Orlando—During a satellite symposium
at the AMCP meeting, several
thought leaders took the podium to address
the current trends in combating
opioid dependence.
Saira A. Jan, MS, PharmD, director of
clinical pharmacy program management,
Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New
Jersey and associate professor at the
Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Rutgers,
The State University of New Jersey,
Newark, began the session with an
overview of the landscape of opioid addiction
treatment.
According to the National Survey on
Drug Use and Health, as reported in 2007,
an estimated 5.2 million people age ≥12
years were current nonmedical users of
prescription pain relievers. And, as Dr. Jan
pointed out, this number is on the rise.
A 2005 study published in the Journal of
Managed Care Pharmacy [2005;11(6):469-
479] found that opioid abusers are associated
with 8.7 times higher mean annual
direct healthcare cost than nonabusers—
$15,884 versus $1830, respectively.
Adherence to and compliance with
treatment decreases as the opioid-dependent
patient moves forward in treatment.
For example, at the start of treatment,
>45% of patients adhere to and comply
with a buprenorphine/naloxone regimen
as part of their treatment. As time progresses,
however, this number gradually
decreases to 20% by month 12.
To provide an empirical view of opioid
dependence, Charles Ruetsch, PhD, president
and scientific director of Health Analytics,
LLC, in Columbia, Maryland, took
the podium. Of the patients suffering
from opioid dependence, 17.3% are seeking
treatment, according to numbers
gathered in 2007.