Physical and mental health diagnoses, such as chronic pain, anxiety, and depression are common among people in OMT. Treatment for many of these conditions can include the prescribing of medications such as benzodiazepines and opioid analgesics which can be considered ‘high risk’ since they can increase the risk, especially when combined with opioids.
A new study from the POINT project at SERAF found that in a sample of 7299 OMT patients, nearly half had filled a prescription for benzodiazepines during the 1-year study period. Benzodiazepine use was 11 times higher for men in OMT than in the general population. Those that had a musculoskeletal diagnosis were most likely to receive multiple high-risk prescriptions. The study also found that a higher proportion of women used high-risk prescription drugs than men.
The OMT patients in this study frequently filled prescriptions for high-risk prescription drugs, which can increase the risk of overdose, particularly when combined with OMT medications. Our findings emphasize the continued need for education and caution to both prescribers and patients on the combined use of high-risk prescription drugs and OMT medications.
The article was published in the International Journal of Drug Policy:
Prescription high-risk polysubstance use among opioid maintenance treatment patients - ScienceDirect