TO THE EDITOR:
I appreciate Larochelle and colleagues' (1) efforts to address the association between opioid agonist therapy and subsequent mortality in opioid overdose survivors. The authors propose that enrollment in an opioid agonist program is associated with a decreased risk for mortality from both opioids and any cause. The participants were persons who had a nonfatal drug overdose, and fewer deaths occurred in those who subsequently elected to enter an opioid maintenance program. However, the authors did not address an inherent factor that predicts success in recovery: patient motivation.
It is logical to conclude that patients who are motivated ...
References
- 1.
Larochelle MR ,Bernson D ,Land T ,Stopka TJ ,Wang N ,Xuan Z ,et al . Medication for opioid use disorder after nonfatal opioid overdose and association with mortality: a cohort study. Ann Intern Med. 2018;169:137-45. [PMID:29913516 ]. doi:10.7326/M17-3107 LinkGoogle Scholar - 2.
Lee JD ,Friedmann PD ,Kinlock TW ,Nunes EV ,Boney TY ,Hoskinson RA Jr ,et al . Extended-release naltrexone to prevent opioid relapse in criminal justice offenders. N Engl J Med. 2016;374:1232-42. [PMID:27028913 ] doi:10.1056/NEJMoa1505409 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar - 3.
Kinlock TW ,Gordon MS ,Schwartz RP ,Fitzgerald TT ,O'Grady KE . A randomized clinical trial of methadone maintenance for prisoners: results at 12 months postrelease. J Subst Abuse Treat. 2009;37:277-85. [PMID:19339140 ] doi:10.1016/j.jsat.2009.03.002 CrossrefMedlineGoogle Scholar
Author, Article and Disclosure Information
St. Elizabeth Physicians, Campbell County Kentucky Board of Health, Edgewood, Kentucky (L.V.B.)
Disclosures: The author has disclosed no conflicts of interest. The form can be viewed at www.acponline.org/authors/icmje/ConflictOfInterestForms.do?msNum=L18-0684.
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