Relationship between prescribing and risk of opiate overdose among drug users in and out of maintenance treatment

L H Man; D Best; M Gossop; G Stillwell; J Strang

doi:10.1159/000073724

Relationship between prescribing and risk of opiate overdose among drug users in and out of maintenance treatment

L H Man, D Best, M Gossop, G Stillwell, J Strang

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

32 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Opiate users (n = 135) from southern England, Glasgow and Edinburgh were interviewed about opiate overdose ( lifetime). Fifty-six percent had overdosed. The majority (66%) reported mixing opiates with at least one other drug ( mainly alcohol and/or benzodiazepines) at their last overdose. Patients identified misjudgements of purity, mixing drugs and misjudgements of tolerance as causes of overdose. The sample was divided into groups: ( 1) 'no prescription', ( 2) prescribed 'diazepam only', ( 3) prescribed 'methadone only' and ( 4) prescribed 'methadone + diazepam'. The 'methadone + diazepam' group reported more lifetime and deliberate overdoses, the ` methadone only' group were more likely to have used several drugs at the time of their last overdose and the ` no prescription' group to have used only heroin. Drug users' overdose risk may vary as a result of their prescribed and non-prescribed drug use. Interventions should be developed and tailored according to clients' needs and current use patterns. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	35 - 40
Number of pages	6
Journal	European Addiction Research
Volume	10
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1159/000073724
Publication status	Published - 2004

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10.1159/000073724

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title = "Relationship between prescribing and risk of opiate overdose among drug users in and out of maintenance treatment",

abstract = "Opiate users (n = 135) from southern England, Glasgow and Edinburgh were interviewed about opiate overdose ( lifetime). Fifty-six percent had overdosed. The majority (66%) reported mixing opiates with at least one other drug ( mainly alcohol and/or benzodiazepines) at their last overdose. Patients identified misjudgements of purity, mixing drugs and misjudgements of tolerance as causes of overdose. The sample was divided into groups: ( 1) 'no prescription', ( 2) prescribed 'diazepam only', ( 3) prescribed 'methadone only' and ( 4) prescribed 'methadone + diazepam'. The 'methadone + diazepam' group reported more lifetime and deliberate overdoses, the ` methadone only' group were more likely to have used several drugs at the time of their last overdose and the ` no prescription' group to have used only heroin. Drug users' overdose risk may vary as a result of their prescribed and non-prescribed drug use. Interventions should be developed and tailored according to clients' needs and current use patterns. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.",

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T1 - Relationship between prescribing and risk of opiate overdose among drug users in and out of maintenance treatment

AU - Man, L H

AU - Best, D

AU - Gossop, M

AU - Stillwell, G

AU - Strang, J

PY - 2004

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N2 - Opiate users (n = 135) from southern England, Glasgow and Edinburgh were interviewed about opiate overdose ( lifetime). Fifty-six percent had overdosed. The majority (66%) reported mixing opiates with at least one other drug ( mainly alcohol and/or benzodiazepines) at their last overdose. Patients identified misjudgements of purity, mixing drugs and misjudgements of tolerance as causes of overdose. The sample was divided into groups: ( 1) 'no prescription', ( 2) prescribed 'diazepam only', ( 3) prescribed 'methadone only' and ( 4) prescribed 'methadone + diazepam'. The 'methadone + diazepam' group reported more lifetime and deliberate overdoses, the ` methadone only' group were more likely to have used several drugs at the time of their last overdose and the ` no prescription' group to have used only heroin. Drug users' overdose risk may vary as a result of their prescribed and non-prescribed drug use. Interventions should be developed and tailored according to clients' needs and current use patterns. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.

AB - Opiate users (n = 135) from southern England, Glasgow and Edinburgh were interviewed about opiate overdose ( lifetime). Fifty-six percent had overdosed. The majority (66%) reported mixing opiates with at least one other drug ( mainly alcohol and/or benzodiazepines) at their last overdose. Patients identified misjudgements of purity, mixing drugs and misjudgements of tolerance as causes of overdose. The sample was divided into groups: ( 1) 'no prescription', ( 2) prescribed 'diazepam only', ( 3) prescribed 'methadone only' and ( 4) prescribed 'methadone + diazepam'. The 'methadone + diazepam' group reported more lifetime and deliberate overdoses, the ` methadone only' group were more likely to have used several drugs at the time of their last overdose and the ` no prescription' group to have used only heroin. Drug users' overdose risk may vary as a result of their prescribed and non-prescribed drug use. Interventions should be developed and tailored according to clients' needs and current use patterns. Copyright (C) 2004 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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Relationship between prescribing and risk of opiate overdose among drug users in and out of maintenance treatment

Abstract

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