Linked Life Data

11772481

Source:http://linkedlifedata.com/resource/pubmed/id/11772481

Statements in which the resource exists as a subject.
PredicateObject
rdf:type
lifeskim:mentions
pubmed:issue
2
pubmed:dateCreated
2002-1-4
pubmed:abstractText
Since 1996 French general practitioners (GPs) may prescribe sublingual buprenorphine tablets as maintenance treatment for opiate dependence. The computerised data management of the main French health reimbursement system now allows surveillance of the use of this drug, and how it is prescribed. The purpose of this study is to determine the profile of maintained patients, prescribed doses, associated psychotropic treatments and how practitioners prescribe these treatments. This study analyses the 11186 buprenorphine prescriptions electronically transmitted for reimbursement between September and December 1999 in a specific French region. It was found that the 2078 treated patients consumed a mean of 11.5 mg of buprenorphine per day and 12% of them procured prescriptions from more than two prescribers. 43% of maintained patients had an associated benzodiazepine prescription, mainly flunitrazepam, often on the same prescription form. 61% of patients had regular follow-up, others had occasional consultations (21%) and another 18% had deviant maintenance treatment (more than two prescribers or more than 20 mg per day of daily buprenorphine dose). Benzodiazepine consumption was much higher in the 'deviant group' (71.4%). 85% of buprenorphine prescriptions were made by GPs. 21% of GPs prescribed buprenorphine and 61% of those had only one or two maintained patients. Buprenorphine prescription by French GPs is a procedure with no particular requirements, allowing many patients to easily access maintenance treatments. However, a high risk of abuse exists, which demands extensive investigation and evaluation of these practices.
pubmed:language
eng
pubmed:journal
pubmed:citationSubset
IM
pubmed:chemical
pubmed:status
MEDLINE
pubmed:month
Jan
pubmed:issn
0376-8716
pubmed:author
pubmed:issnType
Print
pubmed:day
1
pubmed:volume
65
pubmed:owner
NLM
pubmed:authorsComplete
Y
pubmed:pagination
197-204
pubmed:dateRevised
2008-11-21
pubmed:meshHeading
pubmed:year
2002
pubmed:articleTitle
Buprenorphine prescription by general practitioners in a French region.
pubmed:affiliation
Centre for Evaluation and Information on Pharmacodependence, Public Health Department, School of Medicine, 27 Boulevard Jean Moulin, 13005 Marseilles, France. oppidum@medecine.univ-mrs.fr
pubmed:publicationType
Journal Article