MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Natalie E. Chichetto, Nioud M. Gebru, Michael W. Plankey, Hilary A. Tindle, John R. Koethe, David B. Hanna, Steven Shoptaw, Deborah L. Jones, Jason M. Lazar, Jorge R. Kizer, Mardge H. Cohen, Sabina A. Haberlen, Adaora A. Adimora, Cecile D. Lahiri, Jenni M. Wise, Matthew S. Freiberg
Summary: This study examines the co-occurrence of heavy drinking, smoking, and depression among women with HIV and its impact on mortality. The findings suggest that women with two or more of these conditions have a higher risk of mortality, emphasizing the importance of early intervention and treatment.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Jeremy D. Kidd, Sabrina L. Smiley, Phillip O. Coffin, Thomas J. Carmody, Frances R. Levin, Edward V. Nunes, Steven J. Shoptaw, Madhukar H. Trivedi
Summary: This study compares the treatment effect of extended-release injectable naltrexone plus oral extended-release bupropion on MSM/W and MSW groups with MethUD. The findings suggest that the treatment is more effective for MSM/W than MSW.
DRUG AND ALCOHOL DEPENDENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Michael J. Li, Adiba Hassan, Marjan Javanbakht, Pamina M. Gorbach, Steven J. Shoptaw
Summary: This study aims to determine if performance on the Iowa Gambling Task is associated with frequency of methamphetamine use and challenges reducing or stopping methamphetamine use. The findings suggest that performance on the task may be a useful indicator of methamphetamine use severity in non-treatment-seeking individuals.
EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL PSYCHOPHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Joseph M. Trombello, Alexandra Kulikova, Taryn L. Mayes, Karabi Nandy, Thomas Carmody, Gavin Bart, Edward Nunes, Joy Schmitz, Mariah Kalmin, Steven Shoptaw, Madhukar H. Trivedi
Summary: The study examines the psychometric properties of a scale to measure suicidality among individuals with methamphetamine use disorder. The scale showed strong internal consistency, test-retest reliability, and convergent validity.
NEUROPSYCHIATRIC DISEASE AND TREATMENT
(2023)
Article
Health Care Sciences & Services
Darrell E. White, Laura H. Hendrix, Lucille Sun, Iris Tam, Marian Macsai, Andrea A. Gibson
Summary: This study compared the efficacy of OC-01 and lifitegrast in treating dry eye disease. The results showed that OC-01 had better effects in improving tear production and patient-reported eye dryness compared to lifitegrast.
JOURNAL OF MANAGED CARE & SPECIALTY PHARMACY
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Joy M. Schmitz, Angela L. Stotts, Jin H. Yoon, Thomas F. Northrup, Yolanda R. Villarreal, Luba Yammine, Michael F. Weaver, Thomas Carmody, Steven Shoptaw, Madhukar H. Trivedi
Summary: Combining naltrexone and oral bupropion (NTX-BUP) significantly reduces self-reported cigarette smoking while treating methamphetamine (MA) use disorder.
JOURNAL OF SUBSTANCE USE & ADDICTION TREATMENT
(2023)