 Opioid replacement therapy is commonly used for chronic non-cancer pain; however, the success rate varies and it is common for patients to suffer from several withdrawal symptoms. Since data have shown an increase in opioid prescription patients developing a dependency to the medication, researchers looked to better understand interventions to reduce opioid withdrawal symptoms. Specifically, this systematic review aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of different pharmacological, physical, psychological, and other treatments for withdrawal symptoms that occur during a medically-supervised opioid withdrawal treatment for adult patients with long-term opioid treatment for non-cancer chronic pain.
A systemic review was conducted utilizing online databases in which researchers collected all studies with controlled trials in adults with long-term opioid prescriptions for non-cancer pain. After the initial inclusion of 91 research papers, the researchers excluded all but one. Some of the reasons for exclusion were the use of illicit drugs from participants, animal trial, lack of description of the withdrawal symptoms, or an ongoing trial. Researchers concluded that there is a need for well-conducted randomized controlled trials to better understand opioid withdrawal symptoms for patients prescribed opioids. This review should draw attention to the data gap, stopping doctors and others in the medical industry from effectively treating the problem.
Shutdowns related to the pandemic led to isolations and a lack of recovery tools during an already existing substance abuse epidemic. In 2019, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 1,704 overdoses and preliminary numbers for 2020 indicate over 2,200 overdoses in the state of Indiana. Emily Bailey is a 26-year-old mother of two from Columbus, Indiana in long term recovery. Emily said that by age 15, she had tried heroin, meth, prescription drugs and others. She emphasized how difficult it was for her to get treatment and how depression was the leading cause of her drug misuse. She shares her story to highlight how hard it was to get treatment without the additional barriers to treatment created by the pandemic.
There are several efforts across the state in effect to target barriers to treatment and better understand the drug abuse epidemic. Melissa Cyders is an IUPUI associate professor working along the state's campaign called The Grand Challenge, which studies opioid addiction and recovery. Cyders said that she found individuals struggling with mental health and drug misuse affected the pandemic most. While many projects are in place for Hoosiers suffering from drug misuse, it is vital that we continue learning about these and sharing the information and resources.
 Please visit the Indiana Drug Overdose Dashboard, where you will find data from 2017 up to provisional data for 2021. In this dashboard, you will find data regarding opioid prescriptions, hospital discharges, and drug-related deaths.
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