Pilot survey of prescription opioid use patterns and engagement with harm-reduction strategies in emergency department patients
Background: The United States is experiencing an opioid epidemic. The aim of this pilot study was to describe patterns of prescription opioid medication (POM) use, examine factors associated with opioid misuse and overdose, and assess knowledge of take-home naloxone, and other harm-reduction strateg...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2021-09-01
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| Series: | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276621000627 |
| _version_ | 1818727085600931840 |
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| author | Lindsay M. Fox Siri Shastry Avis Harper-Brooks Christine Ramdin Alex F. Manini |
| author_facet | Lindsay M. Fox Siri Shastry Avis Harper-Brooks Christine Ramdin Alex F. Manini |
| author_sort | Lindsay M. Fox |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: The United States is experiencing an opioid epidemic. The aim of this pilot study was to describe patterns of prescription opioid medication (POM) use, examine factors associated with opioid misuse and overdose, and assess knowledge of take-home naloxone, and other harm-reduction strategies as well as participation in medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among emergency department (ED) patients that have been prescribed opioid medications. Methods: This was a pilot survey of a convenience sample of adult ED patients with a past opioid prescription at one urban tertiary care hospital. The survey asked participants about patterns of opioid consumption, risk factors associated with opioid misuse, and knowledge of harm-reduction strategies. The survey tool consisted of mixed open- and closed-ended questions. Reported daily POM consumption was converted to milligram morphine equivalents (MME). Responses to survey questions were compared with daily MME in order to generate hypotheses for future research. Results: 50 individuals completed a survey. Of these, 56% reported taking opioids daily, and 24% reported greater than 100 MME daily opioid consumption. Many subjects reported history of psychiatric illness (34%) and previous substance abuse treatment (24%). The majority of patients (66%) were not aware of take-home naloxone programs to treat opioid overdose. Conclusions: In this pilot survey of ED patients with a pain-related chief complaint, many respondents reported risk factors for opioid misuse, and the majority of participants were unaware of the existence of important harm-reduction strategies, such as take-home naloxone programs, even among those with the highest daily POM use. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-17T22:08:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d991dc50ca194768a984ccf6f158033b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2667-2766 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-17T22:08:30Z |
| publishDate | 2021-09-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy |
| spelling | doaj.art-d991dc50ca194768a984ccf6f158033b2022-12-21T21:30:47ZengElsevierExploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy2667-27662021-09-013100062Pilot survey of prescription opioid use patterns and engagement with harm-reduction strategies in emergency department patientsLindsay M. Fox0Siri Shastry1Avis Harper-Brooks2Christine Ramdin3Alex F. Manini4Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Department of Emergency Medicine, 185 South Orange Ave, MSB E 609, Newark, NJ 07103, United States of AmericaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America; Corresponding author at: 555 West 57th, 5th Floor, New York, NY 10019, United States of America.Department of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of AmericaRutgers New Jersey Medical School, Department of Emergency Medicine, 185 South Orange Ave, MSB E 609, Newark, NJ 07103, United States of AmericaDepartment of Emergency Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America; Division of Medical Toxicology, Elmhurst Hospital Center, New York, NY, United States of AmericaBackground: The United States is experiencing an opioid epidemic. The aim of this pilot study was to describe patterns of prescription opioid medication (POM) use, examine factors associated with opioid misuse and overdose, and assess knowledge of take-home naloxone, and other harm-reduction strategies as well as participation in medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) among emergency department (ED) patients that have been prescribed opioid medications. Methods: This was a pilot survey of a convenience sample of adult ED patients with a past opioid prescription at one urban tertiary care hospital. The survey asked participants about patterns of opioid consumption, risk factors associated with opioid misuse, and knowledge of harm-reduction strategies. The survey tool consisted of mixed open- and closed-ended questions. Reported daily POM consumption was converted to milligram morphine equivalents (MME). Responses to survey questions were compared with daily MME in order to generate hypotheses for future research. Results: 50 individuals completed a survey. Of these, 56% reported taking opioids daily, and 24% reported greater than 100 MME daily opioid consumption. Many subjects reported history of psychiatric illness (34%) and previous substance abuse treatment (24%). The majority of patients (66%) were not aware of take-home naloxone programs to treat opioid overdose. Conclusions: In this pilot survey of ED patients with a pain-related chief complaint, many respondents reported risk factors for opioid misuse, and the majority of participants were unaware of the existence of important harm-reduction strategies, such as take-home naloxone programs, even among those with the highest daily POM use.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276621000627OpioidsPrescription drug misuseHarm-reduction |
| spellingShingle | Lindsay M. Fox Siri Shastry Avis Harper-Brooks Christine Ramdin Alex F. Manini Pilot survey of prescription opioid use patterns and engagement with harm-reduction strategies in emergency department patients Exploratory Research in Clinical and Social Pharmacy Opioids Prescription drug misuse Harm-reduction |
| title | Pilot survey of prescription opioid use patterns and engagement with harm-reduction strategies in emergency department patients |
| title_full | Pilot survey of prescription opioid use patterns and engagement with harm-reduction strategies in emergency department patients |
| title_fullStr | Pilot survey of prescription opioid use patterns and engagement with harm-reduction strategies in emergency department patients |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pilot survey of prescription opioid use patterns and engagement with harm-reduction strategies in emergency department patients |
| title_short | Pilot survey of prescription opioid use patterns and engagement with harm-reduction strategies in emergency department patients |
| title_sort | pilot survey of prescription opioid use patterns and engagement with harm reduction strategies in emergency department patients |
| topic | Opioids Prescription drug misuse Harm-reduction |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667276621000627 |
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