title: [High-dose buprenorphine prescription in southern France from 1999 to 2001].
abstract: Several reports have focused on prescription of high-dose buprenorphine using data electronically transmitted to the French health reimbursement system. This study deals with high-dose buprenorphine prescriptions in the Bouches-du-Rhone region between 1999 and 2001. We determined the number of maintained patients followed by practitioners (either short- or long-term care), the doses administered, and the associated prescription of psychotropic treatments. The number of general practitioners involved in 84% of the prescriptions of high-dose buprenorphine grew with a high turnover (20%). More than 25% of the general practitioners in the region prescribed this drug, but only 38% of them were involved in long-term follow-up of more than one maintained patient. The number of maintained patients and the mean daily treatment dose delivered (13.4 mg/d during 2001) increased. The associated prescriptions of benzodiazepines concerned 47% of the patients during 2001 (on the rise), but the associated prescription of flunitrazepam tended to decrease (29% of the subjects during 2001 versus 32% during 2000). This study shows a tendency for deviant behaviors to increase, constituting a public health concern.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Santé Publique, CEIP Marseille, PACA-Corse, Centre associé, Faculté de Médecine, 27, boulevard Jean-Moulin, 13385 Marseille Cedex 5.
authors.forename: Julien
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mancini
authors.forename: Xavier
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Thirion
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Masut
authors.forename: Eléonore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ronflé
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Coudert
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Pradel
authors.forename: Elisabeth
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Frauger
authors.forename: Joëlle
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Micallef
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004363:Drug Utilization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005602:France; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009292:Narcotic Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric
chemical_list: D009292:Narcotic Antagonists; D002047:Buprenorphine