Motives, Diversion and Routes of Administration Associated with Nonmedical Use of Prescription Opioids

Overview

Journal Addict Behav

Specialties Psychiatry
Social Sciences

Date 2006 Jul 18

PMID 16843611

Citations 166

Authors

Sean Esteban McCabe

James A Cranford

Carol J Boyd

Christian J Teter

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objectives: The main objectives of this study were to assess the motives, diversion sources and routes of administration associated with the nonmedical use of prescription opioids as well as to examine substance use related problems associated with the nonmedical use of prescription opioids.

Method: A self-administered, cross-sectional Web survey was conducted in 2005 at a large public Midwestern 4-year university in the U.S. using a probability-based sampling approach. The final sample included 4580 full-time undergraduate students.

Results: The three most common motives associated with the nonmedical use of prescription opioids were to relieve pain, get high, and experiment. The leading sources of prescription opioids were friends and parents although there were gender differences in reports of primary sources. More than 1 in every 10 nonmedical users reported intranasal administration. Multivariate analyses indicated nonmedical users of prescription opioids who used for motives other than to relieve pain, obtained these drugs from non-parental sources, or used these drugs via non-oral routes of administration were significantly more likely to experience substance use related problems.

Conclusions: These results indicate that nonmedical use of prescription opioids represents a considerable problem for particular subgroups of college students. While additional research is needed, the present study offers important new directions for policy and research regarding prescription opioid misuse.

Citing Articles

Oral fentanyl consumption and withdrawal impairs fear extinction learning and enhances basolateral amygdala principal neuron excitatory-inhibitory balance in male and female mice.

Downs A, Kmiec G, McElligott Z Addict Neurosci. 2025; 13.

PMID: 39742087 PMC: 11687336. DOI: 10.1016/j.addicn.2024.100182.

Perspectives on Diversion of Medications From Safer Opioid Supply Programs.

Olding M, Rudzinski K, Schmidt R, Kolla G, German D, Sereda A JAMA Netw Open. 2024; 7(12):e2451988.

PMID: 39693066 PMC: 11656262. DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.51988.

Morphine self-administration is inhibited by the antioxidant N-acetylcysteine and the anti-inflammatory ibudilast; an effect enhanced by their co-administration.

Quintanilla M, Morales P, Santapau D, Gallardo J, Rebolledo R, Riveras G PLoS One. 2024; 19(10):e0312828.

PMID: 39471200 PMC: 11521314. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0312828.

Affective neuroscience personality traits in opioid use disorder patients: The relationship with earlier onset of substance use, the severity of addiction, and motivational factors to quit opiate use.

Asut G, Hosgoren Alici Y, Ceran S, Danisman M, Sahiner S Brain Behav. 2024; 14(9):e70050.

PMID: 39317980 PMC: 11422171. DOI: 10.1002/brb3.70050.

Differential etiologic associations of heroin use and prescription opioid misuse with psychopathology.

Dash G, Gizer I, Martin N, Slutske W J Psychopathol Clin Sci. 2024; 133(5):378-391.

PMID: 38815084 PMC: 11869234. DOI: 10.1037/abn0000921.

References

Mayfield D, McLeod G, Hall P . The CAGE questionnaire: validation of a new alcoholism screening instrument. Am J Psychiatry. 1974; 131(10):1121-3. DOI: 10.1176/ajp.131.10.1121. View

Skinner H . The drug abuse screening test. Addict Behav. 1982; 7(4):363-71. DOI: 10.1016/0306-4603(82)90005-3. View

Ewing J . Detecting alcoholism. The CAGE questionnaire. JAMA. 1984; 252(14):1905-7. DOI: 10.1001/jama.252.14.1905. View

Pedersen W, LAVIK N . Adolescents and benzodiazepines: prescribed use, self-medication and intoxication. Acta Psychiatr Scand. 1991; 84(1):94-8. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0447.1991.tb01427.x. View

Heck E . Developing a screening questionnaire for problem drinking in college students. J Am Coll Health. 1991; 39(5):227-31. DOI: 10.1080/07448481.1991.9936239. View

McCabe S, Teter C, Boyd C . Illicit use of prescription pain medication among college students. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2004; 77(1):37-47. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2004.07.005. View

Cone E, Fant R, Rohay J, Caplan Y, Ballina M, Reder R . Oxycodone involvement in drug abuse deaths. II. Evidence for toxic multiple drug-drug interactions. J Anal Toxicol. 2004; 28(7):616-24. DOI: 10.1093/jat/28.7.616. View

Wechsler H, Dowdall G, Davenport A, Rimm E . A gender-specific measure of binge drinking among college students. Am J Public Health. 1995; 85(7):982-5. PMC: 1615545. DOI: 10.2105/ajph.85.7.982. View

Jewers W, Rawal Y, Allen C, Kalmar J, Fox E, Chacon G . Palatal perforation associated with intranasal prescription narcotic abuse. Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod. 2005; 99(5):594-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.tripleo.2004.04.006. View

10.

McCabe S, Teter C, Boyd C, Knight J, Wechsler H . Nonmedical use of prescription opioids among U.S. college students: prevalence and correlates from a national survey. Addict Behav. 2005; 30(4):789-805. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2004.08.024. View

11.

McCabe S, Boyd C . Sources of prescription drugs for illicit use. Addict Behav. 2005; 30(7):1342-50. PMC: 1706073. DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2005.01.012. View

12.

Boyd C, McCabe S, Teter C . Medical and nonmedical use of prescription pain medication by youth in a Detroit-area public school district. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2005; 81(1):37-45. PMC: 1785363. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.05.017. View

13.

Compton W, Volkow N . Major increases in opioid analgesic abuse in the United States: concerns and strategies. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2005; 81(2):103-7. DOI: 10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2005.05.009. View

14.

Maisto S, Carey M, Carey K, Gordon C, Gleason J . Use of the AUDIT and the DAST-10 to identify alcohol and drug use disorders among adults with a severe and persistent mental illness. Psychol Assess. 2000; 12(2):186-92. DOI: 10.1037//1040-3590.12.2.186. View

15.

Roset P, Farre M, de la Torre R, Mas M, Menoyo E, Hernandez C . Modulation of rate of onset and intensity of drug effects reduces abuse potential in healthy males. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2001; 64(3):285-98. DOI: 10.1016/s0376-8716(01)00127-2. View

16.

French M, Roebuck M, McGeary K, Chitwood D, McCoy C . Using the drug abuse screening test (DAST-10) to analyze health services utilization and cost for substance users in a community-based setting. Subst Use Misuse. 2001; 36(6-7):927-46. DOI: 10.1081/ja-100104096. View

17.

Yewell J, Haydon R, Archer S, Manaligod J . Complications of intranasal prescription narcotic abuse. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol. 2002; 111(2):174-7. DOI: 10.1177/000348940211100212. View

18.

Zacny J, Bigelow G, Compton P, Foley K, Iguchi M, Sannerud C . College on Problems of Drug Dependence taskforce on prescription opioid non-medical use and abuse: position statement. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2003; 69(3):215-32. DOI: 10.1016/s0376-8716(03)00003-6. View

19.

Forman R . Availability of opioids on the Internet. JAMA. 2003; 290(7):889. DOI: 10.1001/jama.290.7.889. View

20.

Kollins S . Comparing the abuse potential of methylphenidate versus other stimulants: a review of available evidence and relevance to the ADHD patient. J Clin Psychiatry. 2003; 64 Suppl 11:14-8. View