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Pharmacy
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Responsible Use of Opioids
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Responsible Use of Opioids

A special issue of Pharmacy (ISSN 2226-4787).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2020) | Viewed by 27977

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jonathan Penm

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Interests: hospital pharmacy practice; medication safety; high-risk medicines; pain; opioids; responsible prescribing; health technology; informatics
Dr. Jacinta Johnson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Pharmacy and Medical Sciences, University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
Interests: pain; opioids; addiction; harm minimisation; medication safety; pharmacy practice; health professional education

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Opioids are an important cornerstone for pain management, primarily in acute and cancer pain. However, opioids are recognised as high-risk medicines, and their efficacy must be weighed against significant potential harms. Increasing use of opioids has resulted in greater opioid-related harms - including opioid use disorder and opioid toxicity - leading to more hospitalizations and deaths within our communities. Unfortunately, misinformation regarding opioids still exists amongst people who use opioids and health care professionals, contributing to such patient safety concerns. Large variation in the use of opioids has also been observed globally, with some countries using the majority of opioids and other countries using very little. This large variation in opioid prescribing is further compounded by regulatory differences for opioids, actual availability, stigma surrounding addiction and the use of technology to monitor opioid supply and use. The pharmacy professions is well positioned and holds the expertise to play a key role in optimizing safe and appropriate opioid use. 

We invite you and your colleagues to submit articles for this Special Issue on Responsible Use of Opioids. We welcome research studies and reviews relating to opioid use in pharmacy and clinical practice, health professional education regarding pain management and opioid use, relevant theoretical and methodological reflections, as well as commentaries discussing tendencies and challenges in using opioids responsibly.

Dr. Jonathan Penm
Dr. Jacinta Johnson
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Pharmacy is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • Pain
  • Opioids
  • Addiction
  • Harm minimisation
  • Medication safety
  • Informatics
  • Deprescribing

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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14 pages, 2381 KiB  
Article
A Global Survey on Opioid Stewardship Practices in Hospitals: A Cross-Sectional Pilot Study
by Sarah Al-Samawy, Nisha Varughese, Regis Vaillancourt, Xiao Yu (William) Wang and Jonathan Penm
Pharmacy 2021, 9(3), 122; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy9030122 - 1 Jul 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4239
Abstract
Objective: The objectives of this study are to describe opioid stewardship practices in hospitals being implemented globally, in addition to investigating the attitudes and perceptions of health professionals regarding opioid stewardship in the hospital setting. Methods: A survey was developed by the research [...] Read more.
Objective: The objectives of this study are to describe opioid stewardship practices in hospitals being implemented globally, in addition to investigating the attitudes and perceptions of health professionals regarding opioid stewardship in the hospital setting. Methods: A survey was developed by the research team to ask about participants’ attitudes and perceptions regarding opioid stewardship practices. The survey was piloted for performance by five independent third-party healthcare professionals prior to being made available online, being hosted using Research Electronic Data Capture software, with invitations distributed by the International Pharmaceutical Federation (FIP). Descriptive analyses were used to describe the features of the study, and responses obtained from the survey were further categorised into subgroups separating answers relating to attitudes and perceptions, and policies and regulations. Results: Overall, there were 50 respondents from 18 countries, representing an 8% response rate from the FIP hospital pharmacy section mailing list. In total, 33/50 (66%) participants agreed opioids are overused nationally, with 22/49 (45%) agreeing they are overused at their workplace. Furthermore, 32/50 (64%) agreed the opioid crisis is a significant problem nationally, and 44/50 (88%) agreed opioid stewardship would reduce problems associated with the opioid crisis. Policies to educate providers about safe opioid prescribing were uncommon, not exhibited in 26/46 (57%) of hospitals, with all EMR and SE Asia hospitals not displaying this policy. Policy for investigation of narcotic discrepancies was present in 34/46 (74%) of hospitals, and there was a policy for reporting discrepancies at 33/46 (72%) hospitals. Conclusion: In conclusion, healthcare professionals in the American region are more likely to perceive the opioid crisis as a problem, as opposed to those from the European region. Regardless of the presence or absence of a crisis, the implementation of further opioid education and stewardship practices are necessary globally and will contribute to safer prescribing and utilisation practices in hospitals. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Use of Opioids)
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19 pages, 998 KiB  
Article
Opioids, Polypharmacy, and Drug Interactions: A Technological Paradigm Shift Is Needed to Ameliorate the Ongoing Opioid Epidemic
by Adriana Matos, David L. Bankes, Kevin T. Bain, Tyler Ballinghoff and Jacques Turgeon
Pharmacy 2020, 8(3), 154; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8030154 - 25 Aug 2020
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5943
Abstract
Polypharmacy is a common phenomenon among adults using opioids, which may influence the frequency, severity, and complexity of drug–drug interactions (DDIs) experienced. Clinicians must be able to easily identify and resolve DDIs since opioid-related DDIs are common and can be life-threatening. Given that [...] Read more.
Polypharmacy is a common phenomenon among adults using opioids, which may influence the frequency, severity, and complexity of drug–drug interactions (DDIs) experienced. Clinicians must be able to easily identify and resolve DDIs since opioid-related DDIs are common and can be life-threatening. Given that clinicians often rely on technological aids—such as clinical decision support systems (CDSS) and drug interaction software—to identify and resolve DDIs in patients with complex drug regimens, this narrative review provides an appraisal of the performance of existing technologies. Opioid-specific CDSS have several system- and content-related limitations that need to be overcome. Specifically, we found that these CDSS often analyze DDIs in a pairwise manner, do not account for relevant pharmacogenomic results, and do not integrate well with electronic health records. In the context of polypharmacy, existing systems may encourage inadvertent serious alert dismissal due to the generation of multiple incoherent alerts. Future technological systems should minimize alert fatigue, limit manual input, allow for simultaneous multidrug interaction assessments, incorporate pharmacogenomic data, conduct iterative risk simulations, and integrate seamlessly with normal workflow. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Use of Opioids)
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Review

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18 pages, 962 KiB  
Review
Opioid-Induced In-Hospital Deaths: A 10-Year Review of Australian Coroners’ Cases Exploring Similarities and Lessons Learnt
by Nicholas Smoker, Ben Kirsopp and Jacinta Lee Johnson
Pharmacy 2021, 9(2), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy9020101 - 7 May 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 4984
Abstract
Although opioids are the cornerstone of moderate-to-severe acute pain management they are appropriately recognised as high-risk medicines. Patient and health service delivery factors can contribute to an increased risk of death associated with excessive sedation and respiratory impairment. Despite increasing awareness of opioid-induced [...] Read more.
Although opioids are the cornerstone of moderate-to-severe acute pain management they are appropriately recognised as high-risk medicines. Patient and health service delivery factors can contribute to an increased risk of death associated with excessive sedation and respiratory impairment. Despite increasing awareness of opioid-induced ventilation impairment (OIVI), no reliable method consistently identifies individual characteristics and factors that increase mortality risk due to respiratory depression events. This study assessed similarities in available coronial inquest cases reviewing opioid-related deaths in Australian hospitals from 2010 to 2020. Cases included for review were in-hospital deaths that identified patient factors, clinical errors and service delivery factors that resulted in opioid therapy contributing to the death. Of the 2879 coroner’s inquest reports reviewed across six Australian states, 15 met the criteria for inclusion. Coroner’s inquest reports were analysed qualitatively to identify common themes, contributing patient and service delivery factors and recommendations. Descriptive statistics were used to summarise shared features between cases. All cases included had at least one, but often more, service delivery factors contributing to the death, including insufficient observations, prescribing/administration error, poor escalation and reduced communication. Wider awareness of the individual characteristics that pose increased risk of OIVI, greater uptake of formal, evidence-based pain management guidelines and improved documentation and observations may reduce OIVI mortality rates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Use of Opioids)
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28 pages, 1063 KiB  
Review
Stakeholders’ Perceptions of Factors Influencing the Use of Take-Home-Naloxone
by Taylor J. Holland, Jonathan Penm, Jacinta Johnson, Maria Sarantou and Betty B. Chaar
Pharmacy 2020, 8(4), 232; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8040232 - 3 Dec 2020
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 3889
Abstract
Background and Aims: Opioid associated death and overdose is a growing burden in societies all over the world. In recent years, legislative changes have increased access to naloxone in the take-home setting for use by patients with a substance use disorder and bystanders, [...] Read more.
Background and Aims: Opioid associated death and overdose is a growing burden in societies all over the world. In recent years, legislative changes have increased access to naloxone in the take-home setting for use by patients with a substance use disorder and bystanders, to prevent opioid overdose deaths. However, few studies have explored the factors influencing the uptake by its multiple stakeholders. The aim of this scoping review was to explore the factors influencing the use of take-home naloxone from the perspectives of different stakeholders. Methods: A scoping review methodology was adopted with a systematic search of databases EMBASE, MEDLINE and PubMed. A variation of the search words “naloxone”, “opioid” and “overdose” were used in each database. The articles were screened according to the predetermined inclusion/exclusion criteria and categorized based on their key perspective or target population. Results: The initial database search yielded a total of 1483 articles. After a series of screening processes, 51 articles were included for analysis. Two key stakeholder perspectives emerged: patients and bystanders (n = 36), and healthcare professionals (n = 15). Within the patient and bystander group, a strong consensus arose that there were positive outcomes from increased access to take-home naloxone and relevant training programs. Despite these positive outcomes, some healthcare professionals were concerned that take-home naloxone would encourage high-risk opioid use. Conclusion: Take-home naloxone is slowly being introduced into community practice, with a sense of enthusiasm from patients and bystanders. There are still a number of barriers that need to be addressed from healthcare professionals’ perspective. Future research should be aimed at emergency care professionals outside of the US, who are most experienced with naloxone and its potential impact on the community. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Use of Opioids)
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20 pages, 605 KiB  
Review
Responsible Prescribing of Opioids for Chronic Non-Cancer Pain: A Scoping Review
by Eleanor Black, Kok Eng Khor and Apo Demirkol
Pharmacy 2020, 8(3), 150; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8030150 - 20 Aug 2020
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3868
Abstract
Chronic non-cancer pain is common and long-term opioid therapy is frequently used in its management. While opioids can be effective, they are also associated with significant harm and misuse, and clinicians must weigh any expected benefits with potential risks when making decisions around [...] Read more.
Chronic non-cancer pain is common and long-term opioid therapy is frequently used in its management. While opioids can be effective, they are also associated with significant harm and misuse, and clinicians must weigh any expected benefits with potential risks when making decisions around prescribing. This review aimed to summarise controlled trials and systematic reviews that evaluate patient-related, provider-related, and system-related factors supporting responsible opioid prescribing for chronic non-cancer pain. A scoping review methodology was employed, and six databases were searched. Thirteen systematic reviews and nine controlled trials were included for analysis, and clinical guidelines were reviewed to supplement gaps in the literature. The majority of included studies evaluated provider-related factors, including prescribing behaviours and monitoring for misuse. A smaller number of studies evaluated system-level factors such as regulatory measures and models of healthcare delivery. Studies and guidelines emphasise the importance of careful patient selection for opioid therapy, development of a treatment plan, and cautious initiation and dose escalation. Lower doses are associated with reduced risk of harm and can be efficacious, particularly when used in the context of a multimodal interdisciplinary pain management program. Further research is needed around many elements of responsible prescribing, including instruments to monitor for misuse, and the role of policies and programs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Use of Opioids)
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Other

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8 pages, 1378 KiB  
Commentary
Addressing the Opioid Crisis through an Interdisciplinary Task Force in Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
by Neil J MacKinnon and Ellena Privitera
Pharmacy 2020, 8(3), 116; https://doi.org/10.3390/pharmacy8030116 - 9 Jul 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 4167
Abstract
Opioid use has been a topic of concern in recent years in the United States, causing thousands of deaths each year. Ohio is one of the states hit hardest by the epidemic, and its state and local governments have responded with comprehensive health [...] Read more.
Opioid use has been a topic of concern in recent years in the United States, causing thousands of deaths each year. Ohio is one of the states hit hardest by the epidemic, and its state and local governments have responded with comprehensive health policies. Cincinnati, located in the southwest region of Ohio, is one of the epicenters of the state’s opioid crisis. Responding to the needs of their community, the University of Cincinnati (UC) and its affiliate health system, UC Health, have brought together leaders in research, clinical practice, and education to form the UC/UC Health Opioid Task Force. By encouraging interdisciplinary partnerships, the Task Force is pioneering new ways to understand, prevent, and treat opioid use disorder, while preparing the next generation of healthcare professionals. Additionally, collaboration across departments in UC Health has improved access to treatment and recovery resources for hundreds of patients. Leading educational events, supporting local agencies, and participating in government initiatives have further solidified UC and UC Health’s role as a stakeholder in this crisis, showcasing how academic health centers are critical to promoting public health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Responsible Use of Opioids)
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