The Medicines Intelligence Data Platform: A Population-Based Data Resource From New South Wales, Australia.

BACKGROUND: The Medicines Intelligence (MedIntel) Data Platform is an anonymised linked data resource designed to generate real-world evidence on prescribed medicine use, effectiveness, safety, costs and cost-effectiveness in Australia. RESULTS: The platform comprises Medicare-eligible people who are ≥18 years and residing in New South Wales (NSW), Australia, any time during 2005-2020, with linked administrative data on dispensed prescription medicines (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme), health service use (Medicare Benefits Schedule), emergency department visits (NSW Emergency Department Data Collection), hospitalisations (NSW Admitted Patient Data Collection) plus death (National Death Index) and cancer registrations (NSW Cancer Registry). Data are currently available to 2022, with approval to update the cohort and data collections annually. The platform includes 7.4 million unique people across all years, covering 36.9% of the Australian adult population; the overall population increased from 4.8 M in 2005 to 6.0 M in 2020. As of 1 January 2019 (the last pre-pandemic year), the cohort had a mean age of 48.7 years (51.1% female), with most people (4.4 M, 74.7%) residing in a major city. In 2019, 4.4 M people (73.3%) were dispensed a medicine, 1.2 M (20.5%) were hospitalised, 5.3 M (89.4%) had a GP or specialist appointment, and 54 003 people died. Anti-infectives were the most prevalent medicines dispensed to the cohort in 2019 (43.1%), followed by nervous system (32.2%) and cardiovascular system medicines (30.2%). CONCLUSION: The MedIntel Data Platform creates opportunities for national and international research collaborations and enables us to address contemporary clinically- and policy-relevant research questions about quality use of medicines and health outcomes in Australia and globally.

Establishing Mental Health Friendly Pharmacies to Assist in THe Early Identification and Support of OldEr Adults at Risk of Depression: the EMPATHISE pilot study.

BACKGROUND: Late-life depression (LLD) often goes underdiagnosed and undertreated. Community pharmacists are one of the most accessible and trusted healthcare professionals (HCPs) and may play a significant role in LLD screening. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to develop and pilot a pharmacist-delivered depression screening and referral service for older adults (≥65 years) at risk of depression, within community pharmacy. METHODS: Community pharmacists across New South Wales, Australia, were recruited to participate in a prospective pilot study. Pharmacists/pharmacy staff received specialised training before recruiting and screening patients aged ≥65 years using the Geriatric Depression Scale-15 (GDS-15). Patients scoring ≥6 were referred to another HCP, e.g., general practitioner, and followed-up by the pharmacist one-week post-screening. Patients were also followed-up by a research team member 6-weeks post-screening to explore outcomes of the screening. Semi-structured interviews with pharmacists and patients were undertaken following completion of the pilot study to explore their experiences delivering/receiving the screening service. A thematic inductive analysis approach was used to analyse interview data. RESULTS: A total of 39 community pharmacies participated in this study. In total, 113 participants attended the training sessions. Pharmacists screened 15 patients from 8 pharmacies, of which 67% were female. Two thirds of patients (67%) received a GDS-15 score of ≥6, indicating possible depression and requiring referral. Pharmacists referred 80% of patients to another HCP. One patient was diagnosed with depression and commenced antidepressant therapy. Five patients and six pharmacists participated in semi-structured interviews. Barriers to screening included lack of time and mental illness stigma. Facilitators included pharmacist-patient relationships and training. CONCLUSION: Pharmacist-delivered LLD screening was found to be acceptable by both pharmacists and patients, with pharmacists reporting training improved their comfort and confidence with depression screening. These pilot study findings may inform future work into service delivery models to support early identification and treatment of LLD.

Age, period, and cohort trends of substance poisoning, alcohol-related disease, and suicide deaths in Australia, 1980-2019.

PURPOSE: Deaths due to substance poisoning, alcohol-related disease, and suicide pose a critical public health issue, and have been categorized as "deaths of despair" in the US. Whether these deaths represent a distinct phenomenon requires exploration, particularly in other countries. METHODS: This retrospective observational study examines age-period-cohort trends of (combined and cause-specific) substance poisoning, alcohol-related disease, and suicide deaths among Australians aged ≥15-years that occurred between 1980 and 2019 and compares trends between males and females. RESULTS: Combined mortality rates were initially (1980-1999) relatively stable, reflecting a reduction in alcohol-related disease deaths offset by an increase in substance poisoning deaths. A decline (2000-2006) and subsequent increase (2007-2019) in combined rates were primarily attributable to corresponding changes in both substance poisoning and suicide deaths among males. Distinct age-period-cohort trends were observed between cause of death sub-types, with net drifts: increasing for male (net drift [95% CI]: 3.33 [2.84, 3.83]) and female (2.58 [2.18, 2.98]) substance poisoning deaths; decreasing among male alcohol-related disease (- 1.46 [- 1.75, - 1.16]) and suicide deaths (- 0.52[- 0.69, - 0.36]); and remaining relatively stable for female alcohol-related disease (- 0.28 [- 0.66, 0.09]) and suicide deaths (- 0.25 [- 0.52, 0.01]). CONCLUSIONS: Although combined age-specific trends were relatively stable over the study period, different and distinct patterns were observed within cause-specific deaths, challenging the notion that these causes of death represent a distinct epidemiological phenomenon. These data indicate a critical need to review the appropriateness of guidance for clinical practice, prevention strategies, and policy initiatives aimed at preventing future deaths.

Trajectories of Opioid Use Before and After Cancer Diagnosis: A Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Opioid use prior to cancer diagnosis increases the likelihood of long-term use during survivorship, however, patterns of use before and after diagnosis are not understood. METHODS: We used population-based dispensing data linked with cancer and death notifications to identify two cohorts of adults residing in New South Wales initiating opioids within 24 months prior to a first cancer diagnosed between 2014 and 2016: 'survivors' (alive 24 months following diagnosis) and 'decedents' (died within 24 months). We used group-based trajectory modelling to identify trajectories of monthly opioid dispensings and dispensed oral morphine equivalent milligrams (OMEmg) during the 24 months before/after cancer diagnosis. RESULTS: There were 21,843 survivors with four prediagnosis opioid dispensing trajectories: infrequent (58% of the cohort), late increasing (26%), moderate (10%), and sustained dispensing (6%). We observed an overall increase in dispensed OMEmg of 83 OMEmg (95% CI: 76-91) during the month of diagnosis, with strong opioid formulations comprising most treatment postdiagnosis. Within each prediagnosis opioid trajectory group, we observed five to six postdiagnosis trajectory groups, including no opioid dispensing. Moderate and sustained prediagnosis groups had large proportions of people continuing or increasing opioid dispensing after diagnosis, while small proportions discontinued opioid treatment. We observed similar trajectories in the decedent cohort. CONCLUSIONS: There is considerable heterogeneity in opioid use before and after cancer diagnosis. Our findings suggest noncancer factors drive a significant proportion of postdiagnosis opioid use, but use increased significantly from the month of cancer diagnosis and never returned to prediagnosis levels.

Long-term prescribed opioid use after hospitalization or emergency department presentation among opioid naïve adults (2014-2020)-A population-based descriptive cohort study.

AIMS: The aim of this work is to describe opioid initiation and long-term use after emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalizations in New South Wales, Australia, by patient, admission and clinical characteristics. METHODS: This is a population-based cohort study, including all hospitalizations and ED visits between 2014 and 2020, linked to medicine dispensings, deaths and cancer registrations (Medicines Intelligence Data Platform), among adults with no opioid dispensings in the previous year. Outcome measures were opioid initiations (dispensed within 7 days of discharge) and long-term use (90 days of continuous exposure, 90-270 days after initiation). RESULTS: The cohort included 16 153 096 admissions by 4.2 million opioid-naïve adults; 39.0% were ED presentations without hospital admission, 16.8% hospital admissions via ED and 44.2% direct hospital admissions. Opioids were initiated post-discharge for 6.2% of ED, 8.3% of hospital via ED and 10.0% of direct hospital admissions; of these 1.0%, 2.5% and 0.5% progressed to long-term opioid use, respectively. Initiation was lowest in obstetric admissions without surgery (1.0%), and highest among trauma admissions (25.4%), obstetric admissions with surgical intervention (19.8%) and non-trauma surgical admissions (12.0%). Long-term use was highest among medical admissions via ED (3.5%), trauma admissions (2.3%) and ED alone (1.0%). From 2014 to 2020, overall opioid initiations decreased 16% from 8.7% to 7.2%, and long-term opioid use decreased 33% from 1.3% to 0.8%. CONCLUSIONS: Both opioid initiation and long-term use decreased over time; however, the higher rates of long-term use following trauma, and medical admissions via ED, warrant further surveillance. Strategies supporting appropriate prescribing and access to multidisciplinary pain services will facilitate best practice care.

'We didn't cause the opioid epidemic': The experiences of Australians prescribed opioids for chronic non-cancer pain at a time of increasing restrictions.

INTRODUCTION: Many countries have implemented strategies to reduce opioid-related harms, including policies and prescribing restrictions. This study aimed to explore the lived experiences of Australians prescribed opioids for chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) in the context of increasing restrictions for accessing opioids. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 Australians (aged 24-65-years; 10 female/4 male) self-reporting regular use of prescribed opioids for CNCP. Participants were asked to describe their experiences using prescribed opioids, and perceived and actual changes in pain management including access to treatments. Using thematic analysis, four dominant themes were identified. RESULTS: In 'On them for a reason': Opioids as a last resort, participants described the role of opioids as an important tool for pain management following unsuccessful treatment using other strategies. In 'You're problematic': Deepening stigma, participants described how increased attention and restrictions led to increasing stigma of opioid use and CNCP. In 'We didn't cause the opioid epidemic': Perceiving and redirecting blame, participants described feeling unfairly blamed for public health problems and an 'opioid epidemic' they described as 'imported' from America, drawing distinctions between legitimate and illegitimate opioid use. Finally, in 'Where do we go from here?': Fearing the future, participants described anticipating further restrictions and associating these with increased pain and disability. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The experience of being prescribed opioids for CNCP in Australia in the context of increasing restrictions was characterised by stigma, blame and fear. There is a need to ensure people prescribed opioids for pain are considered when designing measures to reduce opioid-related harms.

Prevalence of comorbid substance use disorders among people with opioid use disorder: A systematic review & meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Comorbid substance use disorders (SUDs) among people with opioid use disorder (OUD) contribute to poor clinical outcomes, including overdose and mortality. We present the first systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the prevalence of specific non-opioid SUDs among people with OUD. METHODS: We searched Embase, PsycINFO, and MEDLINE from 1990 to 2022 for studies that used Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) or International Classification of Diseases (ICD) criteria to assess the prevalence of non-opioid SUDs among individuals with OUD. We used random-effects meta-analyses with 95% Confidence Intervals (CIs) to pool current and lifetime prevalence estimates separately. Meta-regressions and stratified meta-analyses were used to examine differences in prevalence estimates by sample characteristics and methodological factors. RESULTS: Of the 36,971 publications identified, we included data from 194 studies and 77,212 participants with OUD. The prevalence of any comorbid SUD among people with OUD was 59.5% (95%CI 49.1-69.5%) for current non-opioid SUDs, with 72.0% (95%CI 52.5-87.9%) experiencing a comorbid SUD in their lifetime. Of the studies that examined current comorbid SUDs, cocaine use disorder (30.5%, 95%CI 23.0-38.7%) was most common, followed by alcohol (27.1%, 95%CI 24.4- 30.0%), cannabis (22.7%, 95%CI 19.0-26.6%), sedative (16.1%, 95%CI 13.1-19.3%), and methamphetamine (11.4%, 95%CI 6.8-17.1%) use disorders. Substantial heterogeneity (I2>90%) across estimates was observed. Substantial heterogeneity (I2>90%) was observed across estimates, with significant variations in prevalence identified across geographic locations, recruitment settings, and other study-level factors. CONCLUSION: Findings from this study emphasize the importance of comorbid SUD treatment access for people with OUD. Our estimates can inform the provision of treatment and harm reduction strategies for people with OUD and specific subpopulations.

Oxycodone initiation in Australia (2014-2018): Sociodemographic factors and preceding health service use.

AIMS: Oxycodone is the most commonly prescribed strong opioid in Australia. This study describes health service antecedents and sociodemographic factors associated with oxycodone initiation. METHODS: Population-based new user cohort study linking medicine dispensings, hospitalizations, emergency department visits, medical services and cancer notifications from New South Wales (NSW) for 2014-2018. New users had no dispensings of any opioid in the preceding year. We analysed health service use in the 5 days preceding initiation and proportion of people on treatment over 1 year and fitted an area-based, multivariable initiation model with sociodemographic covariates. RESULTS: Oxycodone accounted for 30% of opioid initiations. Annually, 3% of the NSW population initiated oxycodone, and 5-6% were prevalent users; the new user cohort comprised 830 963 people. Discharge from hospital (39.3%), therapeutic procedures (21.4%) and emergency department visits (19.7%) were common; a hospital admission for injury (6.0%) or a past-year history of cancer (7.2%) were less common. At 1 year after initiation, 4.6% of people were using oxycodone. In the multivariable model, new use of oxycodone increased with age and was higher for people outside major cities, for example, an incidence rate ratio of 1.43 (95% confidence interval 1.36-1.51) for inner regional areas relative to major cities; there was no evidence of variation in rates of new use by social disadvantage. CONCLUSION: About half of new oxycodone use in NSW was preceded by a recent episode of hospital care or a therapeutic procedure. Higher rates of oxycodone initiation in rural and regional areas were not explained by sociodemographic factors.

The impact of tightened prescribing restrictions for PBS-subsidised opioid medicines and the introduction of half-pack sizes, Australia, 2020-21: an interrupted time series analysis.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the impact of the tightened Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) prescribing rules for immediate release (IR) and controlled release (CR) opioid medicines (1 June 2020), which also eliminated repeat dispensing without authorisation for codeine/paracetamol and tramadol IR and introduced half-pack size item codes for IR formulations. DESIGN, SETTING: Population-based interrupted time series analysis of PBS dispensing data claims for a 10% sample of PBS-eligible residents and IQVIA national opioid medicine sales data (PBS-subsidised and private prescriptions), 28 May 2018 - 6 June 2021. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Mean amount of PBS-subsidised opioid medicines dispensed per day and mean overall amount sold per day - each expressed as oral morphine equivalent milligrams (OME) - overall, by formulation type (IR, CR), and by specific formulation. RESULTS: During the twelve months following the PBS changes, daily PBS-subsidised opioid medicine dispensing was 81 565 OME lower (95% CI, -106 146 to -56 984 OME) than the mean daily level for 2018-20, a decline of 3.8% after adjusting for the pre-intervention trend; the relative reduction was greater for IR (8.4%) than CR formulations (2.6%). Total daily sales of all, IR formulation, and CR formulation opioid medicines did not change significantly after the PBS changes. Repeat dispensing of prescriptions comprised 7.4% of PBS-subsidised opioid dispensing before 1 June 2020, and 1.3% after the changes. Half-pack sizes comprised 8.4% of PBS-subsidised IR opioid medicine dispensing and 2.8% of all opioid medicines sold in the twelve months after the PBS changes. CONCLUSIONS: The introduction of new PBS rules for subsidised opioid medicines was followed by a decline in PBS-subsidised dispensing. Some people may have bypassed the new restrictions by switching to private prescriptions, but our findings suggest that opioid medicine use in Australia declined as a result of the new restrictions.

Age-Related Risk of Serious Fall Events and Opioid Analgesic Use.

Importance: Opioid analgesics may be associated with increased risk of falls, particularly among older adults. Objective: To quantify the age-related risk of serious fall events among adults prescribed opioids by opioid exposure, time from initiation, and daily dose. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cohort study conducted in New South Wales, Australia, used data linking national pharmaceutical claims to national and state datasets, including information on sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, medicines use, health services utilization, and mortality (POPPY II study). It included adults (18 years or older) who initiated prescription opioid treatment, which was defined as no prior dispensing during the preceding 365 days, between January 1, 2005, and December 31, 2018. Data were analyzed from February to June 2023. Exposure: Time-dependent periods of opioid exposure were evaluated from dispensing records. Main Outcome and Measures: Serious fall events identified from emergency department, hospitalization, and mortality records. Negative binomial models were used to assess associations between time-dependent opioid exposure (overall, by time from initiation, and by dose), age, and risk of fall events. Models were adjusted for known fall risk factors, including other fall risk-increasing drugs, frailty risk, and prior serious fall events. Results: The cohort comprised 3 212 369 individuals who initiated prescription opioid treatment (1 702 332 women [53%]; median [IQR] age at initiation, 49 [32-65] years). Overall, 506 573 serious fall events were identified, including 5210 fatal falls. During exposure to opioids, the risk of serious fall events was elevated among all age groups; compared with the group aged 18 to 44 years, this risk was highest among those 85 years or older (adjusted incident rate ratio, 6.35; 95% CI, 6.20-6.51). Across all age groups, the first 28 days following opioid initiation was a time of increased serious fall risk; this risk increased with age. Among individuals aged 18 to 84 years, associations were identified between higher daily opioid doses and serious fall events. Conclusions and Relevance: The results of this cohort study suggest that prescription opioids were associated with increased risk of serious fall events among adults of all ages, with individuals 85 years or older at greatest risk. These risks should be considered when prescribing opioids, particularly for individuals with preexisting risk factors or when opioids are prescribed at higher doses. Targeted falls prevention efforts may be most effective within the first month following opioid initiation.

The accessibility of pharmacist prescribing and impacts on medicines access: A systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Pharmacist prescribing has been introduced in several countries as a strategy to improve access to health care and medicines. However, the direct impacts of pharmacist prescribing on medicines access, and the overall accessibility of pharmacist prescribing services, are not well known. OBJECTIVES: This systematic review aimed to assess the direct impacts of pharmacist prescribing on medicines access, and the accessibility of pharmacist prescribing services, in community and primary care settings. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL were searched for studies published in English between 01 January 2003 to 15 June 2023. Both quantitative and qualitative primary studies were included if they described pharmacist prescribing in a primary care setting. Outcomes included findings related to access to medicines as a result of pharmacist prescribing (primary outcome), and access to pharmacist prescribing services overall (secondary outcome). Narrative synthesis of outcomes was undertaken. RESULTS: A total of 47 studies were included from four countries (United States, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand). Thirteen studies provided evidence that pharmacist prescribing may improve medicines access in several ways, including: increasing the proportion of eligible people receiving medicines, increasing the number of overall dispensed prescriptions, or reducing time to receipt of treatment. The remainder of the included studies reported on the accessibility of pharmacist prescribing services. Published studies highlight that pharmacist prescribers practicing in community settings are generally accessible, with pharmacist prescribers viewed by patients as easy and convenient to consult. There was limited evidence about the affordability of pharmacy prescribing services, and a number of potential equity issues were observed, including reduced access to pharmacist prescribers in more socioeconomically disadvantaged areas and those with greater proportions of populations at risk of health inequities, such as culturally and linguistically diverse communities. CONCLUSIONS: This systematic review found that pharmacist prescribing services were both highly accessible and beneficial in improving access to medicines. However, measures of medicines access varied, and few studies included direct measures of medicines access as an outcome of pharmacist prescribing, highlighting a need for future studies to incorporate direct measures of medicines access when assessing the impact of pharmacist prescribing services.

Prevalence and Persistence of Prescription Opioid Use Following Hospital Discharge After Childbirth: An Australian Population-Based Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: Opioid analgesics are used for acute postpartum pain relief but carry risks, including persistent long-term opioid use. Our primary objective was to estimate the prevalence of persistent use following hospital discharge after childbirth. METHODS: We conducted a population-based cohort study of women discharged from public or private hospitals in New South Wales, Australia, between 2012 and 2018 following vaginal birth (VB) or cesarean delivery (CD). We used linked hospitalization and medicine dispensing data to calculate the prevalence of opioid use within 14 days of hospital discharge for childbirth using an external estimate of the total number of hospital admissions for childbirth per year as the denominator. Among women dispensed an opioid postdischarge, we estimated the prevalence of persistent use defined as ≥3 dispensings between 30- and 365-days postdischarge. To calculate the odds of persistent opioid use, we performed a series of logistic regressions each including a single characteristic of interest. Included characteristics were maternal and birth characteristics, maternal medical conditions, prior use of certain medicines, and the initial opioid dispensed following discharge for childbirth. RESULTS: The final cohort comprised of 38,832 women who were dispensed an opioid in the 14 days following discharge after childbirth. Between 2012 and 2018, the prevalence of opioid use was increased following CD (public hospital 16.6%-21.0%; private hospital 9.8%-19.5%) compared with VB (public hospital 1.5%-1.5%; private hospital 1.2%-1.4%) and was higher following discharge from public hospitals compared with private. The most commonly dispensed opioids following discharge for childbirth were oxycodone (44.8%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 44.3-45.3), codeine (42.1%; 95% CI, 41.6-42.6), and tramadol (12.9%; 95% CI, 12.6-13.2). Among women dispensed an opioid, the prevalence of persistent opioid use was 5.4% (95% CI, 5.1-5.6). This prevalence was 11.4% (95% CI, 10.5-12.3) following a VB as compared with 4.3% (95% CI, 4.1-4.6) among those who underwent a CD ( P < .001). Characteristics associated with persistent opioid use included smoking during pregnancy, age <25 years, living in remote areas, discharged from a public hospital, history of opioid use disorder, other substance use disorder, mental health diagnosis, or prior use of prescription opioids, nonopioid analgesics, or benzodiazepines. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this cohort study indicate that Australian women have a higher prevalence of opioid use following CD compared to VB. One in 19 women dispensed an opioid postdischarge used opioids persistently. Careful monitoring of opioid therapy following childbirth is warranted, particularly among women with characteristics we identified as high risk for persistent opioid use.

Prescription opioid use among people with opioid dependence and concurrent benzodiazepine and gabapentinoid exposure: An analysis of overdose and all-cause mortality.

BACKGROUND: Studies investigating mortality risk associated with use of opioid analgesics, benzodiazepines, gabapentinoids, and opioid agonist treatment (OAT) among people with opioid dependence (PWOD) are lacking. This study addresses this gap using a cohort of 37,994 PWOD initiating opioid analgesics between July 2003 and July 2018 in New South Wales, Australia. METHODS: Linked administrative records provided data on dispensings, sociodemographics, clinical characteristics, OAT, and mortality. Cox proportional hazards models assessed associations between time-varying measures of individual and concurrent medicine use and OAT with all-cause mortality, accidental opioid overdose, non-drug induced accidents, and non-drug-induced suicide. Opioid analgesic dose effects, expressed as oral morphine equivalents (OMEs) per day, were also examined. OUTCOMES: During the study period, 3167 individuals died. Compared with no use, all medicines of interest were associated with increased accidental opioid overdose risk; hazard ratios (HR) ranged from 1.33 (95 % CI: 1.05-1.68) for opioid analgesic use to 6.10 (95 % CI: 4.11-9.06) for opioid analgesic, benzodiazepine and gabapentinoid use. Benzodiazepine use was associated with increased non-drug-induced accidents and non-drug-induced suicides. For all-cause mortality, all combinations of benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids with opioid analgesics were associated with increased risk (aHRs ranged from 1.35 to 2.73). For most medicines/medicine combinations, all-cause mortality risk was reduced when in OAT compared to out of OAT. Higher opioid analgesic doses were associated with increased all-cause mortality (e.g., 90-199 mg vs 1-49 mg OME per day: HR 1.90 [95 % CI: 1.52-2.40]). INTERPRETATION: The increased mortality risk associated with benzodiazepines and gabapentinoids among PWOD appear to be reduced when engaged in OAT. A greater focus on encouraging OAT engagement, providing overdose prevention education, and access and coverage of overdose antidotes is necessary to minimise the unintended consequences of medicines use in this population.

Trends in use of medicines for opioid agonist treatment in Australia, 2013-2022.

BACKGROUND: There are limited longitudinal data on national patterns of opioid agonist treatment (OAT). This study describes 10-year trends in the sales of OAT medicines in Australia. METHODS: A descriptive and time-series analysis of methadone, sublingual (SL) buprenorphine (+/-naloxone), and long-acting injectable (LAI) buprenorphine sold in Australia between 2013 and 2022 was performed. Total units sold were converted into an estimate of the number of clients that could be treated over a 28-day period with that amount of medicine ('client-months'). RESULTS: Between January 2013 and December 2022, the estimated number of client-months on: any OAT increased by 50 % to 53,501, methadone decreased (-8.5%), SL buprenorphine increased (+78%), and LAI buprenorphine increased substantially after September 2019. In January 2013, 78 % of OAT client-months received methadone. By December 2022, 48 % received methadone, 26 % SL buprenorphine, and 26 % LAI buprenorphine. Between 2013 to 2022, OAT client-months per capita were highest in the state of New South Wales. Over the study period, greater increases in OAT were observed in very remote areas (88%) compared to major cities (53%). The number of client-months in non-community pharmacy settings remained stable from 2013 to 2019/20, before increasing markedly. The introduction of LAI buprenorphine was associated with an immediate, sustained increase of 1,636 OAT client-months, and further increases of 190 OAT client-months each month. CONCLUSION: Patterns of OAT have shifted over the last 10-years with buprenorphine (SL/LAI) now the most common OAT used in Australia. The introduction of LAI buprenorphine has expanded OAT access, particularly in non-community pharmacy settings, and in remote areas.

Impact of a pharmacy-led screening and intervention in people at risk of or living with chronic kidney disease in a primary care setting: a cluster randomised trial protocol.

INTRODUCTION: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is increasingly recognised as a growing global public health problem. Early detection and management can significantly reduce the loss of kidney function. The proposed trial aims to evaluate the impact of a community pharmacy-led intervention combining CKD screening and medication review on CKD detection and quality use of medicines (QUM) for patients with CKD. We hypothesise that the proposed intervention will enhance detection of newly diagnosed CKD cases and reduce potentially inappropriate medications use by people at risk of or living with CKD. METHODS AND ANALYSIS: This study is a multicentre, pragmatic, two-level cluster randomised controlled trial which will be conducted across different regions in Australia. Clusters of community pharmacies from geographical groups of co-located postcodes will be randomised. The project will be conducted in 122 community pharmacies distributed across metropolitan and rural areas. The trial consists of two arms: (1) Control Group: a risk assessment using the QKidney CKD risk assessment tool, and (2) Intervention Group: a risk assessment using the QKidney CKD plus Point-of-Care Testing for kidney function markers (serum creatinine and estimated glomerular filtration rate), followed by a QUM service. The primary outcomes of the study are the proportion of patients newly diagnosed with CKD at the end of the study period (12 months); and rates of changes in the number of medications considered problematic in kidney disease (number of medications prescribed at inappropriate doses based on kidney function and/or number of nephrotoxic medications) over the same period. Secondary outcomes include proportion of people on potentially inappropriate medications, types of recommendations provided by the pharmacist (and acceptance rate by general practitioners), proportion of people who were screened, referred, and took up the referral to visit their general practitioners, and economic and other patient-centred outcomes. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: The trial protocol has been approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee at the University of Sydney (2022/044) and the findings of the study will be presented at scientific conferences and published in peer-reviewed journal(s). TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12622000329763).

Five-Year Trajectories of Prescription Opioid Use.

Importance: There are known risks of using opioids for extended periods. However, less is known about the long-term trajectories of opioid use following initiation. Objective: To identify 5-year trajectories of prescription opioid use, and to examine the characteristics of each trajectory group. Design, Setting, and Participants: This population-based cohort study conducted in New South Wales, Australia, linked national pharmaceutical claims data to 10 national and state data sets to determine sociodemographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, drug use, and health services use. The cohort included adult residents (aged ≥18 years) of New South Wales who initiated a prescription opioid between July 1, 2003, and December 31, 2018. Statistical analyses were conducted from February to September 2022. Exposure: Dispensing of a prescription opioid, with no evidence of opioid dispensing in the preceding 365 days, identified from pharmaceutical claims data. Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcome was the trajectories of monthly opioid use over 60 months from opioid initiation. Group-based trajectory modeling was used to classify these trajectories. Linked health care data sets were used to examine characteristics of individuals in different trajectory groups. Results: Among 3 474 490 individuals who initiated a prescription opioid (1 831 230 females [52.7%]; mean [SD] age, 49.7 [19.3] years), 5 trajectories of long-term opioid use were identified: very low use (75.4%), low use (16.6%), moderate decreasing to low use (2.6%), low increasing to moderate use (2.6%), and sustained use (2.8%). Compared with individuals in the very low use trajectory group, those in the sustained use trajectory group were older (age ≥65 years: 22.0% vs 58.4%); had more comorbidities, including cancer (4.1% vs 22.2%); had increased health services contact, including hospital admissions (36.9% vs 51.6%); had higher use of psychotropic (16.4% vs 42.4%) and other analgesic drugs (22.9% vs 47.3%) prior to opioid initiation, and were initiated on stronger opioids (20.0% vs 50.2%). Conclusions and relevance: Results of this cohort study suggest that most individuals commencing treatment with prescription opioids had relatively low and time-limited exposure to opioids over a 5-year period. The small proportion of individuals with sustained or increasing use was older with more comorbidities and use of psychotropic and other analgesic drugs, likely reflecting a higher prevalence of pain and treatment needs in these individuals.

Mortality during and after specialist alcohol and other drug treatment: Variation in rates according to principal drug of concern and treatment modality.

INTRODUCTION: For people accessing treatment for problems with drugs other than opioids, little is known about the relationship between treatment and mortality risk, nor how mortality risk varies across treatment modalities. We addressed these evidence gaps by determining mortality rates during and after treatment for people accessing a range of treatment modalities for several drugs of concern. METHODS: We conducted a cohort study using linked data on publicly funded specialist alcohol or other drug treatment service use and mortality for people receiving treatment in New South Wales between January 2012 and December 2018. We calculated and compared during-treatment and post-treatment crude mortality rates and age- and sex-standardised mortality rates, separately for each principal drug of concern and modality. RESULTS: Over the study period, 45,026 people accessed treatment for problems with alcohol, 26,407 for amphetamine-type stimulants, 23,047 for cannabinoids and 21,556 for opioids. People treated for alcohol or opioid problems had higher crude mortality rates (1.48, 1.91, 1.09 per 100 person years, respectively) than those with problems with amphetamine-type stimulants or cannabinoids (0.46, 0.30 per 100 person years, respectively). Mortality rates differed according to treatment status and modality only among people with alcohol or opioid problems. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS: The observed variation in mortality rates indicates there is scope to reduce mortality among people accessing treatment with alcohol or opioid problems. Future research on mortality among people accessing drug and alcohol treatment should account for the variation in mortality by drug of concern and treatment modality.

Opioid prescribing patterns among medical practitioners in New South Wales, Australia.

INTRODUCTION: Prescriber behaviour is important for understanding opioid use patterns. We described variations in practitioner-level opioid prescribing in New South Wales, Australia (2013-2018). METHODS: We quantified opioid prescribing patterns among medical practitioners using population-level dispensing claims data, and used partitioning around medoids to identify clusters of practitioners who prescribe opioids based on prescribing patterns and patient characteristics identified from linked dispensing claims, hospitalisations and mortality data. RESULTS: The number of opioid prescribers ranged from 20,179 in 2013 to 23,408 in 2018. The top 1% of practitioners prescribed 15% of all oral morphine equivalent (OME) milligrams dispensed annually, with a median of 1382 OME grams (interquartile range [IQR], 1234-1654) per practitioner; the bottom 50% prescribed 1% of OMEs dispensed, with a median of 0.9 OME grams (IQR 0.2-2.6). Based on 63.6% of practitioners with ≥10 patients filling opioid prescriptions in 2018, we identified four distinct practitioner clusters. The largest cluster prescribed multiple analgesic medicines for older patients (23.7% of practitioners) accounted for 76.7% of all OMEs dispensed and comprised 93.0% of the top 1% of practitioners by opioid volume dispensed. The cluster prescribing analgesics for younger patients with high rates of surgery (18.7% of practitioners) prescribed only 1.6% of OMEs. The remaining two clusters comprised 21.2% of prescribers and 20.9% of OMEs dispensed. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: We observed substantial variation in opioid prescribing among practitioners, clustered around four general patterns. We did not assess appropriateness but some prescribing patterns are concerning. Our findings provide insights for targeted interventions to curb potentially harmful practices.