Citation

Lavonas EJ, Severtson SG, Martinez EM, Bucher-Bartelson B, Le Lait MC, Green JL, Murrelle LE, Cicero TJ, Kurtz SP, Rosenblum A, Surratt HL, Dart RC. J. Subst. Abuse Treat. 2014; 47(1): 27-34.

Affiliation

Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, 777 Bannock Street, MC 0180, Denver, CO, 80204, USA. Electronic address: richard.dart@rmpdc.org.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2014, Elsevier Publishing)

DOI

10.1016/j.jsat.2014.02.003

PMID

24680219

Abstract

Buprenorphine abuse is common worldwide. Rates of abuse and diversion of three sublingual buprenorphine formulations (single ingredient tablets; naloxone combination tablets and film) were compared. Data were obtained from the Researched Abuse, Diversion, and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS(®)) System Poison Center, Drug Diversion, Opioid Treatment (OTP), Survey of Key Informants' Patients (SKIP), and College Survey Programs through December 2012. To control for drug availability, event ratios (rates) were calculated quarterly, based on the number of patients filling prescriptions for each formulation ("unique recipients of a dispensed drug," URDD) and averaged and compared using negative binomial regression. Abuse rates in the OTP, SKIP, and College Survey Programs were greatest for single ingredient tablets, and abuse rates in the Poison Center Program and illicit diversion rates were greatest for the combination tablets. Combination film rates were significantly less than rates for either tablet formulation in all programs. No geographic pattern could be discerned.

Language: en