Opioid overdose prevention with intranasal naloxone among people who take methadone

• Published in: Journal of substance abuse treatment Vol. 44; no. 2; pp. 241 - 247
• Main Authors: Walley, Alexander Y., M.D., MSc, Doe-Simkins, Maya, M.P.H, Quinn, Emily, M.A, Pierce, Courtney, M.P.H, Xuan, Ziming, Sc.D., S.M., M.A, Ozonoff, Al, Ph.D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.02.2013; Elsevier; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Addictive behaviors; Administration, Intranasal; Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Biological and medical sciences; Desintoxication. Drug withdrawal; Detoxification; Drug addiction; Drug overdose; Drug Overdose - prevention & control; Female; Health education; HIV; HIV Infections - prevention & control; HIV prevention programs; Humans; Intervention; Intranasal naloxone; Male; Massachusetts; Medical sciences; Methadone; Methadone - administration & dosage; Middle Aged; Miscellaneous; Naloxone; Naloxone - administration & dosage; Naloxone - therapeutic use; Narcotic Antagonists - administration & dosage; Narcotic Antagonists - therapeutic use; Narcotics - poisoning; Opiate Substitution Treatment - methods; Opioid overdose prevention; Opioid-Related Disorders - rehabilitation; Overdoses; Patient Education as Topic - methods; Pilot Projects; Prevention programs; Preventive programmes; Psychiatry; Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Risk Factors; Substance abuse treatment; Substance abuse treatment programs; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome - therapy; Treatments; Young Adult; Massachusetts; United States > US; USA, Massachusetts; Substance abuse treatment programs; Opioid overdose prevention; Methadone; Intranasal naloxone; HIV prevention programs; Morphinan derivatives; Overdosing; Opiates; Narcotic analgesic; Prevention; Public health; WHO; Human; Immunopathology; Narcotic antagonist; Sanitary program; Drug addiction; Poison withdrawal; Retroviridae; AIDS; Substance abuse; Intranasal administration; Immune deficiency; Lentivirus; Infection; Virus; Naloxone; Addiction; Viral disease; Overdose; Human immunodeficiency virus
• ISSN: 0740-5472; 1873-6483
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jsat.2012.07.004

Abstract Overdose education and naloxone distribution (OEND) is an intervention that addresses overdose, but has not been studied among people who take methadone, a drug involved in increasing numbers of overdoses. This study describes the implementation of OEND among people taking methadone in the previous 30 days in various settings in Massachusetts. From 2008 to 2010, 1553 participants received OEND who had taken methadone in the past 30 days. Settings included inpatient detoxification (47%), HIV prevention programs (25%), methadone maintenance treatment programs (MMTP) (17%), and other settings (11%). Previous overdose, recent inpatient detoxification and incarceration, and polysubstance use were overdose risks factors common among all groups. Participants reported 92 overdose rescues. OEND programs are public health interventions that address overdose risk among people who take methadone and their social networks. OEND programs can be implemented in MMTPs, detoxification programs, and HIV prevention programs.