title: Abuse and diversion of buprenorphine sublingual tablets and film.
abstract: Buprenorphine abuse is common worldwide. Rates of abuse and diversion of three sublingual buprenorphine formulations (single ingredient tablets; naloxone combination tablets and film) were compared. Data were obtained from the Researched Abuse, Diversion, and Addiction-Related Surveillance (RADARS) System Poison Center, Drug Diversion, Opioid Treatment (OTP), Survey of Key Informants' Patients (SKIP), and College Survey Programs through December 2012. To control for drug availability, event ratios (rates) were calculated quarterly, based on the number of patients filling prescriptions for each formulation ("unique recipients of a dispensed drug," URDD) and averaged and compared using negative binomial regression. Abuse rates in the OTP, SKIP, and College Survey Programs were greatest for single ingredient tablets, and abuse rates in the Poison Center Program and illicit diversion rates were greatest for the combination tablets. Combination film rates were significantly less than rates for either tablet formulation in all programs. No geographic pattern could be discerned.
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, 777 Bannock Street, MC 0180, Denver, CO, 80204, USA. Electronic address: eric.lavonas@rmpdc.org.
authors.forename: Eric J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Lavonas
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, 777 Bannock Street, MC 0180, Denver, CO, 80204, USA. Electronic address: geoff.severtson@rmpdc.org.
authors.forename: S Geoffrey
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Severtson
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, 777 Bannock Street, MC 0180, Denver, CO, 80204, USA. Electronic address: erin.martinez@rmpdc.org.
authors.forename: Erin M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, 777 Bannock Street, MC 0180, Denver, CO, 80204, USA. Electronic address: Becki.Bucher-Bartelson@rmpdc.org.
authors.forename: Becki
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bucher-Bartelson
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, 777 Bannock Street, MC 0180, Denver, CO, 80204, USA. Electronic address: marie-claire.lelait@rmpdc.org.
authors.forename: Marie-Claire
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Le Lait
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, 777 Bannock Street, MC 0180, Denver, CO, 80204, USA. Electronic address: jody.green@rmpdc.org.
authors.forename: Jody L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Green
authors.affiliation: Venebio Group, LLC, 7400 Beaufont Springs Drive, Suite 300, Richmond, VA 23225, USA. Electronic address: lenn.murrelle@venebio.com.
authors.forename: Lenn E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Murrelle
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, Campus Box 8134, St. Louis, MO 63130 USA. Electronic address: cicerot@psychiatry.wustl.edu.
authors.forename: Theodore J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Cicero
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Research on Substance Use and Health Disparities, Nova Southeastern University, 2 NE 40th Street, Suite 404, Miami, FL 33137 USA. Electronic address: steven.kurtz@nova.edu.
authors.forename: Steven P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Kurtz
authors.affiliation: Institute for Treatment and Services Research, National Development and Research Institutes, 71 West 23rd Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10010 USA. Electronic address: rosenblum@ndri.org.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Rosenblum
authors.affiliation: Center for Applied Research on Substance Use and Health Disparities, Nova Southeastern University, 2 NE 40th Street, Suite 404, Miami, FL 33137 USA. Electronic address: surratt@nova.edu.
authors.forename: Hilary L
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Surratt
authors.affiliation: Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center, Denver Health and Hospital Authority, 777 Bannock Street, MC 0180, Denver, CO, 80204, USA. Electronic address: richard.dart@rmpdc.org.
authors.forename: Richard C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Dart
mesh_terms: D000286:Administration, Sublingual; D002047:Buprenorphine / Q000008:administration & dosage; D006801:Humans; D009294:Narcotics / Q000008:administration & dosage; D058850:Opiate Substitution Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009293:Opioid-Related Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D011039:Poison Control Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D064226:Prescription Drug Diversion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013607:Tablets; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014495:Universities / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D009294:Narcotics; D013607:Tablets; D002047:Buprenorphine
keywords: Buprenorphine; Drug abuse; Drug formulations; Substance-related disorders