TY - JOUR
T1 - Monitoring Opioids in Europe
T2 - The Need for Shared Definitions and Measuring Drivers of Opioid Use and Related Harms
AU - Kalkman, Gerard A.
AU - van den Brink, Wim
AU - Pierce, Mimi
AU - Atsma, Femke
AU - Vissers, Kris C. P.
AU - Schers, Henk J.
AU - van Dongen, Robert T. M.
AU - Kramers, Cornelis
AU - Schellekens, Arnt F. A.
N1 - Funding Information: This research was supported by a Junior Researcher Grant 2018 of the Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre. The study sponsor had no role writing or the decision to submit the paper. Publisher Copyright: © 2022
PY - 2022/5/1
Y1 - 2022/5/1
N2 - The past 20 years, the USA is facing a serious opioid crisis initiated by an increase in prescription opioid use. Europe has also seen an increase in prescription opioid use, but the extent of related harm is still largely unknown. Given the impact of the US opioid epidemic, it is important to closely monitor signs of emerging opioid-related problems to guarantee early warnings and timely actions. Shared and meaningful definitions for opioid use and related harms, and relevant information about specific drivers for opioid use and related problems are needed for an adequate policy response. In this commentary, we discuss these definitions, the need to know more about the specific drivers for increased opioid use, its related harm, and proposals for strategies to move forward. Policy recommendations include making a distinction between licit and illicit opioids when monitoring and reporting on opioid-related harm, and using oral morphine equivalents to quantify prescription opioid use in a clinically relevant and comparable manner. A major topic of further research is exploring unique and universal drivers of prescription opioid (mis)use across Europe, in particular the role of opioid diversion.
AB - The past 20 years, the USA is facing a serious opioid crisis initiated by an increase in prescription opioid use. Europe has also seen an increase in prescription opioid use, but the extent of related harm is still largely unknown. Given the impact of the US opioid epidemic, it is important to closely monitor signs of emerging opioid-related problems to guarantee early warnings and timely actions. Shared and meaningful definitions for opioid use and related harms, and relevant information about specific drivers for opioid use and related problems are needed for an adequate policy response. In this commentary, we discuss these definitions, the need to know more about the specific drivers for increased opioid use, its related harm, and proposals for strategies to move forward. Policy recommendations include making a distinction between licit and illicit opioids when monitoring and reporting on opioid-related harm, and using oral morphine equivalents to quantify prescription opioid use in a clinically relevant and comparable manner. A major topic of further research is exploring unique and universal drivers of prescription opioid (mis)use across Europe, in particular the role of opioid diversion.
KW - Europe
KW - Illegal opioids
KW - Opioid dependence
KW - Prescription opioids
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85126031608&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1159/000521996
DO - https://doi.org/10.1159/000521996
M3 - Review article
C2 - 35196659
SN - 1022-6877
VL - 28
SP - 231
EP - 240
JO - European Addiction Research
JF - European Addiction Research
IS - 3
ER -