CAHSS Faculty Articles

Abuse and Diversion of Buprenorphine Sublingual Tablets and Film

Department

Department of Justice and Human Services

Publication Date

7-1-2014

Publication Title

Journal of Substance Abuse Treatment

ISSN

0740-5472

Volume

47

Issue/No.

1

First Page

27

Last Page

34

Abstract

Buprenorphine abuse is common worldwide. Rates of abuse and diversion of three sublingual buprenorphine formulations (single ingredient tablets; naloxone combination tablets and film) were compared. Data were obtained from the Researched Abuse, Diversion, and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS) System Poison Center, Drug Diversion, Opioid Treatment (OTP), Survey of Key Informants' Patients (SKIP), and College Survey Programs through December 2012. To control for drug availability, event ratios (rates) were calculated quarterly, based on the number of patients filling prescriptions for each formulation ("unique recipients of a dispensed drug," URDD) and averaged and compared using negative binomial regression. Abuse rates in the OTP, SKIP, and College Survey Programs were greatest for single ingredient tablets, and abuse rates in the Poison Center Program and illicit diversion rates were greatest for the combination tablets. Combination film rates were significantly less than rates for either tablet formulation in all programs. No geographic pattern could be discerned.

ORCID ID

0000-0002-5891-1451, 0000-0003-1776-6400, 0000-0002-7929-3744, 0000-0002-4716-3398, 0000-0002-7372-9447, 0000-0003-4027-7840, 0000-0001-5989-9354

ResearcherID

AAF-7461-2020, H-3010-2014, K-3072-2014

DOI

10.1016/j.jsat.2014.02.003

Peer Reviewed

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