@article{ref1,
title="Seeking prescription opioids from physicians for nonmedical use among people who inject drugs in a Canadian setting",
journal="American journal on addictions",
year="2016",
author="Kennedy, Mary Clare and Kerr, Thomas and Debeck, Kora and Dong, Huiru and Milloy, M-J and Wood, Evan and Hayashi, Kanna",
volume="25",
number="4",
pages="275-282",
abstract="BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: 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. <br><br>METHODS: 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. <br><br>RESULTS: 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). <br><br>DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: We observed that PO-seeking behavior was common among this sample of PWID and associated with several markers of higher intensity drug use. SCIENTIFIC SIGNIFICANCE: 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;XX:1-8).<br><br>© 2016 American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry.<p /> <p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="1055-0496",
doi="10.1111/ajad.12380",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ajad.12380"
}