buprenorphine--naloxone-drug-combination and Chronic-Pain

With the widespread growth of ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs), the number and diversity of operations performed in the outpatient setting continue to increase. In parallel, there is an increase in the proportion of patients with a history of chronic opioid use and misuse undergoing elective surgery. Patients with such opioid tolerance present a unique challenge in the ambulatory setting, given their increased requirement for postoperative opioids. Guidelines for managing perioperative pain, anticipating postoperative opioid requirements and a discharge plan to wean off of opioids, are therefore needed.. Expert guidelines suggest using multimodal analgesia including non-opioid analgesics and regional/neuraxial anesthesia whenever possible. However, there exists variability in care, resulting in challenges in perioperative pain management. In a recent study of same-day admission patients, anesthesiologists correctly identified most opioid-tolerant patients, but used non-opioid analgesics only half the time. The concept of a focused ambulatory pain specialist on site at each ASC has been suggested, who in addition to providing safe anesthesia, could intervene early once problematic pain issues are recognized. This review focuses on perioperative pain management in three subsets of patients who exhibit opioid tolerance: those on large doses of opioids (including abuse-deterrent formulations) for chronic non-malignant or malignant pain; those who have ongoing opioid misuse; and those who were prior addicts and are now on methadone/suboxone maintenance. We also discuss perioperative pain management for patients who have implanted devices such as spinal cord stimulators and intrathecal pain pumps.

Topics: Acute Pain; Analgesics, Opioid; Anesthesia, Conduction; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Drug Tolerance; Humans; Methadone; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid-Related Disorders; Pain, Postoperative; Perioperative Care; Surgicenters

Clinical studies demonstrate that buprenorphine is a pharmacologic agent that can be used for the treatment of various types of painful conditions. This study investigated the efficacy of 5 different types of buprenorphine formulations in the chronic pain population. The literature was reviewed on PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Database, clinicaltrials.gov, and PROSPERO that dated from inception until June 30, 2017. Using the population, intervention, comparator, and outcomes method, 25 randomized controlled trials were reviewed involving 5 buprenorphine formulations in patients with chronic pain: intravenous buprenorphine, sublingual buprenorphine, sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone, buccal buprenorphine, and transdermal buprenorphine, with comparators consisting of opioid analgesics or placebo. Of the 25 studies reviewed, a total of 14 studies demonstrated clinically significant benefit with buprenorphine in the management of chronic pain: 1 study out of 6 sublingual and intravenous buprenorphine, the only sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone study, 2 out of 3 studies of buccal buprenorphine, and 10 out of 15 studies for transdermal buprenorphine showed significant reduction in pain against a comparator. No serious adverse effects were reported in any of the studies. We conclude that a transdermal buprenorphine formulation is an effective analgesic in patients with chronic pain, while buccal buprenorphine is also a promising formulation based on the limited number of studies.

Topics: Administration, Buccal; Administration, Cutaneous; Administration, Sublingual; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Disease; Chronic Pain; Clinical Trials as Topic; Humans; Methadone; Neoplasms; Pain Management; Pain Measurement; Risk; Treatment Outcome

Buprenorphine-naloxone (bup/nal in 4:1 ratio; Suboxone; Reckitt Benckiser Pharmaceuticals Incorporation, Richmond, VA) is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for outpatient office-based addiction treatment. In the past few years, bup/nal has been increasingly prescribed off-label for chronic pain management. The current data suggest that bup/nal may provide pain relief in patients with chronic pain with opioid dependence or addiction. However, the unique pharmacological profile of bup/nal confers it to be a weak analgesic that is unlikely to provide adequate pain relief for patients without opioid dependence or addiction. Possible mechanisms of pain relief by bup/nal therapy in opioid-dependent patients with chronic pain may include reversal of opioid-induced hyperalgesia and improvement in opioid tolerance and addiction. Additional studies are needed to assess the implication of bup/nal therapy in clinical anesthesia and perioperative pain management.

Topics: Ambulatory Care; Buprenorphine; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Drug Combinations; Humans; Naloxone; Opioid-Related Disorders; Pain Management; Treatment Outcome

Chronic pain is highly prevalent among patients with opioid use disorder (OUD). However, little is known about how pharmacological treatments for OUD, for example, extended-release naltrexone (XR-NTX) and buprenorphine-naloxone (BUP-NX), affect pain. To begin addressing this question, we performed a secondary analysis of pain data on a large prospective 24-week, open-label, randomized-controlled comparative effectiveness trial of XR-NTX versus BUP-NX (X:BOT trial). Participants' pain status was measured by the EuroQol (EQ-5D). Based on their responses to the pain question at baseline, participants were dichotomized into "Pain" versus "No Pain" categories. Participant's pain status was evaluated every 4 weeks. A mixed effects longitudinal logistic regression model was fitted to examine the differential effect of XR-NTX versus BUP-NX on pain, modelling pain at all available follow-up assessments, adjusted for age, sex, and baseline pain. A total of 474 individuals who were successfully inducted onto their assigned medications were included in this analysis. Among participants endorsing pain at baseline, substantial reductions in pain were observed over the course of the study in both treatment groups. Howecver reduction in pain was slightly greater in the group treated with XR-NTX than the one treated with BUP-NX (OR = 1.60 [95% CI: 1.07-2.40], P = 0.023). Future research using instruments and design specifically focused on pain could extend the present observations and evaluate their clinical significance.

Topics: Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Delayed-Action Preparations; Humans; Injections, Intramuscular; Naltrexone; Narcotic Antagonists; Opioid-Related Disorders; Prospective Studies

Opioids are effective in pain-management, but long-term opioid users can develop prescription opioid use disorder (OUD). One treatment strategy in patients with OUD is rotating from a short-acting opioid to a long-acting opioid (buprenorphine/naloxone (BuNa) or methadone). Both BuNa and methadone have been shown to be effective strategies in patients with OUD reducing opioid misuse, however data on head-to-head comparison in patients with chronic non-malignant pain and prescription OUD are limited.. This two-armed open-label, randomized controlled trial aims to compare effectiveness between BuNa and methadone in patients with chronic non-malignant with prescription OUD (n = 100). Participants receive inpatient rotation to either BuNa or methadone with a flexible dosing regimen. The primary outcome is opioid misuse 2 months after rotation. Secondary outcomes include treatment compliance, side effects, analgesia, opioid craving, quality of life, mood symptoms, cognitive and physical functioning over 2- and 6 months follow-up. Linear mixed model analysis will be used to evaluate change in outcome parameters over time between the treatment arms.. This is one of the first studies comparing buprenorphine/naloxone and methadone for treating prescription OUD in a broad patient group with chronic non-malignant pain. Results may guide future treatment for patients with chronic pain and prescription OUD. Trial registration https://www.trialregister.nl/ , NL9781.

Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Humans; Methadone; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid-Related Disorders; Prescriptions; Quality of Life; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic

It is presently unclear whether extended-release naltrexone hydrochloride treatment induces pain or aggravates existing pain among individuals with opioid use disorders. We assessed changes in pain among individuals receiving treatment with either extended-release naltrexone hydrochloride or buprenorphine-naloxone hydrochloride.. This randomized prospective open-label clinical study included 143 participants (aged 18-60 years) with opioid dependencies, recruited from outpatient addiction clinics at five urban hospitals in Norway. After in-patient detoxification from opioids, patients were randomized to 12-week treatment with either long-acting naltrexone (380 mg intramuscularly injected every four weeks) or buprenorphine-naloxone (flexible 4-16 mg sublingual doses daily). This phase was followed by a 9-month open-treatment study with the participant's choice of either naltrexone or buprenorphine-naloxone. Changes in pain were assessed every 4 weeks using the Norwegian Short-Form of McGill Pain Questionnaire.. Throughout the study period, we found no increase in mean sensory pain, affective pain, or present pain intensity on the McGill Pain Questionnaire, in either treatment group, including the subgroups of participants with chronic pain. Participants who switched from buprenorphine-naloxone to extended-release naltrexone treatment after week 12 reported no increase in pain intensity during longer-term treatment. Women experienced significantly more affective pain symptoms than men (p = .01).. Among individuals with opioid use disorder, switching from daily opioid use to long-acting naltrexone did not induce pain, or aggravate mild-to-moderate chronic pain.. In opioid-dependent individuals, mild-to-moderate chronic pain was not influenced by opioid agonist or antagonist treatment.. Clinicaltrials.gov #NCT01717963, first registered: Oct 28, 2012. Protocol version # 3C, June 12th 2012. (Am J Addict 2018;XX:1-9).

Topics: Adult; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naltrexone; Narcotic Antagonists; Norway; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid-Related Disorders; Pain Measurement

Patients with prescription opioid use disorder commonly report relief of chronic pain as the chief reason for first opioid use; indeed, the prevalence of chronic pain is high in this population. Understanding the association between pain severity and subsequent opioid use is crucial for understanding how to manage these conditions simultaneously and has not been examined in this population. The aim of this analysis was to examine the proximal effect of pain severity on opioid use during 12 weeks of buprenorphine-naloxone therapy for patients with chronic pain and prescription opioid use disorder.. This study is a secondary analysis of a national, randomized, controlled trial of buprenorphine-naloxone plus counseling for prescription opioid dependent patients. The association between past-week pain severity and opioid use in the subsequent week was examined in 148 patients presenting with chronic pain at baseline.. Results from a multivariable logistic regression model showed that greater pain severity in a given week was significantly associated with increased odds of opioid use in the following week over the 12-week treatment, even after adjusting for covariates associated with opioid use (aOR=1.15, p<0.001).. Despite previous reports of no association between baseline pain and subsequent opioid use, our findings suggest that patients who experience flare-ups of pain during treatment are prone to relapse to opioid use. Future studies may identify those who are at risk to use opioids by carefully monitoring patterns of their pain intensity over time.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Counseling; Female; Humans; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Middle Aged; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid-Related Disorders; Pain Management; Prescription Drug Misuse; Recurrence; Severity of Illness Index; Young Adult

The combination of prescription opioid dependence and chronic pain is increasingly prevalent and hazardous to public health. Variability in pain may explain poor prescription opioid addiction treatment outcomes in persons with chronic pain. This study examined pain trajectories and pain volatility in patients with chronic pain receiving treatment for prescription opioid addiction. We conducted secondary analyses of adults with chronic pain (n = 149) who received buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP/NLX) and counseling for 12 weeks in an outpatient, multisite clinical trial. Good treatment outcome was defined as urine-verified abstinence from opioids at treatment endpoint (Week 12) and during at least 2 of the previous 3 weeks. Pain severity significantly declined over time during treatment (b = -0.36, p < .001). Patients with greater pain volatility were less likely to have a good treatment outcome (odds ratio = 0.55, p < .05), controlling for baseline pain severity and rate of change in pain over time. A 1 standard deviation increase in pain volatility was associated with a 44% reduction in the probability of endpoint abstinence. The significant reduction in subjective pain during treatment provides observational support for the analgesic effects of BUP/NLX in patients with chronic pain and opioid dependence. Patients with greater volatility in subjective pain during treatment have increased risk of returning to opioid use by the conclusion of an intensive treatment with BUP/NLX and counseling. Future research should examine underlying mechanisms of pain volatility and identify related therapeutic targets to optimize interventions for prescription opioid addiction and co-occurring chronic pain.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Analgesics, Opioid; Behavior, Addictive; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Combined Modality Therapy; Counseling; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid-Related Disorders; Treatment Outcome; Young Adult

Data from Phase 2 of the Prescription Opioid Addiction Treatment Study (POATS) were used. Two latent transition models were conducted to characterize profiles and transitions between profiles of pain intensity or pain interference (estimated separately).. Each model identified a high and low profile. In the pain interference model, the majority were classified in the low profile at baseline. In the pain intensity model, the majority were classified in the high profile at baseline. In both models, patients were more likely to remain in or transition to the low profiles by Week 12. Worse depression was associated with membership in the high pain interference profile at both timepoints. Women were more likely to be in the high pain intensity profile at baseline. Those in the high pain intensity and high pain interference profiles at Week 12 reported worse mental health quality of life (MH-QOL) at Week 12, as well as high pain intensity and high pain interference at Week 24.. For a subgroup of patients, high pain intensity and high pain interference remains unchanged during BUP/NX maintenance treatment. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Topics: Buprenorphine; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Female; Humans; Naloxone; Narcotic Antagonists; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid-Related Disorders; Quality of Life

The State of New York, along with the whole nation, is struggling to combat the opioid epidemic. Major authoritative bodies on chronic pain and addiction have advocated against the use of opioids long term for chronic pain. In the spring of 2021, our pain management clinic made the decision to discontinue chronic opioid prescriptions, offering instead a three-part intervention to provide patients with support for chronic pain during the process of discontinuing chronic opioid therapy (COT). Our goal was to provide safer and more evidence-based care for our chronic pain population.. To safely wean patients in our pain management clinic off of COT and offer alternative pain interventions in order to help them reach their health goals.. Our three-part intervention included a unified plan for weaning patients off COT while simultaneously offering (1) expansion of integrated pain modalities, (2) Suboxone therapy and (3) a community health worker (CHW) support programme.. Over the course of 8 months, our clinic successfully transitioned 380 patients off of COT while simultaneously expanding access to alternative pain management modalities, Suboxone therapy and CHW support services.. Alternative pain management modalities, Suboxone therapy and CHW support all help to aid patients weaning off of COT while still adequately addressing their chronic pain. Our model may be adaptable to other pain management practices hoping to decrease inappropriate use of COT.

Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Humans; Pain Management; Quality Improvement

Neuropathic opioid refractory phantom limb pain (PLP) following amputation can be a life long debilitating chronic pain syndrome capable of completely destroying a patient's life. The pain, its associated depression and sleep deprivation can make many patients suicidal. Ever changing and relentless, it is notoriously unresponsive to traditional cocktails of strong opioids, adjuvant pain medications, antidepressants, local anaesthetics, nerve stimulators, hypnotics and psychotropics. Drug effects are seldom more effective than placebo. We describe a successful sustained rescue of a difficult 2-year-long PLP case with sublingual buprenorphine/naloxone using the drug's potent multimodal mechanisms of action: potent long-acting mu agonist/antagonist, kapa receptor antagonist, delta receptor antagonist and novel opioid receptor-like 1 (OR-L1) agonist effects. Traditional escalating pure mu-opioid receptor agonists and adjuvant neuropathic pain cocktails often have disappointing efficacy in the treatment of resistant PLP. We suggest introducing buprenorphine/naloxone as an early effective opioid choice in PLP management.

Topics: Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Phantom Limb; Treatment Outcome

Despite rising morbidity and mortality from the opioid epidemic and other addictions, people who inject drugs (PWID) remain understudied regarding pain outcomes. Data among PWID regarding chronic pain and drug use, including non-medical use of opioids, is largely unknown. We examined the prevalence of chronic pain and drug use for pain in this population.. Standardized surveys captured self-report of demographics, chronic pain, and non-prescription drug use in 203 PWID in an urban syringe services program between April and November 2016. Chronic pain was defined as self-report of chronic pain diagnosis or persistent pains over the past 6 months.. Overall, 47% (95% CI, 40%-54%) of PWID reported chronic pain, while 35% (95% CI, 29%-42%) reported non-prescription drug use of any type for pain. Among those with chronic pain, drug use to treat pain was commonly reported (76%; 95% CI, 66%-83%). Non-medical opioid use did not differ among PWID with or without chronic pain or drug use for pain. A multivariable logistic regression model showed chronic pain was more likely among non-Hispanic whites and those with arthritis, older age, and homelessness.. Chronic pain serves as an important factor in the persistence of drug use in more than one-third of PWID in this sample. The high prevalence of chronic pain with drug use for pain suggests that proper pain management is likely to be an essential component of preventing or regressing injection drug use in PWID, with data needed on effective interventions for this population.

Topics: Adolescent; Adult; Age Factors; Analgesics, Opioid; Arthritis; Baltimore; Black or African American; Buprenorphine; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Cocaine-Related Disorders; Female; Heroin Dependence; Humans; Ill-Housed Persons; Male; Middle Aged; Needle-Exchange Programs; Odds Ratio; Opioid-Related Disorders; Prevalence; Risk Factors; Substance Abuse, Intravenous; White People; Young Adult

Buprenorphine is an effective treatment for chronic pain and may reduce opioid-induced hyperalgesia. However, its pharmacological properties make its induction challenging, time-consuming, and can precipitate opioid withdrawal. We present the case of a 66-year-old woman with inadequately controlled postoperative pain despite escalating doses of oxycodone and methadone, who was successfully transitioned to buprenorphine/naloxone using a rapid microinduction technique without precipitating opioid withdrawal. Rapid induction provides an alternative method for transitioning patients from other opioids to buprenorphine/naloxone and facilitates transition of patients with chronic pain to buprenorphine therapy within a shorter window compared to currently existing protocols.

Topics: Aged; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Drug Dosage Calculations; Humans; Treatment Outcome

Topics: Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Humans; Male; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid-Related Disorders; Physician-Patient Relations; Surgeons

A 76-year-old woman with chronic noncancer pain and an intrathecal hydromorphone-bupivacaine pump was admitted for acute exacerbation of heart failure. Her pump was unable to be replaced due to medical comorbidities. She was unable to tolerate oral opioids due to ventilatory depression. Tapering hydromorphone resulted in opioid withdrawal due to physiological dependence. Microdosing of sublingual buprenorphine-naloxone was initiated while decreasing intrathecal hydromorphone. This successfully weaned the patient off intrathecal hydromorphone with adequate pain relief and prevented both opioid withdrawal and ventilatory depression. To our knowledge, microdosing buprenorphine-naloxone to assist with discontinuing intrathecal opioids has not been previously reported in the literature.

Topics: Aged; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Female; Humans; Hydromorphone

Topics: Adult; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Humans; Male; Opioid-Related Disorders

Kratom use in the West has increased recently, yet the prevalence and motives for use among individuals with a history of substance use disorder (SUD) have not been fully examined. Kratom has been documented as a means of treating chronic pain, mitigating drug dependence, and easing withdrawal symptoms, yet it is unclear if substance users are utilizing kratom as a self-medication. Abuse liability, side effects, and overall appeal of kratom remain uncertain.. In April 2017, an anonymous survey regarding kratom use and motivations was completed by clients enrolled in a 12-Step-oriented residential program. 500 respondents with a self-reported history of SUD completed the survey.. 20.8% of respondents endorsed lifetime kratom use and 10.2% reported past-12-month use. Kratom-users were younger (=32.1 vs. 35.9, p<0.001) and were more versatile substance users. A majority (68.9%) of kratom-users reported having used the drug as a means of reducing or abstaining from non-prescription opioids (NPO) and/or heroin, and 64.1% reported using kratom as a substitute for NPO/heroin. 18.4% of kratom-users reported using the drug due to a disability or chronic pain. One-third of kratom-users stated that kratom was a helpful substance and that they would try it again. However, kratom was not preferred and was indicated as having less appeal than NPO, heroin, amphetamines, and Suboxone.. Among substance users, kratom use may be initiated for a variety of reasons, including as a novel form of harm-reduction or drug substitution, particularly in the context of dependence and withdrawal from other substances.

Topics: Amphetamines; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Heroin; Humans; Motivation; Prevalence; Residential Treatment; Self Medication; Self Report; Substance Withdrawal Syndrome; Substance-Related Disorders; Surveys and Questionnaires

Patients, providers, communities and health systems have struggled to achieve balance between access to opioid treatment for chronic pain and its potential harmful consequences: especially misuse, addiction and overdose. We developed an interdisciplinary clinic embedded within primary care (the Opioid Reassessment Clinic-ORC) with the goal of improving the quality of care of patients with co-occurring chronic pain and issues related to opioid safety, efficacy and/or misuse.. We present three cases referred to the ORC that highlight complex clinical scenarios related to assessment and treatment of patients with chronic pain and issues related to opioid safety, efficacy and misuse.. In the context of the three cases, with respect to assessment, we discuss: making the diagnosis of opioid use disorder; allowing the patient space to endorse lack of efficacy; identification of co-occurring hazardous alcohol use; and recognizing barriers to multimodal pain care. With respect to treatment, we discuss: making a change in treatment with which the patient may not agree; effectiveness of buprenorphine/naloxone for the treatment of chronic pain; responding to low efficacy; and making continued opioid therapy contingent on engagement with substance abuse treatment.. The core components of our approach-biopsychosocial assessment and multimodal treatment planning with an emphasis on promoting functional goals and safety using clear communication and a patient-centered stance-should guide providers in the management of similar clinical scenarios. More evidence is needed to definitively guide specific interventions and points of clinical equipoise.

Topics: Alcoholism; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Humans; Opioid-Related Disorders; Pain Management; Primary Health Care; Quality Improvement

Buprenorphine is a semisynthetic opioid with both agonist and antagonist activity at the opioid receptor. Currently, buprenorphine is commonly available in sublingual preparations combined with naloxone (e.g., Suboxone®, Subutex®). There has been increased use of buprenorphine derivatives in the areas of substance addiction and chronic pain. Nevertheless, there is limited and conflicting information in the literature pertaining to the optimal management of buprenorphine-stabilized patients presenting for surgery. We present our experience with a chronic pain patient on buprenorphine presenting for thoracic surgery.. A 47-yr-old female with a history of a Clagett window procedure for pulmonary aspergillosis and subsequent chronic pain presented to our institute for a window closure procedure. Preoperatively, her pain regimen included Suboxone 16 mg bid, which was continued perioperatively. Postoperatively, her course was complicated by suboptimal pain at the surgical site requiring in excess of 70 mg/24 hr of intravenous hydromorphone. Liberal addition of long-acting oral opioids was ineffective in improving pain management. Eventually, concern was raised regarding opioid receptor blockade by her long-acting Suboxone, and the decision was made to taper her Suboxone. Following this, her pain control improved dramatically and her opioid requirements were markedly reduced. By discharge, her Suboxone was discontinued and she was managed on oral hydromorphone.. In a chronic pain patient continued on Suboxone perioperatively, significant improvement in control of postoperative pain was observed following tapered doses, and eventually her use of Suboxone was discontinued. This case highlights the potential for opioid receptor blockade by Suboxone, which can interfere with acute pain management.

Topics: Buprenorphine; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Female; Humans; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Pain, Postoperative; Pulmonary Aspergillosis; Thoracic Surgical Procedures

Abuse of opioids has become a public health crisis. The historic separation between the addiction and pain communities and a lack of training in medical education have made treatment difficult to provide, especially in primary care. The Co-occurring Disorders Clinic (COD) was established to treat patients with co-morbid chronic pain and addiction. This retrospective chart review reports results of a quality improvement project using buprenorphine/naloxone to treat co-occurring chronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) and opioid dependence in a primary care setting. Data were collected for 143 patients who were induced with buprenorphine/naloxone (BUP/NLX) between June 2009 and November 2011. Ninety-three patients (65%) continued to be maintained on the medication and seven completed treatment and were no longer taking any opioid (5%). Pain scores showed a modest, but statistically significant improvement on BUP/NLX, which was contrary to our expectations and may be an important factor in treatment retention for this challenging population.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Narcotic Antagonists; Opioid-Related Disorders; Pain Measurement; Prescription Drugs; Primary Health Care; Quality Improvement; Retrospective Studies; Treatment Outcome

Previous studies have not examined patterns of pain treatment use among patients seeking office-based buprenorphine-naloxone treatment (BNT) for opioid dependence.. To examine, among individuals with pain seeking BNT for opioid dependence, the use of pain treatment modalities, perceived efficacy of prior pain treatment, and interest in pursuing pain treatment while in BNT.. A total of 244 patients seeking office-based BNT for opioid dependence completed measures of demographics, pain status (ie, "chronic pain (CP)" [pain lasting at least 3 months] vs "some pain (SP)" [pain in the past week not meeting the duration criteria for chronic pain]), pain treatment use, perceived efficacy of prior pain treatment, and interest in receiving pain treatment while in BNT.. In comparison with the SP group (N = 87), the CP group (N = 88) was more likely to report past-week medical use of opioid medication (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 3.2; 95% CI, 1.2-8.4), lifetime medical use of nonopioid prescribed medication (AOR = 2.2; 95% CI, 1.1-4.7), and lifetime use of prayer (AOR = 2.8; 95% CI, 1.2-6.5) and was less likely to report lifetime use of yoga (AOR = 0.2; 95% CI, 0.1-0.7) to treat pain. Although the 2 pain groups did not differ on levels of perceived efficacy of prior lifetime pain treatments, in comparison with the SP group, the CP group was more likely to report interest in receiving pain treatment while in BNT (P < 0.001).. Individuals with pain seeking BNT for opioid dependence report a wide range of conventional, complementary, and alternative pain-related treatments and are interested (especially those with CP) in receiving pain management services along with BNT.

Topics: Adult; Analgesics; Analgesics, Opioid; Buprenorphine; Buprenorphine, Naloxone Drug Combination; Chronic Pain; Combined Modality Therapy; Comorbidity; Complementary Therapies; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Naloxone; Narcotic Antagonists; Opiate Substitution Treatment; Opioid-Related Disorders; Primary Health Care; Treatment Outcome; Utilization Review