The medical discipline of narcology in Russia is a subspecialty of psychiatry from the Soviet era and it is given warrant to define the scope of health activities with regard to alcohol and other drug use, drug users, and related problems. Narcological practice is in turn constrained by the State. The emergence of widespread injection opiate use and associated HIV morbidities and mortalities du...

INTRODUCTION Suicide is closely linked to the substances use. Therefore it is very important to confirm the factors that affect the possibility of suicidal behavior. METHODOLOGY The survey included 200 respondents; 100 heroin addicts on the substitution program that attempted suicide and 100 opiate addicts who have not attempted suicide. The evaluation included a questionnaire with socio-demo...

The evaluation of the outcome of the pilot Opioid Substitution Therapy programme in Penitentiary Institution No. 47 in Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) took place in 2009–2010. The programme’s participants consisted of 84 patients enrolled in methadone maintenance therapy. Assessments were carried out at baseline and after 3 and 6 months. Instruments adopted by WHO, translated into Russian and applied in e...

PURPOSE Sublingual buprenorphine and combination buprenorphine/naloxone (BNX) are effective options for the treatment of opioid dependence. A BNX sublingual tablet approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for the induction and maintenance treatment of opioid-dependence in adults was developed as a higher-bioavailability formulation, allowing for a 30% lesser dose of buprenorphine with bi...

BACKGROUND The study explores differences and similarities in background and problem severity among those seeking Opioid Substitution Treatment (OST), comparing those who primarily had misused "opiates", e.g. heroin, morphine and opium, with those who primarily had misused other opioids. METHODS Patients (n = 127) assessed for possible admittance in OST are compared based on the Addiction Sev...

Introduction: There are 4000–5000 opioid abusers and about 1700 patients in opioid substitution treatment in Finland. New legislation (2008) allows less restrictive treatment models than before. Aims: To assess advantages and disadvantages of pharmacy delivery of buprenorphine-naloxone and referral of stabile patients into primary health care. Theory and methods: The setting was five Finnish ou...

BACKGROUND Failure in treating opioid dependence is costly to the patient, the employer, managed care organizations, and the overall health care system. Opioid dependent patients tend to be less productive at work and in society and utilize a great many health care resources. Optimizing outcomes is essential. OBJECTIVE To introduce the benefit of integrated strategies and patient support in t...

R.J. KATZ and R.L. DOYLE, Enhanced responses to opiates produced by a single gene substitution in the mouse, European J. Pharmacol. 67 (1980) 301--303. Adult male mice of the C57B1/6J strain, or mice differing at a single locus from the above, pallid mice (C57Bl! 6J-pa), were treated with morphine or vehicle and two responses associated with opiate receptor stimulation were examined. In compari...

SUMMARY Despite record-breaking numbers of opiate related deaths in the UK 2019, pharmacological management dependence has evolved little since advent methadone 1965. Along with harm minimisation and psychosocial interventions, mainstay treatment remains opioid substitution therapy (OST) using or buprenorphine, many patients receiving OST for years. Even these treatments, users continue to face...

We are faced with a worldwide opiate/opioid epidemic that is devastating. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), at least 127 people, young and old, are dying every day in America due to narcotic overdose. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved Medication-Assisted Treatments (MATs) for opiate/opioids as well as alcohol and nicotine. The mechanism of acti...