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Benzodiazepines in Opiate Replacement Therapy

NCT04622995 · Status: COMPLETED · Type: OBSERVATIONAL · Enrollment: 46899

Last updated 2023-03-09

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Drug-related deaths (DRD) are a significant and increasing public health problem in Scotland. Benzodiazepines and BZD-type substances (BZD) are increasingly implicated in DRD. In 2018, BZDs were implicated in 67% of DRD, often in combination with other illicit and prescribable substances including Opiate Replacement Therapies (ORT) such as methadone and buprenorphine.

Illicit BZD use and dependence is higher among people with other substance use disorders. 29% of patients presenting to Scottish addiction services report current illicit BZD use. There is widespread variance in approaches to the clinical management of BZD dependence among people with opioid use disorder in Scotland. Some addiction clinicians are reluctant to prescribe BZD to people on ORT, some will prescribe BZD with the primary aim of dose reduction and detoxification, others will consider longer-term maintenance prescribing whilst patients stabilise on ORT.

Previous research has identified increased risks of mortality among people taking BZD and ORT. Other work suggests that co-prescribing BZD and ORT increases patient engagement and retention in addiction treatment.

This retrospective cohort study will analyse anonymised, linked data on people who received ORT between 01/01/2010 and 31/12/2020 to explore any relationships between exposure (co-prescribing of BZD and ORT) and harms including: mortality (all-cause and DRD), hospitalisation, illicit drug use during ORT, and reduced retention in addiction care.

Conditions

  • Substance-Related Disorders

Interventions

DRUG

Benzodiazepine

Benzodiazepine prescribing

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • NHS Research Scotland

    collaborator OTHER

  • University of Stirling

    lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

  • Joe Schofield, MPH · University of Stirling

Eligibility

Min Age
16 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2021-08-01
Primary Completion
2022-03-31
Completion
2022-12-31

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04622995 on ClinicalTrials.gov