2024-07-09 14:39:48
This Tuesday, the Orders of Physicians and Pharmacists released an update on their recommendations regarding substitution treatments, to improve the management of opioid addiction.
To improve the management of opioid addiction, the Orders of Physicians and Pharmacists released an update on their recommendations for substitution treatments on Tuesday. The objective is to “guarantee effective/quality care, under supervision and in accordance with current regulations”, the two orders explained in a press release.
“A better response to realities on the ground”
More than 177,000 patients were dispensed opioid substitution medication in 2019, in community medicine, prisons and addiction care, support and prevention centers, according to estimates. “Addictive behaviors require structured and controlled care, which requires good coordination from their prescription by doctors to their mass dissection by pharmacists,” Carine Wolf-Thal, president of the national council of the order of pharmacists, was quoted as saying in the press release. The aim of updating the recommendations is to “facilitate their implementation” and “give a better response to the realities on the ground”, she said.
The new document includes in particular a table of all the substitution medications, based on buprenorphine, methadone or naloxone, with each dosage, posology, prescription and administration terms, prescription conditions and dosages. Tramadol, oxycodone, morphine, fentanyl… Millions of French are prescribed opioid analgesics, powerful but highly addictive painkillers, and their use raises concerns among health professionals.
Prescription of opioid analgesia is highly regulated in France
In the United States, opioids have caused a huge health crisis in recent years, especially with fentanyl. “Although the consumption of opioids today in France does not reach the level of the United States or England, it is nevertheless increasing,” the High Health Authority noted in 2022 in recommendations to doctors to avoid “minorization” of prescriptions.
The prescription of opioid analgesics is highly regulated in France: delivery on a secure prescription for certain substances, maximum duration of the prescription, regular review of the patient… But some patients assured AFP a few months ago that they had benefited from longer prescriptions nor time limits.
Another challenge highlighted by specialists: recognizing addiction and the delay before dependent patients arrive at a specialist centre. The hypothesis that drug dependent patients who are no longer able to obtain prescriptions, due to lack of proper care, to other sources of supply, especially illegal ones, is a fear among the authorities.
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