Prescription opioid abuse in prison settings: A systematic review of prevalence, practice and treatment responses

Zanib Bi-Mohammed; Nat M Wright; Philippa Hearty; Nigel King; Helen Gavin

doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.032

Prescription opioid abuse in prison settings: A systematic review of prevalence, practice and treatment responses

Zanib Bi-Mohammed, Nat M Wright, Philippa Hearty, Nigel King, Helen Gavin

Health Sciences

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

Abstract

BACKGROUND: To systematically review the quantitative and qualitative evidence base pertaining to the prevalence, practice of, and treatment response to the diversion of prescribed opiates in the prison setting.

METHODS: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, ASSIA and Science Direct databases were searched for papers from 1995 to the present relevant to the abuse of prescribed opiate medication. Identified journals and their reference lists were hand searched for other relevant articles. Of the abstracts identified as relevant, full text papers were retrieved and critiqued against the inclusion criteria for the review.

RESULTS: Three hundred and fifty-five abstracts were identified, leading to 42 full-text articles being retrieved. Of those, 10 papers were included in the review. Significant differences in abuse behaviours between different countries were reported. However, a key theme emerged from the data regarding a culture of nasal administration of prescribed sublingual buprenorphine within some prisons due to both reduced prevalence of injection within prison and reduced supplies of illicit drugs within prison. The buprenorphine/naloxone preparation appears to be less amenable to abuse. The review highlighted a paucity of empirical research pertaining to both prevalence of the phenomenon and treatment responses.

CLINICAL AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare providers within prisons need to prescribe opioids in the least abuseable preparation since the risk of abuse is significant, despite widespread processes of supervised dispensing. Prescription medication abuse is not limited to opioids and the predominant drug of abuse in an individual prison can rapidly change according to availability.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	122-131
Number of pages	10
Journal	Drug and alcohol dependence
Volume	171
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.032
Publication status	Published - 1 Feb 2017

Bibliographical note

Keywords

Administration, Sublingual
Analgesics, Opioid/adverse effects
Buprenorphine/adverse effects
Drug Prescriptions
Humans
Illicit Drugs/adverse effects
Narcotics/adverse effects
Opiate Substitution Treatment/methods
Opioid-Related Disorders/diagnosis
Prescription Drug Misuse/prevention & control
Prevalence
Prisons/trends
Treatment Outcome

Access to Document

10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.032

Cite this

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title = "Prescription opioid abuse in prison settings: A systematic review of prevalence, practice and treatment responses",

abstract = "BACKGROUND: To systematically review the quantitative and qualitative evidence base pertaining to the prevalence, practice of, and treatment response to the diversion of prescribed opiates in the prison setting.METHODS: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, ASSIA and Science Direct databases were searched for papers from 1995 to the present relevant to the abuse of prescribed opiate medication. Identified journals and their reference lists were hand searched for other relevant articles. Of the abstracts identified as relevant, full text papers were retrieved and critiqued against the inclusion criteria for the review.RESULTS: Three hundred and fifty-five abstracts were identified, leading to 42 full-text articles being retrieved. Of those, 10 papers were included in the review. Significant differences in abuse behaviours between different countries were reported. However, a key theme emerged from the data regarding a culture of nasal administration of prescribed sublingual buprenorphine within some prisons due to both reduced prevalence of injection within prison and reduced supplies of illicit drugs within prison. The buprenorphine/naloxone preparation appears to be less amenable to abuse. The review highlighted a paucity of empirical research pertaining to both prevalence of the phenomenon and treatment responses.CLINICAL AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare providers within prisons need to prescribe opioids in the least abuseable preparation since the risk of abuse is significant, despite widespread processes of supervised dispensing. Prescription medication abuse is not limited to opioids and the predominant drug of abuse in an individual prison can rapidly change according to availability.",

keywords = "Administration, Sublingual, Analgesics, Opioid/adverse effects, Buprenorphine/adverse effects, Drug Prescriptions, Humans, Illicit Drugs/adverse effects, Narcotics/adverse effects, Opiate Substitution Treatment/methods, Opioid-Related Disorders/diagnosis, Prescription Drug Misuse/prevention & control, Prevalence, Prisons/trends, Treatment Outcome",

author = "Zanib Bi-Mohammed and Wright, {Nat M} and Philippa Hearty and Nigel King and Helen Gavin",

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doi = "10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.032",

language = "English",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Prescription opioid abuse in prison settings

T2 - A systematic review of prevalence, practice and treatment responses

AU - Bi-Mohammed, Zanib

AU - Wright, Nat M

AU - Hearty, Philippa

AU - King, Nigel

AU - Gavin, Helen

PY - 2017/2/1

Y1 - 2017/2/1

N2 - BACKGROUND: To systematically review the quantitative and qualitative evidence base pertaining to the prevalence, practice of, and treatment response to the diversion of prescribed opiates in the prison setting.METHODS: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, ASSIA and Science Direct databases were searched for papers from 1995 to the present relevant to the abuse of prescribed opiate medication. Identified journals and their reference lists were hand searched for other relevant articles. Of the abstracts identified as relevant, full text papers were retrieved and critiqued against the inclusion criteria for the review.RESULTS: Three hundred and fifty-five abstracts were identified, leading to 42 full-text articles being retrieved. Of those, 10 papers were included in the review. Significant differences in abuse behaviours between different countries were reported. However, a key theme emerged from the data regarding a culture of nasal administration of prescribed sublingual buprenorphine within some prisons due to both reduced prevalence of injection within prison and reduced supplies of illicit drugs within prison. The buprenorphine/naloxone preparation appears to be less amenable to abuse. The review highlighted a paucity of empirical research pertaining to both prevalence of the phenomenon and treatment responses.CLINICAL AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare providers within prisons need to prescribe opioids in the least abuseable preparation since the risk of abuse is significant, despite widespread processes of supervised dispensing. Prescription medication abuse is not limited to opioids and the predominant drug of abuse in an individual prison can rapidly change according to availability.

AB - BACKGROUND: To systematically review the quantitative and qualitative evidence base pertaining to the prevalence, practice of, and treatment response to the diversion of prescribed opiates in the prison setting.METHODS: Medline, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Google Scholar, ASSIA and Science Direct databases were searched for papers from 1995 to the present relevant to the abuse of prescribed opiate medication. Identified journals and their reference lists were hand searched for other relevant articles. Of the abstracts identified as relevant, full text papers were retrieved and critiqued against the inclusion criteria for the review.RESULTS: Three hundred and fifty-five abstracts were identified, leading to 42 full-text articles being retrieved. Of those, 10 papers were included in the review. Significant differences in abuse behaviours between different countries were reported. However, a key theme emerged from the data regarding a culture of nasal administration of prescribed sublingual buprenorphine within some prisons due to both reduced prevalence of injection within prison and reduced supplies of illicit drugs within prison. The buprenorphine/naloxone preparation appears to be less amenable to abuse. The review highlighted a paucity of empirical research pertaining to both prevalence of the phenomenon and treatment responses.CLINICAL AND RESEARCH IMPLICATIONS: Healthcare providers within prisons need to prescribe opioids in the least abuseable preparation since the risk of abuse is significant, despite widespread processes of supervised dispensing. Prescription medication abuse is not limited to opioids and the predominant drug of abuse in an individual prison can rapidly change according to availability.

KW - Administration, Sublingual

KW - Analgesics, Opioid/adverse effects

KW - Buprenorphine/adverse effects

KW - Drug Prescriptions

KW - Humans

KW - Illicit Drugs/adverse effects

KW - Narcotics/adverse effects

KW - Opiate Substitution Treatment/methods

KW - Opioid-Related Disorders/diagnosis

KW - Prescription Drug Misuse/prevention & control

KW - Prevalence

KW - Prisons/trends

KW - Treatment Outcome

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DO - 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2016.11.032

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C2 - 28086177

SN - 0376-8716

VL - 171

SP - 122

EP - 131

JO - Drug and alcohol dependence

JF - Drug and alcohol dependence

ER -