Does naloxone provision lead to increased substance use? A systematic review to assess if there is evidence of a ‘moral hazard’ associated with naloxone supply

Lit review
par
Tse, Wai Chung et al

Date de publication

2022

Géographie

International

Langue de la ressource

English

Texte disponible en version intégrale

Non

Open Access / OK to Reproduce

Non

Évalué par des pairs

Yes

L’objectif

One often cited concern is that naloxone provision could be associated with increased opioid use, due to the availability of naloxone to reverse opioid overdose. We conducted a systematic review to determine whether THN provision is associated with changes in substance use by participants enrolled in THN programs

Constatations/points à retenir

Of the five studies that reported on the primary outcome of heroin use, no study found evidence of increased heroin use across the study population. Five studies reported on other substance use (benzodiazepines, alcohol, cocaine, amphetamine, cannabis, prescription opioids), none of which found evidence of an increase in other substance use associated with THN provision. Four studies reported on changes in overdose frequency following THN provision: three studies reporting no change, and one study of people prescribed opioids finding a reduction in opioid-related emergency department attendances for participants who received naloxone.

La conception ou méthodologie de recherche

Seven studies with 2578 participants were included. Of the seven studies, there were two quasi-experimental studies and five cohort studies. Based on the Joanna Briggs Institute quality assessment, four studies were of moderate quality and three studies were of high quality.

Mots clés

Evidence base
Harm reduction
Policy/Regulatory
Hesitancy of prescribers
About prescribers
Outcomes
Illegal drugs