Durand, Louise, O'Kane, Aoife, Tierney, Julie, Cronly, Mark, Bennett, Kathleen E ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2861-7665, Kavanagh, Yvonne, Keenan, Eamon ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3395-3831 and Cousins, Gráinne ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2985-7668 (2024) Gabapentinoids in Ireland 2010 to 2020: an observational study of trends in gabapentinoid prescribing, law enforcement drug seizures and post mortem toxicology. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, 90, (4), pp. 987-995. https://doi.org/10.1111/bcp.15984.
External website: https://bpspubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.111...
AIM We explored trends in gabapentinoid prescribing, drug seizures and post mortem toxicology using a national pharmacy claims database, law enforcement drug seizures data and a population based post mortem toxicology database.
METHODS Gabapentinoid prescribing rates per 100,000 eligible population (2010-2020), annual number of drug seizures involving gabapentinoids (2012-2020), and gabapentinoid detection (positive) rates per 100 post mortem toxicology case (2013-2020) were calculated. Negative binomial regression models were used to evaluate longitudinal trends for gabapentin and pregabalin separately.
RESULTS Gabapentin (Adjusted Rate Ratio (ARR) 1.06, 95% CI 1.05-1.06, p <0.001) and pregabalin (ARR 1.08, 95% CI 1.08-1.09, p<0.001) prescribing increased annually, with higher rates of pregabalin (vs gabapentin) observed every year. Drug seizures involving pregabalin also increased over time (RR 1.54 95% CI 1.25-1.90, p<0.0001). Of the 26,317 post mortem toxicology cases, 0.92% tested positive for gabapentin, 6.37% for pregabalin. Detection rates increased for both gabapentin (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.11 - 1.48, p<0.001) and pregabalin (RR 1.13, 95% CI 1.11-1.48, p<0.001) between 2013 and 2020. A total of 1,901 cases (7.2%) tested positive for heroin/methadone; this sub-group had a higher detection rate for pregabalin (n=528, 27.8%) and gabapentin (n=41, 2.2%) over study period, with a high burden of co-detections for pregabalin with benzodiazepines (peaking at 37.3% in 2018), and pregabalin with prescription opioids (peaking at 28.9% in 2020) CONCLUSIONS: This study raises concerns regarding the wide availability of pregabalin in Ireland, including a growing illicit supply, and the potential for serious harm arising from poly drug use involving pregabalin among people who use heroin or methadone.
B Substances > Opioids (opiates) > Heroin
B Substances > Opioids (opiates) > Opioid product > Methadone
B Substances > New (novel) psychoactive substances > Other novel substances > Gabapentinoids GABA (Pregabalin / Gabapentin)
E Concepts in biomedical areas > Pharmacology and toxicology
G Health and disease > Substance use disorder (addiction) > Multiple substance use (Poly-drug /Poly-substance)
MM-MO Crime and law > Substance related offence > Drug offence > Illegal drug possession (seizures)
P Demography, epidemiology, and history > Population dynamics > Substance related mortality / death
VA Geographic area > Europe > Ireland
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