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- Title
Seeking prescription opioids from physicians for nonmedical use among people who inject drugs in a Canadian setting.
- Authors
Kennedy, Mary Clare; Kerr, Thomas; DeBeck, Kora; Dong, Huiru; Milloy, M.‐J.; Wood, Evan; Hayashi, Kanna
- Abstract
<bold>Background and Objectives: </bold>Despite the high prevalence of prescription opioid (PO) misuse, little is known about the phenomenon of seeking POs for nonmedical use among high-risk populations, such as people who inject drugs (PWID). We therefore sought to examine the prevalence and correlates of seeking POs from a physician for nonmedical use among PWID in Vancouver, Canada.<bold>Methods: </bold>Cross-sectional data from two open prospective cohort studies of PWID in Vancouver were collected between June 2013 and May 2014 (n = 1252). Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with seeking POs from physicians for nonmedical use.<bold>Results: </bold>Of 1252 participants, 458 individuals (36.6%) reported ever trying to get a PO prescription from a physician for nonmedical use and, of these, 343 (74.9%, comprising 27.4% of the total sample) reported ever being successful. Variables independently and positively associated with PO-seeking behavior included older age (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 1.02), Caucasian ethnicity (AOR = 1.38), having ever overdosed (AOR = 1.32), having ever participated in methadone maintenance therapy (AOR = 1.90), having ever dealt drugs (AOR = 1.65), and having ever been refused a prescription for pain medication (AOR = 2.02) (all p < .05).<bold>Discussion and Conclusions: </bold>We observed that PO-seeking behavior was common among this sample of PWID and associated with several markers of higher intensity drug use.<bold>Scientific Significance: </bold>Our findings highlight the need to identify evidence-based public health and clinical strategies to mitigate PO misuse among PWID without compromising care for PWID with legitimate medical concerns. (Am J Addict 2016;25:275-282).
- Subjects
CANADA; MEDICATION abuse; OPIOID abuse; DRUG prescribing; HEALTH risk assessment; PUBLIC health; INTRAVENOUS drug abuse; SUBSTANCE abuse &; psychology; ANALGESICS; COMPULSIVE behavior; LONGITUDINAL method; NARCOTICS; RESEARCH funding; LOGISTIC regression analysis; CROSS-sectional method; ODDS ratio; PSYCHOLOGY
- Publication
American Journal on Addictions, 2016, Vol 25, Issue 4, p275
- ISSN
1055-0496
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1111/ajad.12380