Week 13 - Specialist Interventions Flashcards
Interventions targeting the drug
- psychoeducation/drug information
- Withdrawal management
- Pharmocotherapy
- Drug Screening
Psychoeducation/drug information
Brief process of information provision focused on the communication of varied aspects of disease and treatment related information
Aim:
– To help understand their disorder,
– Understand the meaning of symptoms and what’s known about cause
– Harm minimisation / safety information
– Explore treatment options
– Early identify relapse risks
What is the important information that needs to be shared?
– Effects and side effects, dosage, methods, and potential harms
– Correct inaccurate or dangerous information
– Explore treatment options
why is it useful for the pre-contemplation stage
– Avoids confrontation and argument
– Raises awareness
what works about this method?
- Strong evidence base in clinical trials and community settings, particularly when delivered by clinicians
- involves assessing consumption as well
as substance-related behaviour, and providing normative feedback and information on the impact of use. - Educating individuals on the impact of hazardous alcohol use on both mental and physical health may facilitate motivation to change behaviour
Withdrawal Management
- the medical and psychological care of a person experiencing withdrawal symptoms as a result of ceasing or reducing substance use
- Common ‘entry point’ into AOD treatment. In/out patient
- Generally speaking, withdrawal feels like the opposite of the drug. For example when withdrawing from a depressant like alcohol a person may feel restless and agitated, or have
tremors
Symptoms during with withdrawal
can be mild or severe depending on:
* Duration of use
* Substance
* Age
* Physical health
* Psychological characteristics
* Method of withdrawal
Outcome of withdrawal management
- Withdrawal management can be a stand alone treatment – with limited effectiveness
- Treatment outcomes enhanced when people engage in further treatment such as counselling or rehabilitation services
Pharmocotherapy
- the use of prescribed medication to
assist in the treatment of addiction. - Replacing a prescribed drug to treat a drug of dependence is used when:
- to reduce the intensity of withdrawal symptoms,
- to manage cravings, and
- to reduce the likelihood of a lapse or relapse by blocking a drug or addictive behaviour’s effect
Aims of pharmocotherapy
- preventing physical withdrawal
- helps to stabilise the lives of people who are substance dependent
- to reduce the harms related to substance use.
Agnoists and Antagonists
agonists - drugs that occupy receptors and activate them
antagonists - drugs that occupy receptors but do not activate them Antagonists block receptor activation by agonists
Naltrexone Maintenance Treatment
- Naltrexone is a long-lasting opioid antagonist.
- Naltrexone reduces both the rewarding effects of opioids / alcohol and craving for it.
Outcomes of Naltrexone
– Safe treatment
– For alcohol, 54% completed the 12 weeks of the treatment study: 39% abstained; 86% were consuming less alcohol by final visit than at baseline
* Outcomes best if highly motivated, employed, with good social support, older and with prior treatment experience
* Risk of overdose – removes tolerance
Methadone Maintenance Treatment
- Full opiate agonist
- For those unable to cease opiate use/manage withdrawal
– Maintenance rather than abstinence
– Often preferred choice for high levels of opiate dependence
– Can be useful for chronic pain treatment
– Protective treatment for released prisoners with opiate use histories - Selected GP and Alcohol and Drug Services only
- High retention in treatment
– Not as intensive - Reduces/does not eliminate heroin use for all
- Reduces HIV risk behaviour, criminal behaviour, and risk of overdose
Buprenorphine
- Partial agonist & partial antagonist
- Maintenance treatment
- Can be a detoxification aid
– Detoxification and withdrawal from Buprenorphine better tolerated than from methadone or heroin
– Less severe symptoms - Higher doses improve retention in treatment and reduce heroin use
- Can be taken in one, two, or three day doses (Double/Triple dosing options); long acting injectables
- compared to methadone theres slightly less retention in treatment and reduces illicit drug use to an equivalent or greater extent
Interventions for alcohol
- Naltrexone
- Acamprosate
- Antabuse
Acamprosate (Campral)
– Decreases cravings for alcohol in people who have been dependent on alcohol and are trying to abstain.
– Agonist and antagonist
– Maintenance: Does not prevent withdrawal symptoms
– Acamprosate significantly reduced the risk of returning to any drinking by 86% and increased the cumulative duration of abstinence by 11%
Antabuse (Disulfiram)
- Maintenance Therapy - with abstinence as a goal
- Blocks enzyme that metablises alcohol - Reacts with alcohol to make client feel very ill
- Designed as a deterrent to drinking - Unpleasant side effects and sensitivity to alcohol
- Disulfiram is a safe and effective treatment. Produced an abstinence rate of more than 50%. Individuals who have taken Disulfiram for an average of 20
months have showed the highest rates of abstinence - More effective if used in conjunction with counselling and ongoing support
Interventions for nicotine
- Nicotine replacement therapy
- Varenicline (Champix)
Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)
- partial agonist
- temporarily replaces nicotine from tobcco to reduce motivation to consume and withdrawal symptoms, eases transition from smoking to abstinence
- increases of successfully stopping by 50-70%
- supports the reduction of use by people not wanting to completely stop
- most effective with counselling
Varenicline (Champix)
- Antagonist and partial agonist. Stimulates dopamine receptors whilst blocking nicotine receptors.
– Reduces cravings
– Lowers effects - the most efficacious smoking cessation medicine at up to 12 months
- Best with counselling and support
- Not recommended for young people
- Can be used with NRT