Naltrexone Implants Don't Eliminate Overdose Risk
Implants that deliver time-released doses of the anti-addiction medication naltrexone have been touted for preventing drug overdoses, but Australian researchers have found at least five fatal overdoses among implant patients.
Researchers at the University of New South Wales' Drug and Alcohol Research Center said that four men and a woman died from overdoses between 2002 and 2004 despite the implants. The users were suspected of taking large doses of heroin to overcome the blocking effect of the naltrexone.
"The big thing that has been claimed is if you are actively in treatment with naltrexone implants you can't overdose, and the fact of the matter is these people did," said study co-author Louisa Degenhardt.
Another expert said that the patients may have overdosed after the naltrexone wore off. "The problem is when you stop using [naltrexone] you become sensitive to the effects of heroin, so that even much smaller doses of heroin than you used to use could be potentially lethal," said Nick Lintzeris of the addiction-treatment program Turning Point.
The research was published in the Medical Journal of Australia.¤
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Study: Painkiller Tablet Could Be Viable Alternative to Methadone
The first study of the effectiveness of the prescription painkiller dihydrocodeine in treating heroin addiction has found that the medication could prove to be a cost-effective alternative to methadone.
The study of 235 people in Scotland who required treatment for opiate dependency found several advantages to dihydrocodeine, including convenient storage and less likelihood of causing a fatal overdose. In addition, the cost of a year's supply of dihydrocodeine for opiate addiction treatment is about 713 British pounds in Scotland, compared to a cost of nearly 1,500 pounds annually for methadone treatment.
"Just as with other chronic conditions there should be a number of treatments available so that doctors and nurses can tailor medication to the needs of each patient," said Roy Robertson of the University of Edinburgh, the study's lead author.
While about 20,000 Scotland residents are on methadone treatment, some physicians have begun prescribing dihydrocodeine, particularly in criminal justice settings where concern lingers over the possible diversion of methadone. Robertson added that the stigma surrounding methadone's dosing regimen also points to the need for effective alternatives.
Study results are published in Addiction.¤
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