Browsing by Author "John, William S"
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Item Open Access Association of chronic non-cancer pain status and buprenorphine treatment retention among individuals with opioid use disorder: Results from electronic health record data.(Drug and alcohol dependence reports, 2022-06) John, William S; Mannelli, Paolo; Hoyle, Rick H; Greenblatt, Lawrence; Wu, Li-TzyBackground
Although chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) is common among individuals with opioid use disorder (OUD), its impact on buprenorphine treatment retention is unclear. The goal of this study was to use electronic health record (EHR) data to examine the association of CNCP status and 6-month buprenorphine retention among patients with OUD.Methods
We analyzed EHR data of patients with OUD who received buprenorphine treatment in an academic healthcare system between 2010 and 2020 (N = 676). We used Kaplan-Meier curves and Cox proportional hazards regression to estimate risk of buprenorphine treatment discontinuation (≥90 days between subsequent prescriptions). We used Poisson regression to estimate the association of CNCP and the number of buprenorphine prescriptions over 6 months.Results
Compared to those without CNCP, a higher proportion of patients with CNCP were of older age and had comorbid diagnoses for psychiatric and substance use disorders. There were no differences in the probability of buprenorphine treatment continuation over 6 months by CNCP status (p = 0.15). In the adjusted cox regression model, the presence of CNCP was not associated with time to buprenorphine treatment discontinuation (HR = 0.90, p = 0.28). CNCP status was associated with a higher number of prescriptions over 6 months (IRR = 1.20, p < 0.01).Conclusions
These findings suggest that the presence of CNCP alone cannot be reliably associated with buprenorphine retention in patients with OUD. Nonetheless, providers should be aware of the association between CNCP and greater psychiatric comorbidity among patients with OUD when developing treatment plans. Research on the influence of additional characteristics of CNCP on treatment retention is needed.Item Open Access Buprenorphine physician-pharmacist collaboration in the management of patients with opioid use disorder: results from a multisite study of the National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network.(Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2021-01-11) Wu, Li-Tzy; John, William S; Ghitza, Udi E; Wahle, Aimee; Matthews, Abigail G; Lewis, Mitra; Hart, Brett; Hubbard, Zach; Bowlby, Lynn A; Greenblatt, Lawrence H; Mannelli, Paolo; Pharm-OUD-Care Collaborative InvestigatorsBackground and aims
Physician and pharmacist collaboration may help address the shortage of buprenorphine-waivered physicians and improve care for patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). This study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of a new collaborative care model involving buprenorphine-waivered physicians and community pharmacists.Design
Nonrandomized, single-arm, open-label feasibility trial.Setting
Three office-based buprenorphine treatment (OBBT) clinics and three community pharmacies in the United States.Participants
Six physicians, six pharmacists, and 71 patients aged ≥18 years with Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) OUD on buprenorphine maintenance.Intervention
After screening, eligible patients' buprenorphine care was transferred from their OBBT physician to a community pharmacist for 6 months.Measurements
Primary outcomes included recruitment, treatment retention and adherence, and opioid use. Secondary outcomes were intervention fidelity, pharmacists' use of prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP), participant safety, and satisfaction with treatment delivery.Findings
A high proportion (93.4%, 71/76) of eligible participants enrolled into the study. There were high rates of treatment retention (88.7%) and adherence (95.3%) at the end of the study. The proportion of opioid-positive urine drug screens (UDSs) among complete cases (i.e. those with all six UDSs collected during 6 months) at month 6 was (4.9%, 3/61). Intervention fidelity was excellent. Pharmacists used PDMP at 96.8% of visits. There were no opioid-related safety events. Over 90% of patients endorsed that they were "very satisfied with their experience and the quality of treatment offered," that "treatment transfer from physician's office to the pharmacy was not difficult at all," and that "holding buprenorphine visits at the same place the medication is dispensed was very or extremely useful/convenient." Similarly, positive ratings of satisfaction were found among physicians/pharmacists.Conclusions
A collaborative care model for people with opioid use disorder that involves buprenorphine-waivered physicians and community pharmacists appears to be feasible to operate in the United States and have high acceptability to patients.Item Open Access Chronic non-cancer pain among adults with substance use disorders: Prevalence, characteristics, and association with opioid overdose and healthcare utilization.(Drug and alcohol dependence, 2020-02-11) John, William S; Wu, Li-TzyBACKGROUND:Chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) among patients with substance use disorder (SUD) poses a risk for worse treatment outcomes. Understanding the association of CNCP with SUD is important for informing the need and potential benefits of pain assessment/management among those with SUDs. METHODS:We analyzed electronic health record data from 2013 to 2018 among adults aged ≥18 years (N = 951,533; mean age: 48.4 years; 57.4 % female) in a large academic healthcare system. Adjusted logistic regression models were conducted to estimate the association of CNCP conditions with opioid overdose, emergency department utilization, and inpatient hospitalization stratified by different SUD diagnoses and by gender. RESULTS:Among the total sample, the prevalence of CNCP was 46.6 % and any SUD was 11.2 %. The majority of patients with a SUD had CNCP (opioid: 74.7 %; sedative: 72.3 %; cannabis: 64.3 %; alcohol: 58.7 %; tobacco: 59.5 %). The prevalence of CNCP was greater in females vs. males for most SUD diagnoses. The presence of CNCP was associated with more mental health disorders and chronic medical conditions among each SUD group. CNCP was associated with significantly decreased odds of overdose among those with opioid use disorder but increased odds of overdose and healthcare utilization among other SUDs. CNCP was positively associated with overdose in females, but not males, with alcohol or non-opioid drug use disorders. CONCLUSIONS:The direction and magnitude of the association between CNCP and negative health indicators differed as a function of SUD type and gender, respectively. Greater awareness of potential unmet pain treatment need may have implications for improving SUD outcomes.Item Open Access E-Cigarette Use Among Adult Primary Care Patients: Results from a Multisite Study.(Journal of general internal medicine, 2020-01) John, William S; Grover, Kiran; Greenblatt, Lawrence H; Schwartz, Robert P; Wu, Li-TzyBACKGROUND:Primary care settings provide opportunities to identify electronic-cigarette (e-cigarette) use and to implement strategies for changing tobacco use behavior. However, a better understanding of the extent and associated characteristics of e-cigarette use among primary care patients are needed to inform such efforts. OBJECTIVE:To describe patient demographic and substance use characteristics by e-cigarette use status among a large sample of primary care patients. To examine the prevalence and correlates of e-cigarette use among tobacco users in the sample. DESIGN:Cross-sectional analysis from a multisite validation study of a substance use screening instrument. PARTICIPANTS:Adult primary care patients aged 18 and older (n = 2000) recruited across 5 primary care clinics in the Eastern USA from 2014 to 2015. MAIN MEASURES:Patients reported past 3-month e-cigarette use, sociodemographics, tobacco use, and other substance use. Current nicotine dependence and DSM-5 criteria for past-year substance use disorders were also assessed. KEY RESULTS:Among the total sample, 7.7% (n = 154) adults reported past 3-month e-cigarette use. Adults who reported e-cigarette use (vs. no use) were more likely to be younger, white, or have frequent tobacco use, nicotine dependence, or past-year illicit drug use/disorders. Among past 3-month tobacco users, 16.3% reported e-cigarette use. Adjusted logistic regression indicated that odds of e-cigarette use were greater among tobacco users who had some college education or more (vs. < high school) or were daily/almost daily tobacco users (vs. not); odds were lower among Blacks/African-Americans (vs. whites). E-cigarette use among tobacco users was associated with increased odds of current nicotine dependence or tobacco use disorder as well as more severe dependence/disorder. CONCLUSIONS:Enhanced surveillance of e-cigarette use among adult tobacco users in primary care, particularly among those who use tobacco frequently, may have implications for helping patients with tobacco cessation using established approaches including behavioral support, pharmacotherapy, or referral to specialized care.Item Open Access Opioid treatment program and community pharmacy collaboration for methadone maintenance treatment: results from a feasibility clinical trial.(Addiction (Abingdon, England), 2021-07-19) Wu, Li-Tzy; John, William S; Morse, Eric D; Adkins, Steve; Pippin, Jennifer; Brooner, Robert K; Schwartz, Robert PBackground and aims
Pharmacy administration and dispensing of methadone for methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) can expand treatment access for opioid use disorder (OUD). This study investigated the feasibility and acceptability of a novel model permitting an opioid treatment program (OTP) physician to prescribe methadone for OUD treatment through collaboration with a partnered pharmacy.Design
Non-randomized, single-arm, open-label feasibility trial.Setting
One OTP and one community pharmacy in the United States.Participants
One OTP physician, two pharmacists and 20 MMT patients receiving between six and 13 take-home methadone doses at 5-160 mg/day.Intervention
Patients' methadone administration and dispensing of take-home doses was transferred from the OTP to the pharmacy for 3 months.Measurements
Primary outcome was medication adherence. Secondary outcomes were recruitment, treatment retention, substance use, counseling attendance at the OTP, pharmacist prescription drug monitoring program (PDMP) use, safety and satisfaction.Findings
Of 29 patients eligible at pre-screen, 20 patients (69%) enrolled into the study. Recruitment occurred from 6 August 2020 to 10 October 2020. Treatment retention rate at month 3 was 80% (16 of 20). Two participants returned early to the OTP because of a work/schedule change, one due to pregnancy and one following a non-study-related hospitalization. Medication adherence among 16 patients who were retained was 100%. Intervention fidelity was 100%. All participants attended random call-back visits. None showed evidence of tampering/diversion of methadone. Pharmacists checked the PDMP at all visits. All participants attended psychosocial counseling as planned. There were no positive urine screens for illicit opioid use and no study-related adverse events. All participants endorsed 'pharmacy is the right location for receiving methadone for MMT', 88% endorsed 'convenient or very convenient to receive methadone at the pharmacy' and 88% were satisfied or very satisfied with the quality of treatment offered.Conclusions
This feasibility trial has found pharmacy administration and dispensing of physician-prescribed methadone for methadone maintenance treatment to be feasible and acceptable.Item Open Access Patient perspectives on community pharmacy administered and dispensing of methadone treatment for opioid use disorder: a qualitative study in the U.S.(Addiction science & clinical practice, 2023-08) Wu, Li-Tzy; John, William S; Mannelli, Paolo; Morse, Eric D; Anderson, Alyssa; Schwartz, Robert PBackground
Pharmacy administration and dispensing of methadone treatment for opioid use disorder (PADMOUD) may address inadequate capability of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in the US by expanding access to methadone at community pharmacies nationally. PADMOUD is vastly underutilized in the US. There is no published US study on OUD patients' perspectives on PADMOUD. Data are timely and needed to inform the implementation of PADMOUD in the US to address its serious opioid overdose crisis.Methods
Patient participants of the first completed US trial on PADMOUD through electronic prescribing for methadone (parent study) were interviewed to explore implementation-related factors for PADMOUD. All 20 participants of the parent study were invited to participate in this interview study. Each interview was recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify emergent themes.Results
Seventeen participants completed the interview. Patients' perspectives on PADMOUD were grouped into five areas. Participants reported feasibility of taking the tablet formulation of methadone at the pharmacy and identified benefits from PADMOUD (e.g., better access, efficiency, convenience) compared with usual care at the OTP. Participants perceived support for PADMOUD from their family/friends, OTP staff, and pharmacy staff. PADMOUD was perceived to be a great option for stable patients with take-home doses and those with transportation barriers. The distance (convenience), office hours, and the cost were considered factors most influencing their decision to receive methadone from a pharmacy. Nonjudgmental communication, pharmacists' training on methadone treatment, selection of patients (stable status), workflow of PADMOUD, and protection of privacy were considered key factors for improving operations of PADMOUD.Conclusion
This study presents the first findings on patient perspectives on PADMOUD. Participants considered pharmacies more accessible than OTPs, which could encourage more people to receive methadone treatment earlier and help transition stable patients from an OTP into a local pharmacy. The findings have timely implications for informing implementation strategies of PADMOUD that consider patients' views and needs.Item Open Access Pharmacy-based methadone treatment in the US: views of pharmacists and opioid treatment program staff.(Substance abuse treatment, prevention, and policy, 2023-09) Wu, Li-Tzy; Mannelli, Paolo; John, William S; Anderson, Alyssa; Schwartz, Robert PBackground
The US federal regulations allow pharmacy administration and dispensing of methadone for opioid use disorder (PADMOUD) to increase the capability of opioid treatment programs (OTPs) in providing methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) for opioid use disorder (OUD) as part of a medication unit. However, there is a lack of research data from both pharmacy and OTP staff to inform the implementation of PADMOUD.Methods
Staff of a pharmacy (n = 8) and an OTP (n = 9) that participated in the first completed US trial on PADMOUD through electronic prescribing for methadone (parent study) were recruited to participate in this qualitative interview study to explore implementation-related factors for PADMOUD. Each interview was recorded and transcribed verbatim. NVivo was used to help identify themes of qualitative interview data. The Promoting Action on Research Implementation in Health Services (PARIHS) framework was used to guide the coding and interpretation of data.Results
Six pharmacy staff and eight OTP staff (n = 14) completed the interview. Results based on PARIHS domains were summarized, including evidence, context, and facilitation domains. Participants perceived benefits of PADMOUD for patients, pharmacies, OTPs, and payers. PADMOUD was considered to increase access for stable patients, provide additional patient service opportunities and revenues for pharmacies/pharmacists, enhance the capability of OTPs to treat more new patients, and reduce patients' cost when receiving medication at a pharmacy relative to an OTP. Both pharmacy and OTP staff were perceived to be supportive of the implementation of PADMOUD. Pharmacy staff/pharmacists were perceived to need proper training on addiction and methadone as well as a protocol of PADMOUD to conduct PADMOUD. Facilitators include having thought leaders to guide the operation, a certification program to ensure proper training of pharmacy staff/pharmacist, having updated pharmacy service software or technology to streamline the workflow of delivering PADMOUD and inventory management, and reimbursement for pharmacists.Conclusion
This study presents the first findings on perspectives of PADMOUD from both staff of a community pharmacy and an OTP in the US. Finding on barriers and facilitators are useful data to guide the development of strategies to implement PADMOUD to help address the US opioid crisis.Item Open Access Prevalence and patterns of opioid misuse and opioid use disorder among primary care patients who use tobacco.(Drug and alcohol dependence, 2019-01) John, William S; Zhu, He; Mannelli, Paolo; Subramaniam, Geetha A; Schwartz, Robert P; McNeely, Jennifer; Wu, Li-TzyBACKGROUND:Current data suggest that opioid misuse or opioid use disorder (OUD) may be over represented among tobacco users. However, this association remains understudied in primary care settings. A better understanding of the extent of heterogeneity in opioid misuse among primary care patients who use tobacco may have implications for improved primary care-based screening, prevention, and intervention approaches. METHODS:Data were derived from a sample of 2000 adult (aged ≥18) primary care patients across 5 distinct clinics. Among past-year tobacco users (n = 882), we assessed the prevalence of opioid misuse and OUD by sociodemographic characteristics and past-year polysubstance use. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to identify heterogeneous subgroups of tobacco users according to past-year polysubstance use patterns. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine variables associated with LCA-defined class membership. RESULTS:Past-year tobacco use was reported by >84% of participants who reported past-year opioid misuse or OUD. Among those reporting past-year tobacco use, the prevalence of past-year opioid misuse and OUD was 14.0% and 9.5%, respectively. The prevalence of opioid misuse or OUD was highest among tobacco users who were male or unemployed. Three LCA-defined classes among tobacco users were identified including a tobacco-minimal drug use group (78.0%), a tobacco-cannabis use group (10.1%), and a tobacco-opioid/polydrug use group (11.9%). Class membership differed by sociodemographic characteristics. CONCLUSIONS:Results from this study support the benefit of more comprehensive assessment of and/or monitoring for opioid misuse among primary care patients who use tobacco, particularly for those who are male, unemployed, or polydrug users.Item Open Access Prevalence, patterns, and correlates of multiple substance use disorders among adult primary care patients.(Drug and alcohol dependence, 2018-06) John, William S; Zhu, He; Mannelli, Paolo; Schwartz, Robert P; Subramaniam, Geetha A; Wu, Li-TzyBACKGROUND:Addressing multiple substance use disorders (SUDs) in primary care-based screening and intervention may improve SUD treatment access, engagement, and outcomes. To inform such efforts, research is needed on the prevalence and patterns of multiple SUDs among primary care patients. METHODS:Data were analyzed from a sample of 2000 adult (aged ≥ 18) primary care patients recruited for a multisite National Drug Abuse Treatment Clinical Trials Network (CTN) study (CTN-0059). Past-year DSM-5 SUDs (tobacco, alcohol, and drug) were assessed by the modified Composite International Diagnostic Interview. Prevalence and correlates of multiple versus single SUDs were examined. Latent class analysis (LCA) was used to explore patterns of multiple SUDs. RESULTS:Multiple SUDs were found among the majority of participants with SUD for alcohol, cannabis, prescription opioids, cocaine, and heroin. Participants who were male, ages 26-34, less educated, and unemployed had increased odds of multiple SUDs compared to one SUD. Having multiple SUDs was associated with greater severity of tobacco or alcohol use disorder. LCA of the sample identified three classes: class 1 (83.7%) exhibited low prevalence of all SUDs; class 2 (12.0%) had high-moderate prevalence of SUDs for tobacco, alcohol, and cannabis; class 3 (4.3%) showed high prevalence of SUD for tobacco, opioids, and cocaine. LCA-defined classes were distinguished by sex, age, race, education, and employment status. CONCLUSIONS:Findings suggest that primary care physicians should be aware of multiple SUDs when planning treatment, especially among adults who are male, younger, less educated, or unemployed. Interventions that target multiple SUDs warrant future investigation.Item Open Access Problem alcohol use and healthcare utilization among persons with cannabis use disorder in the United States.(Drug and alcohol dependence, 2017-09) John, William S; Wu, Li-TzyThe emergency department (ED) and hospital settings represent crucial opportunities for engaging treatment for cannabis use disorder (CUD). Thus, there is a need to identify factors associated with healthcare utilization among persons with CUD to improve screening and intervention approaches. Problematic alcohol use may be a salient risk factor.Using data from the 2005-2013 National Surveys on Drug Use and Health, we determined factors, including different patterns of alcohol use, associated with past-year ED admission and inpatient hospitalization among persons aged 12 years or older meeting criteria for CUD in the past year (N=16,757). We also determined the prevalence and correlates of problem alcohol use among persons with CUD to further inform its association with healthcare utilization.Among persons with CUD, 40.15% and 10.04% reported past-year ED admission and inpatient hospitalization, respectively. Severe alcohol use disorder (AUD) (≥6 AUD symptoms), female sex, Black race, low income, major depressive episode (MDE), and other substance use disorders were associated with increased odds of healthcare utilization; current (i.e., last month) alcohol use patterns were not. Persons with CUD that were males, ages 18-25 (vs. ages 12-17), Hispanic (vs. White), and with low income, other drug use disorders, or MDE had increased odds of AUD.Findings suggest that screening and intervention efforts for improving treatment initiation or engagement for CUD may target cannabis-using women, blacks, low-income adults or those with severe AUD in the past year, another substance use disorder, or MDE.Item Open Access Recent and active problematic substance use among primary care patients: Results from the alcohol, smoking, and substance involvement screening test in a multisite study.(Substance abuse, 2021-04-02) John, William S; Zhu, He; Greenblatt, Lawrence H; Wu, Li-TzyBackground: Primary care settings provide salient opportunities for identifying patients with problematic substance use and addressing unmet treatment need. The aim of this study was to examine the extent and correlates of problematic substance use by substance-specific risk categories among primary care patients to inform screening/intervention efforts. Methods: Data were analyzed from 2000 adult primary care patients aged ≥18 years (56% female) across 5 clinics in the eastern U.S. Participants completed the Alcohol, Smoking and Substance Involvement Screening Test (ASSIST). Prevalence and ASSIST-defined risk-level of tobacco use, alcohol use, and nonmedical/illicit drug use was examined. Multinomial logistic regression models analyzed the demographic correlates of substance use risk-levels. Results: Among the total sample, the prevalence of any past 3-month use was 53.9% for alcohol, 42.0% for tobacco, 24.2% for any illicit/Rx drug, and 5.3% for opioids; the prevalence of ASSIST-defined moderate/high-risk use was 45.1% for tobacco, 29.0% for any illicit/Rx drug, 14.2% for alcohol, and 9.1% for opioids. Differences in the extent and risk-levels of substance use by sex, race/ethnicity, and age group were observed. Adjusted logistic regression showed that male sex, white race, not being married, and having less education were associated with increased odds of moderate/high-risk use scores for each substance category; older ages (versus ages 18-25 years) were associated with increased odds of moderate/high-risk opioid use. Conclusions: Intervention need for problematic substance use was prevalent in this sample. Providers should maintain awareness and screen for problematic substance use more consistently in identified high risk populations.Item Open Access Sex differences in the prevalence and correlates of emergency department utilization among adults with prescription opioid use disorder.(Substance use & misuse, 2019-01) John, William S; Wu, Li-TzyBACKGROUND:The emergency department (ED) is well-suited as an opportunity to increase treatment access for prescription opioid use disorder (POUD). We examined sex differences in ED utilization among individuals with POUD to understand potential sex-specific treatment barriers and needs. METHODS:Data from the 2005-2014 National Surveys on Drug use and Health were analyzed to examine the prevalence and correlates of past-year ED utilization among male and female adults aged 18 or older with POUD (n = 4412). RESULTS:Overall, 58.2% of adults with POUD reported past-year ED utilization. Adjusted logistic regression revealed that females (vs. males) with POUD were more likely to report past-year ED utilization. Among females with POUD, older age, lower income, obtaining opioids from a physician, major depressive episode, and greater POUD severity were associated with increased odds of ED utilization. Among males with POUD, public insurance and obtaining opioids from a physician were associated with ED utilization. A larger proportion of males with POUD reporting ED use had multiple substance use disorders than those with no ED use. Treatment history (lifetime or past-year) for alcohol, drugs, or opioid use was associated with increased odds of ED use among males and females with POUD. Conclusions/Importance: Males and females with POUD presenting to the ED may have distinct predisposing, enabling, and need-related correlates. Sex-specific screening and intervention strategies may be useful to maximize the utility of the ED to address POUD.Item Open Access Trends and correlates of cocaine use and cocaine use disorder in the United States from 2011 to 2015.(Drug and alcohol dependence, 2017-11) John, William S; Wu, Li-TzyBACKGROUND:Recent epidemiological data suggest a resurgence in cocaine use (CU) and cocaine-related problems in the United States. Demographic trends and correlates of problem CU are needed to determine potential factors that may be influencing the increased trend and to inform targeted prevention and intervention strategies. METHODS:Trends in any past-year CU, weekly CU, and cocaine use disorder (CUD) were examined among persons aged ≥12 years using the National Survey on Drug Use and Health from 2011 to 2015. Logistic regression analyses were used to determine correlates of past-year and weekly CU and CUD among adolescents and adults. RESULTS:The prevalence of past-year CU from 2011 to 2015 increased among females, ages 18-25, ages ≥50, non-Hispanic Blacks, and persons reporting low income, past-year tobacco use, past-year alcohol use, and past-month binge and heavy alcohol use. The prevalence of weekly CU increased among persons aged ≥50 years and persons reporting past-month heavy alcohol use. A significant increase in the prevalence of CUD was only found among persons aged ≥50 years. Adjusted logistic regression showed that older age, large metropolitan residence, past-year tobacco, alcohol, cannabis, and heroin use, and major depressive episode were associated with increased odds of CU or CUD among both adolescents and adults; however, sex and race/ethnicity correlates differed among adolescents and adults. CONCLUSIONS:Findings have implications for increased monitoring of CU-related indicators among some high-risk groups, such as females, older adults, Blacks, and polysubstance users. Targeted screening and intervention strategies among these population subgroups may be needed.