Sociodemographic factors, prescription history and opioid overdose deaths: a statewide analysis using linked PDMP and mortality data.

BACKGROUND: Opioid overdose deaths have continued to rise in Tennessee (TN) with fentanyl emerging as a major contributor. Current data are needed to identify at-risk populations to guide prevention strategies. We conducted a large statewide observational study among TN adult decedents (2013-2016) to evaluate the association of sociodemographic factors and prescribing patterns with opioid overdose deaths. METHODS: Among drug overdose decedents identified using death certificate data (n = 5483), we used logistic regression to estimate adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals for characteristics associated with prescription opioid (PO) (excluding fentanyl), fentanyl, and heroin alone overdoses. Among decedents linked to TN's Prescription Drug Monitoring Database using deterministic algorithms, we obtained prescription history in the year before death (n = 3971), which was evaluated by type of overdose using descriptive statistics. RESULTS: Younger, non-White decedents had lower odds of PO overdose, while females and benzodiazepines as a contributing cause were associated with increased odds of PO overdose. Younger age, Non-Hispanic Black race/ethnicity, greater than high school education, and cocaine/other stimulants as a contributing cause were associated with increased odds of fentanyl or heroin overdoses. Over 55% of PO, 39.2% of fentanyl, and 20.7% of heroin overdoses had an active opioid prescription at death. For PO, fentanyl, and heroin decedents, respectively, 46.0%, 30.5%, and 26.2% had an active prescription for benzodiazepines at death. CONCLUSIONS: Prescription opioid overdose deaths were associated with different sociodemographic profiles and prescribing history compared to fentanyl and heroin overdose deaths in TN. Data can guide prevention strategies to reduce opioid overdose mortality.

A Contextual Comparison of Risk Behaviors Among Older Adult Drug Users and Harm Reduction in Suburban Versus Inner-City Social Environments.

Recent epidemiological data show that older adults comprise a growing age group of drug users and new AIDS cases in the United States. Prevention and intervention studies show that risk behaviors leading to HIV infection are increasing among older users, particularly among the socially vulnerable. Yet older adults remain an under-researched population of drug users and little is known about their risk behaviors. Our aim is to address this gap in knowledge on older users by comparing contextual factors that influence risk behaviors and harm reduction strategies practiced by older drug users living in different communities. This study is based on ethnographic fieldwork in suburban and inner-city neighborhoods in a large metropolitan area in the southeastern USA. Interviewers conducted face-to-face, in-depth, life-history interviews with 69 older adults (age 45 and older) who used heroin, cocaine, and/or methamphetamine. Findings show that while risk behaviors were similar among older adult drug users living in suburban and inner-city environments, the provision of harm reduction education and paraphernalia varied widely. The results show the need for the expansion of harm reduction services focused on older adult drug users who are homeless, uninsured, or socially isolated. This application-oriented research will inform healthcare and treatment providers and generate new directions for future collaborative harm reduction services aimed to decrease the spread of HIV and other infectious diseases associated with drug use.

Suburban Poverty: Barriers to Services and Injury Prevention among Marginalized Women who Use Methamphetamine.

OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to identify the needed healthcare and social services barriers for women living in suburban communities who are using or have used methamphetamine. Drug users are vulnerable to injury, violence and transmission of infectious diseases, and having access to healthcare has been shown to positively influence prevention and intervention among this population. Yet little is known regarding the social context of suburban drug users, their risks behaviors, and their access to healthcare. METHODS: The data collection involved participant observation in the field, face-to-face interviews and focus groups. Audio-recorded in-depth life histories, drug use histories, and resource needs were collected from 31 suburban women who were former or current users of methamphetamine. The majority was drawn from marginalized communities and highly vulnerable to risk for injury and violence. We provided these women with healthcare and social service information and conducted follow-up interviews to identify barriers to these services. RESULTS: Barriers included (1) restrictions imposed by the services and (2) limitations inherent in the women's social, economic, or legal situations. We found that the barriers increased the women's risk for further injury, violence and transmission of infectious diseases. Women who could not access needed healthcare and social resources typically used street drugs that were accessible and affordable to self-medicate their untreated emotional and physical pain. CONCLUSION: Our findings add to the literature on how healthcare and social services are related to injury prevention. Social service providers in the suburbs were often indifferent to the needs of drug-using women. For these women, health services were accessed primarily at emergency departments (ED). To break the cycle of continued drug use, violence and injury, we suggest that ED staff be trained to perform substance abuse assessments and provide immediate referral to detoxification and treatment facilities. Policy change is needed for EDs to provide the care and linkages to treatment that can prevent future injuries and the spread of infectious diseases.