Predictors of Continued Use of Extended-Released Naltrexone (XR-NTX) for Opioid-Dependence: An Analysis of Heroin & Non-Heroin Opioid Users in Los Angeles County

Highlights

• Some studies suggest better pharmacotherapy adherence and/or retention rates among non-heroin opioid users compared to heroin users. Therefore, this study examined predictive associations of subsequent doses of extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) among heroin and non-heroin opioid users.
• Non-heroin opioid users and heroin users are retained in XR-NTX treatment for comparable periods of time. However, those who identify as homeless, inject opioids (regardless of opioid-type), or were diagnosed with a mental illness are less likely to be retained in treatment with XR-NTX.
• Further, XR-NTX may contribute to decreases in urges to use among heroin and non-heroin opioid users.

Extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) is associated with an increased number of opioid-free days, improved adherence rates in substance use disorder treatment programs, and reduced cravings and drug-seeking behaviors. 

There is little evidence on the predictive associations between baseline characteristics of opioid-dependent patients and XR-NTX utilization. Some studies have demonstrated better pharmacotherapy adherence and/or retention rates among non-heroin opioid users compared to heroin users. 

This study examines predictive associations between characteristics of patients and XR-NTX utilization, as well as participants’ urge to use opiates. Our findings suggest that XR-NTX may contribute to decreases in urges to use among both heroin and non-heroin opioid users. Non-heroin opioid users and heroin users were retained in XR-NTX treatment for comparable periods of time. However, those who identified as homeless, injected opioids (regardless of opioid-type), or were diagnosed with a mental illness were less likely to be retained in treatment with XR-NTX.

Purchase full article at:   http://goo.gl/Wc8H6R

By:   Sarah J. Cousins, M.P.H., Seyed Ramin Radfar, M.D., M.P.H.,  Desirée Crèvecoeur-MacPhail, Ph.D., Alfonso Ang, Ph.D., Kendall Darfler, B.A., Richard A. Rawson, Ph.D.

Affiliations

University of California, Los Angeles, Integrated Substance Abuse Programs, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA, USA 90025

Correspondence

Corresponding author at: UCLA Integrated Substance Abuse Programs (http://www.uclaisap.org/), Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, at the David Geffen School of Medicine, 11075 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025.

SarahJCousins@ucla.edu

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jsat.2015.12.004

More at:  https://twitter.com/hiv insight

And: http://twitter.com/Prison Health