Journal of medical toxicology : official journal of the American College of Medical Toxicology
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Nonmedical use of prescription opioid analgesics is associated with epidemic levels of morbidity and mortality. There are several factors that affect the abuse liability of the various opioids, including likability or the pleasurable subjective effects. Due to rising public health concerns over escalating prescription opioid abuse, we sought to examine the literature about abuse liability with a specific focus on likability studies. ⋯ Oral oxycodone has an elevated abuse liability profile compared to oral morphine and hydrocodone.
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The use of opioids for chronic noncancer pain has increased dramatically over the past 25 years in North America and has been accompanied by a major increase in opioid addiction and overdose deaths. The increase in opioid prescribing is multifactorial and partly reflects concerns about the effectiveness and safety of alternative medications, particularly the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. However, much of the rise in opioid prescribing reflects the assertion, widely communicated to physicians in the 1990s, that the risks of dependence and addiction during chronic opioid therapy were low, predictable, and could be minimized by the use of controlled-release opioid formulations. ⋯ We conclude that very few well-designed studies support the notion that opioid addiction is rare during chronic opioid therapy and that none can be readily generalized to present-day practice. Despite serious methodological limitations, these studies have been repeatedly mischaracterized as showing that the risk of addiction during chronic opioid therapy is rare. These studies are countered by a larger, more rigorous and contemporary body of evidence demonstrating that dependence and addiction are relatively common consequences of chronic opioid therapy, occurring in up to one-third of patients in some series.
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Prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) are state-based registries of prescriptions for specific controlled substances. This overview will describe the history and funding of these databases, address those characteristics thought to be of greatest utility for PDMPs and review current literature regarding PDMP effectiveness and their potential limitations. Although more extensive research on PDMP outcomes is needed, these databases are an essential component in ongoing efforts to establish safe and compassionate prescription opioid stewardship.
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In 2010, the American College of Medical Toxicology established its Case Registry, the Toxicology Investigators Consortium (ToxIC). ToxIC is a prospective registry, which exclusively compiles suspected and confirmed toxic exposure cases cared for at the bedside by medical toxicologists at its participating sites. The Registry aims to fulfill two important gaps in the field: a real-time toxicosurveillance system to identify current poisoning trends and a powerful research tool in toxicology. ⋯ At the end of 2011, over 10,000 cases had been entered into the Registry. As demonstrated by the trends identified in psychoactive bath salt and synthetic cannabinoid reports, the Registry is a valuable toxicosurveillance and research tool. The ToxIC Registry is a unique tool for identifying and characterizing confirmed cases of significant or potential toxicity or complexity to require bedside consultation by a medical toxicologist.